Whether in the modern aviation there are any records worth beating

[Pawelk198604]

Like first supersonic flight of chuck Yeager

The scene of breaking the sound barrier is my favorite scene from "The Right Stuff"

[Bill Phil]

Fastest in atmosphere flight. Around 5000 meters.

[Sanic]

This thread's probably going to get closed, the topic is really unclear. Either that or update the OP, fast.

[WestAir]

I understand the OP just fine.

Back to the OP, every record that has been beat can be beat again. All of them. Fastest speed, heaviest aircraft, largest aircraft, most passengers carried, longest range, highest cruising altitude, et al.

I imagine we'll break every one of them within the next 40 years. New records will be, but won't be limited to: first commercial aircraft without a pilot, first all electric airliner, first SSTO commercial flight, etc.

[benzman]

I think we have to differentiate between 'records' that can always be beaten, and 'milestones' when the first of something is achieved. Like the first supersonic flight, the first man in space, the first unrefueled world circumnavigation, etc. I suspect the OP was referring to milestones rather than records.

[Findthepin1]

Furthest from Earth? Closest to Earth (dry land below sea level)? Coldest external temperature? Warmest? Lightest vehicle? Longest flight? Easy.

[LN400]

My favourite is actually a dual record, one intended, the other not quite as intended. In 1972,Jean Boulet, a French test pilot, set the world altitude record for helicopters (that would stand until recently). He took the machine up to 40,814 feet where the engine had a flame-out. Result was the world record in the longest autorotation back to a safe landing. That record still stands.

[cantab]

Fastest from Heathrow to JFK.

[fredinno]

First SSTO Spaceplane.

[A35K]

[quote name='WestAir']

I imagine we'll break every one of them within the next 40 years. New records will be, but won't be limited to: first commercial aircraft without a pilot, first all electric airliner, first SSTO commercial flight, etc.[/QUOTE]

The first 2, not happening anytime soon. I don't think there'll be a pilotless passenger aircraft until ALL cars and trains and buses are driverless. Electric airliner is probably much more feasible, but still we won't have anything useful soon (Airbus has a small electric plane prototype, I saw it at an air show, but it is only a 1 seater, very far from an airliner!) First SSTO commercial flight? Well, I guess a non-commercial one will have to happen first. However I hope that "space tourism" will become much more affordable, which should lead to a new series of milestones.

[Kerbart]

Some are unlikely to be broken, for instance the absolute velocity records and the altitude records set by the X15's.

There are many "limited" records like distance without refueling, speed records at sea level, etc, but even there... when you look at the [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_airspeed_record"]Wikipedia page for various speed records[/URL] you'll see that there are very few records set since 1990 (and mainly for obvious categories like electric flight).

[WinkAllKerb'']

*shrug mode on*

you can try that, the most [IMG]http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/broken-vinyl-record-5562509.jpg[/IMG] you can break during a single one hour flight @ mach5 using your anular only while piloting without any assist.

this one is probably not set yet so you'll be the first and get a name.

*shrug mode off* Edited November 16, 2015 by WinkAllKerb''
don't laugh, that's stupid xDr

[CleverWalrus]

[quote name='A35K']The first 2, not happening anytime soon. I don't think there'll be a pilotless passenger aircraft until ALL cars and trains and buses are driverless. [/QUOTE]

Flying is a LOT easier for a computer compared to driving inside a city.
You don't have to take on account anything except flying (something that auto-pilots already do without any problem) and take-off / landing that are already made autonomous in many ways. It's just matter of "doing it" not a technical problem.

[WestAir]

[quote name='A35K']The first 2, not happening anytime soon. I don't think there'll be a pilotless passenger aircraft until ALL cars and trains and buses are driverless.[/QUOTE]

You're right, but not for reasons of capability. Most people won't step foot onto a plane driven by a computer until they're already used to having their lives in the hands of computers - and driverless cars will get people used to the concept.

I have a pretty good idea on what would need to be automated versus what is already automated on a fixed wing and I'll tell you that the person above who said it's just a matter of automating takeoff/landing/cruise is far off the mark. The first drone airliner is going to be a brand new aircraft backed up by brand new ground equipment. We're not even halfway to where we need to be to automate passenger aviation. You can't just take a 747 and have it start itself, taxi itself, get from LA to Sydney, taxi to a gate, then shut down under every airline SOP, airport operation, nation-specific airspace rules, and unique aircraft configuration possible using the technology on the shelves today, and if you do then it's reinforced using ground based equipment that isn't always reliable and certainly isn't installed in more than 1% of the airports that are out there. That's just one plane, now you have to do it for all the others.

As I said, it's probably a few decades away. I'd be surprised if we had it by 2040, and surprised if we didn't by 2115. By then someone, human or otherwise, would have figured out the kinks.

Edit: As a side note, my buddies who operate little helicopters tell me it'll never ever ever ever be automated. I dunno if they're serious or just trying to protect their job, but since I've never been on a helicopter before I thought I'd throw that in. Edited November 19, 2015 by WestAir

[WestAir]

[quote name='llanthas']We could probably adjust the definition of "automated" to change the answer from "never" to "already happening"... Much of the flight time in your average commercial flight is completely automated. The pilot does very little, other than to monitor systems and have a quick chat with passing ground control systems.[/QUOTE]

I would compare this statement to suggesting that cruise control in your car is "fully automated driving" which it really isn't. The automation in a plane isn't going to fly you around hazardous weather that would destroy the aircraft and it's pretty archaic in its philosophy. Just because it's maintaining speed/pitch/roll/yaw doesn't mean it's doing the flying. The pilots are still flying. If you want to remove those pilots you're going to need more than what we have now.

[Tourist]

First Submarine Plane? those were my favorite vehicles in Midwinter II.