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From scorching fast warbirds to prolific airliners, the world of jet aircraft has produced some of the most impressive machines to ever take flight, as well as airplanes that became cultural icons famous around the world. Some of the earliest jet-powered airplanes are still flying, including many examples of the Boeing 707, which formed the template for modern airliners today.
At the same time, some of the most impressive jets to ever take flight have had their wings clipped and will never soar again. In this review, we will explore the storied history of seven of the most important and famous jet planes to ever grace the skies.
7
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
Retired 1999
The United States Air Force permanently retired its fleet in 1990, and after a brief reactivation, NASA flew the last remaining operational aircraft until retiring them in 1999. The SR-71 Blackbird’s operational career spanned from 1964 to 1999, during which it served as the world’s premier strategic reconnaissance platform. It remains the fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft ever built.
The SR-71’s career was defined by record-breaking performance that remains unsurpassed in 2026. Over its entire career, more than 4,000 missiles were fired at SR-71s, yet none were ever shot down. Its primary defense was simply to accelerate and outrun the threat. On its 1990 retirement flight to the Smithsonian, an SR-71 flew from Los Angeles to Washington, DC, in just 64 minutes and 20 seconds.
The fleet flew global missions from main hubs at Beale AFB, Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, and RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. The first operational sortie took place on March 21, 1968, and provided critical intelligence over North Vietnam and Laos during the conflict. From 80,000 feet, it could survey 100,000 square miles of Earth’s surface per hour. On July 28, 1976, an SR-71 set two world records for its class: an absolute speed record of 2,193.167 mph and an absolute altitude record of 85,068.997 feet.
6
Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde
Retired 2003
The Concorde is likely the most famous commercial airliner ever made, and undoubtedly the fastest and highest flying to ever enter service. The official Type Certificate for Concorde was withdrawn by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in 2003. Of the 20 aircraft originally built, 18 are preserved and on display at various museums and airports across Europe and North America.
The French prototype (001) made its maiden flight on March 2, 1969, from Toulouse, followed by the British prototype (002) from Filton on April 9, 1969. It pioneered technologies such as analogue fly-by-wire flight controls, a ‘droop nose’ for visibility during landing, and specialized engines that allowed it to supercruise at supersonic speeds without afterburners for extended periods.
Russia technically completed the Tupolev Tu-144 just before the Concorde took its first flight, however the ‘Concodski,’ as it was known, was an abject failure in actual passenger service. The Concorde was famed as much for its speed and elegance as it was for the extravagance of the in-flight experience. free-flowing champagne and bottomless caviar made every departure a celebration of supersonic flight.
5
Boeing 737-100
Retired 2004
The Boeing 737-100 was the archetype for one of the world’s most iconic commercial jet aircraft and the best-selling airliner family until last year, when the Airbus A320 overtook the Boeing twinjet. Lufthansa launched the 737-100 in 1965, marking the first time a non-US airline served as the launch customer for a Boeing aircraft. According to Key Aero, the final commercial example was grounded by Peru’s Aero Continente in 2003, and NASA’s flying laboratory of the same airframe was retired a year later, in 2004.
Despite its legacy of epic proportions, 737-100 was produced in a very limited run of only 30 airplanes, before the 737-200 became the first model in the famous aircraft family to see large-scale mass production and widespread commercial success. As major airlines moved toward larger variants, the original -100s found second lives with secondary carriers.
The first prototype (N73700) was acquired by NASA in 1974. Re-registered as NASA 515, it spent nearly 30 years as the Transport Systems Research Vehicle, testing technologies like glass cockpits, electronic flight displays, and wind-shear detection systems that are now standard in modern aviation.
4
English Electric Lightning
Retired 2009
The English Electric Lightning had a storied career as Britain’s first and only all-domestic Mach two interceptor. To minimize drag while maximizing power, it featured a unique staggered vertical engine layout, with two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojets stacked one above the other. Designed and built for the Royal Air Force (RAF), the English Electric Lightning entered service in 1959 and flew as a high-speed Interceptor until 1988. After the last operational Squadron stood down, a handful continued to serve British aerospace engineering until 1992.
