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2293 MPH -Officially, the world's fastest jet-powered aircraft remains the SR-71 Blackbird. Although the official record is about Mach 3.3 (or 3.3 times the speed of sound), many believe the aircraft could actually fly much faster. However, it seems unlikely that the SR-71 could go much faster than about Mach 3.5, with a very slim chance of Mach 4, due to propulsion and structural limitations. By Mach 3.6 or 3.8, shock waves generated by the nose of the aircraft are formed at an angle such that they impact the engine nacelles and cause the engines to unstart. In addition, heat generated by the aircraft's high speed increases to the point that certain portions of the plane's structure begin to fail by about Mach 3.5. !