Humanity’s fascination with flying never seems to go away. With each new air vehicle invented, the desire to find new ways to get airborne just seems to grow, and new types of aircraft are invented. Here are some of the types you should be familiar with if you are not already.
1. Light-Sport Aircraft
This is one of the smallest types of airplanes. It is also one of the easiest to fly, so many pilots start out owning these to practice on. They are relatively simple to repair and maintain with aircraft hardware kits.
2. Cargo Planes
Cargo planes carry freight rather than passengers. They are designed specifically to carry cargo, with high wings and large doors, and lack passenger seating and other amenities, which are not necessary.
3. Fighter Jets
As implied by the name, fighter jets are used by the military in combat. However, they are not bombers that launch attacks on the ground. Rather, they are intended for air-to-air fights exclusively. With powerful engines and a sleek, streamlined fuselage, fighter jets are designed to reach high speeds. If one flies over your head, you are aware of it right away.
4. Gliders
Some gliders have very small motors, while most have none at all. They are designed as very light fixed-wing aircraft that do not need engines to get aloft and stay there. A glider looks like a very skinny plane with wide wings. Being streamlined and lightweight is part of their design because they wouldn’t be able to stay airborne otherwise.
5. Biplanes
Biplanes aren’t very common anymore, but they were common military crafts during World Wars I and II. They are so called because they have two sets of fixed wings, one over top of the fuselage and one underneath.
There are many other types of aircraft besides planes. Nonmotorized examples include balloons or even parachutes. A helicopter is a familiar type of aircraft that uses spinning rotors instead of fixed wings.
