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The Foxbat can *reach* Mach 2.8 for short bursts and cannot be refueled mid-air, the Blackbird cruises at Mach 3.2-3.3 for hours and can be refueled while in flight.

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Mach 2.8 sprints only, 777 mile maximum range- does have refuel provisions and nice radar.

Advantage... Blackbird.

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Nope the Foxhound has a max speed of Mach 2.83 and the  Foxbat A has a max speed of Mach 3+

Here's my proof:

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Aircraft/Specs/MiG-25.html

Origin: Russia.

NATO Codename: Foxbat.

Indian Name: Garuda (Mythological Eagle King).

Type: All weather, high-speed reconnaissance aircraft.

Current versions in IAF service: MiG-25R; Single-seat, high-speed reconnaissance.
..........................................MiG-25U; Dual-seat, used for conversion training.

Design Features: The MiG-25U trainer, which had first flown in 1973 and entered service soon after, differed from the single-seat MiG-25 variants in having a totally redesigned forward fuselage component containing two separate cockpits. This trainer version has no SLAR (side-looking airborne radar) nor any reconnaissance capability and is solely used for conversion training.

Accommodation: Pilot on zero/zero ejection seat in A/C and pressurized cockpit.

Avionics: The MiG-25R is equipped with a number of electromagnetic-spectrum sensors along with a larger and a more capable side-looking airborne radar (SLAR). It is fitted with two left-to-right rotating cameras of a focal length of 650mm and 1300mm that can be fitted in the three interchangeable camera bays located in the nose cone of the aircraft.

The two cameras shoot through two port and two starboard windows, and a vertical camera with a shorter focal length is located under the cockpit to make the horizon to horizon linking shots.

Armament: Can carry short & medium range air-to-air missiles for self protection.

Engine: Two Tumansky R-15BD-300 engines each rated at 10,210 kg. of max. thrust.

Maximum Speed: Mach 3+

Service Ceiling: 70,000+ feet

G limit: ?

Maximum Range: ?

Self Defence: ?

Comments: With an inventory of 10 MiG-25R and 2 MiG-25U, they form the No.102 Trisonics Squadron at Bareilly AFB. An indigenous life extension on the MiG-25 is being studied and reportedly the IAF has received preliminary good results.


But the Mig-25 PDS goes Mach 2.83

Specification MiG-25PDS

Type: Single-seat interceptor, reconnaissance aircraft and two-seat conversion aircraft
Power-plant: 2 × Soyuz/Tumansky R15BD-300 turbojet
Power: 86.3 kN (19,400 lb st) dry, 109.75 kN (24,675 lb st) with afterburner
Dimensions: Length: 23.82 m (78 ft 1 3/4 ins)
Span: 14.015 (45 ft 11 3/4 ins)
Height: 6.10 m (20 ft 0 1/4 ins)
Weight: Maximum take-off: 36,720 kg (80,950 lb)
Maximum Speed: Mach 2.83 at altitude
Range: 1,250 km (777 miles)
Armament: Four external attachment points for R-40R (AA-6 'Acrid'), R-40T (AA-6 'Acrid'), R-60, R-23 (AA-7 'Apex'), R-73A (AA-11 'Archer') or R-60T (AA-8 'Aphid') AAMs

here the source:

http://www.soviet-empire.com/arsenal/air/fighters/mig25.php

Here is a list of all type Foxbat based planes:

# MiG-25P Foxbat A
# MiG-25RB Foxbat B
# MiG-25RBV Foxbat B
# MiG-25BBT Foxbat B
# MiG-25R Foxbat B
# MiG-25PU Foxbat C
# MiG-25RU Foxbat C
# MiG-25U Foxbat C
# MiG-25RBK Foxbat D
# MiG-25RBS Foxbat D
# MiG-25RBSh Foxbat D
# MiG-25RBF Foxbat D
# MiG-25PD Foxbat E
# MiG-25PDS Foxbat E
# MiG-25BM Foxbat F

and the solution to the Blackbird has been found:

AA-6 ACRID R-40

In early 1962 the Bisnovat design team began working on the R-40 (K-40), a new long-range missile intended for use with the the MiG-25-40 high- altitude interception system, consisting of the MiG-25 aircraft with Smerch-A radar set and the R-40 missile. Though only slightly larger than the predecessor R-4, the range of the R-40 is over three times greater. This missile was produced in two variants: R-40R (Object RD46 with PARG-12 head) and R-40T (Object TG-46).



