Royal Air Force Group Capt. Hugh Wilson sets the first post-war recognized absolute speed record and breaks the 600 mph barrier at the same time, as he flies a Gloster Meteor F.4 to a speed of 606.26 mph at Herne Bay, England. This also marked the first time the absolute speed record is held by a jet powered aircraft. The flight broke the previous record, set in 1939, by 137 mph.
The Air Force is asking for nearly $1 billion in fiscal 2027 to start buying Collaborative Combat Aircraft in earnest, as a production decision on which semi-autonomous drones to buy looms.