A number of airframes have been maintained around the world, with several in near airworthy condition, and even after BAE retired its test airframes, a small civilian group continues flying tours in South Africa with their own jets. The last operational civilian fleet was Thunder City in South Africa, which operated three Lightnings for tourist flights. This operation ceased following a fatal crash of a Lightning T.5 in 2009.
Several Lightnings are maintained in live condition in the UK, meaning they can perform high-speed taxi runs but are not licensed to fly. It was famously described by pilots as ‘being saddled to a skyrocket’ thanks to its incredible thrust-to-weight ratio. It could reach an initial climb rate of 50,000 feet per minute and had a service ceiling exceeding 60,000 feet.
3
de Havilland Comet
Retired 2011
The de Havilland Comet and its military successor, the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod, represent one of the most dramatic redemption arcs in aviation history. The Comet made its first flight in 1949, putting Britain years ahead of the United States in commercial aviation, but in 1954, a series of mysterious mid-air disintegrations grounded the fleet. The stress of repeated pressurization cycles caused cracks to form at the corners of the square windows, leading to explosive decompression.
The Comet was completely rebuilt as the Comet 4, featuring oval windows, and inaugurated the first-ever transatlantic jet service in 1958, beating the Boeing 707 by weeks. In the mid-1960s, the UK needed a new maritime patrol aircraft and selected the Comet 4 as the airframe. During the Cold War, Nimrods shadowed Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic 24/7. Nimrods performed the longest-ever combat missions at the time, flying from Ascension Island to the Falklands, supported by multiple mid-air refuelings.
The last scheduled commercial passenger flight was operated by Dan-Air on November 9, 1980, using a Comet 4C registered G-BDIW. This was a special charter flight for aviation enthusiasts from London Gatwick. Highly modified derivative of the Comet, the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft, remained in service with the Royal Air Force until its final variant was retired in 2011, over 60 years after the original Comet’s first flight.
The last unmodified de Havilland Comet to fly was a Comet 4C, serial number XS235 and nicknamed Canopus, which was operated by the UK’s Ministry of Defence for avionics and radar research. Its final flight was into Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome on March 14, 1997, for preservation as a ground-running exhibit.
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2
Avro Vulcan
Retired 2015
The Avro Vulcan was the most iconic of Britain’s three V-Bombers, including the Victor and Valiant. Designed to deliver nuclear weapons at high altitudes, it became a symbol of British Cold War power and engineering, serving from 1956 to 1984. The Vulcan was revolutionary for its massive delta wing, which provided high lift and maneuverability at altitudes over 50,000 feet. Despite its size, it had a surprisingly small radar cross-section, making it an early pioneer in stealth-like characteristics.
Throughout the late 1950s and 60s, the Vulcan served as the UK’s primary nuclear deterrent. Aircraft were kept on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA), capable of getting airborne within four minutes of a warning. The Vulcan’s only combat missions occurred at the very end of its career during the Falklands conflict.
The RAF retired the Vulcan as a bomber in 1982, though a few remained in service as tankers until 1984. The last remaining airworthy example, Avro Vulcan XH558, ceased flying on October 28, 2015, due to rising maintenance costs and lack of engineering support. Several, including XH558 ‘The Spirit of Great Britain,’ are preserved in taxiable condition in the UK.
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1
Antonov An-225 Mriya
Destroyed 2022
The Antonov An-225 ‘Mriya’ (meaning ‘Dream’ in Ukrainian) was the world’s largest and heaviest aircraft. Its destruction in February 2022 was a significant loss to global aviation and Ukrainian national pride. The world’s only completed An-225 was destroyed at Hostomel Airport in Ukraine during the Russian invasion in February 2022. Hostomel Airport was a primary target for Russian paratroopers. During the intense fighting for control of the airfield, the An-225 was caught in the crossfire and suffered catastrophic fire damage.
Designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in the 1980s, its original mission was to carry the Buran space shuttle and components of the Energia rocket for the Soviet space program. A second, unfinished AN-225 airframe exists but was also damaged during the conflict, making it unusable in its current state. Antonov Company has announced plans to reconstruct a new An-225 using components from the destroyed plane and the unfinished second airframe, but this project will only proceed after the war, with an estimated cost of over $500 million.