After the defection of a MiG-25P to Japan on 06 September 1976, an extensive redesign of the aircraft was undertaken, resulting in the MiG-25PD interception system. Instead of the Smerch-A, a Sapfir-25 radar was installed. The new missile R-40D and its R-40D1 update ("dorabotanaya" [more elaborate]) were produced in two variants R-40RD and R-40TD, both featuring improved countermeasures resistance and a more sensitive homing head to improve performance against low-flying targets. The R-40D1 missile was developed by the Vympel team, the Molniya team having by that time withdraw from development of aircraft missiles. The R-40 is still included among the weapons of MiG-25 and MiG-31 aircraft, although production was discontinued in 1991.

AA-6 ACRID R-40 tech specs

Manafacturer Bisnovat design team      
Date Deployed       Late 60s
Range       30 km (R-40)   50 km (R-40TD and R-40RD)
Speed       Mach 4.5
Propulsion       One solid-propellant rocket motor
Fuze       Radar and active laser
Guidance       Command, inertial and semi-active radar (R-40R)  Command, inertial and IR (R-40T)
Warhead       70 kg HE fragmentation
Launch Weight       475 kg
Length       6.2 m
Diameter       355 mm
Fin Span       1.8 m
Platforms       Su-15, MiG-25, MiG-31

hehe this baby goes Mach 4.5 

AFAIK, the MiG-25 can indeed sustain Mach 3+ for some period of time (limited only by the resulting, excessive Fuel consumtion I guess).

The MiG-31 due to (thermal) engine limitations is reported to reach ~M2.85 only for a short period of time. After a few minutes, it has to leave this critical flight regime again, since it's hurting itself doing that.

Whether you could find Pilots crazy enough to try this today, in 20 year old Airframes, is a different story though

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PS.
Much more interesting than the Airframes themself, I find the funny stories that lead to their invention in the first place

Soviet Intelligence catched up stories about a US Hypersonic, long range, nuclear capable bomber.

Development immediately started to build an Interceptor, that would serve only one single purpose : Intercept a Mach 2+ Bomber, long before reaching Soviet territory.

The US indeed built their (hilariously expensive) XB-70 Valkyrie, of which one Prototype crashed after a F-104 (together with a whole bulk of various other Aircraft taking a glance at the XB-70) takes Pictures of it, gets into the Jetwash of the large Bomber, and collides with its Wing and Vertical Stabilizer section, leaving the AV-1 Prototype XB-70 rolling uncontrolled towards the Ground.

Even after the Project is officially cancelled, the Soviets continue to develop their Interceptor, and build the MiG-25 Foxbat.

During the delopment, the US Intelligence, in turn, catches their counterpart's Plans of what apparently is going to be a ultra-fast and ultra-capable Soviet Figher Aircraft.

Assumed a Long-Range threat to US territory itself, they in turn hurdle into developing something that can encounter this Soviet "Wonder Fighter", having the most hilarious theories rage inside the Pentagon about its expected capabilities.

The Result was the F-15 Eagle, build with 2 Engines and designed as a very expensive, but (so thought) only Fighter capable enough to oppose the Soviet's latest Ace "Wonder" Fighter.
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In short, we actually have two interesting and costly designs, each built against a Threat that (actually) never existed

I find that funny in many ways

Well there is a plane faster than the so called Blackbird:

X-15




it's fastest flight took it to Mach 6.67 that's about twice the speed of the Blackbird,  I thought, that's quite sicko  

The Lockheed Space Shuttle can go faster but that is a space plane ofcourse. it can go Mach 26 or something, in space it can orbit the Earth within 90 minutes, quite crazy.

When will we reach light speed, in 2075 or so?  I hope earlier:)

here more info of the top speed of the Lockheed Space Shuttle:

http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2001/InnaSokolyanskaya1.shtml

8000 m/s (in orbit) = 18.000 miles per hour that is 28800 KM per hour  so that would be equivelant to Mach 26.18., so I was kinda close on it top speed.



that's about  8.2 times faster than the Blackbird   8)

Com'n Home

Technically the X-15 is not an airplane, it's an aircraft, because it's powered by a rocket engine.

(For those who don't understand the difference between an aircraft and an airplane: an aircraft is a thing that can fly. An airplane is a specific type of aircraft.)

Here a funny one:

Shorts SC7 Skyvan:

Incidentally, there's what looks like an interesting article on Tupolev's own website regarding the various problems faced by the TU-144 from both a technical and economic aspect, but it's ruined by being written by a non-native speaker.  I can't find that there's an original document from which it's been translated, however.

I'd always thought that the main issue it faced was range, but that doesn't necessarily appear to be the case.  It doesn't sound as if it was particularly pleasant to fly on, though...

Actually it was from a military aircraft reference book at my parents' house, but looking into it a bit more.  It looks like they stretched their information somewhat - the crash of 6928/ #125 is a crash "on landing", for example, if you completely ignore the fact that it ran out of fuel :p

So yeah, go reference books.