aircraft

An aircraft represents a vehicle that is able to gain lift and fly by countering the force of gravity. This can be achieved either by static or dynamic lift, or sometimes the downward thrust of a jet engine.


Aircraft can be categorized into civil and military, the latter including non-combat aircraft as well. Military aircraft are usually operated by armed services and can be either fixed wing (such as planes) or rotary-wing (such as helicopters). Non-combat military aircraft primarily perform supporting roles (including carrying equipment, supplies, etc) and may be armed for self-defense purposes. Combat aircraft are designed and equipped to destroy enemy targets. They can be broadly divided into fighters and bombers, with some performing mixed functions, like fighters-bombers and ground-attack aircraft.

A fighter aircraft is used mainly for engaging in air-to-air combat with another aircraft. For this purpose, fighters need to be small, fast and maneuverable. They are a key component in establishing air superiority and control over the battlefield, making the acquisition and maintenance fighter fleets an important part of the defense budgets of today's armed forces. Several international manufacturers of military aircraft parts provide support to the different government air forces around the world. This makes the military parts and components industry a significant contributor to the economy of numerous countries.

By contrast, a bomber aircraft is designed to disable ground targets, either by dropping bombs on them or by launching guided missiles at them. A distinction is made between strategic and tactical bombing. Strategic bombing seeks to weaken the enemy's war efforts by destroying supply bases, production units, shipyards or other resources. Strategic bombers operate at long-ranges and are usually able to carry an impressive arsenal. Tactical bombing targets military units and requires smaller, swifter aircraft that operate at short ranges and assist the efforts of ground or sea troops.

Civil aviation usually distinguishes between commercial and general aircraft types. The commercial category includes aircraft designed to carry passengers or cargo. The large passenger-carrying planes are usually referred to as airliners. General aviation is a broader term usually covering all types of aircraft used for any purposes other than military. This includes medical transports, business jets, emergency services, racers and many more.

You'll find bloggers talking about aircraft at sites like blogs.ei.columbia.edu and isu.edu.

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Original Technorati articles tagged “aircraft”

• in Finance
  Two Foreign Arms Deals for Boeing Cushion Future U.S. Defense Cuts
  Boeing won two deals with India and Taiwan this week that will help offset reductions in domestic arms spending.
  by Dagpotter / on Jun 11, 2011
• in Technology
  Twenty Six Hours Flight By Solar Powered Aircraft Marks New Heights
  At a top speed of 78 miles per hour, it is termed to be the longest test flight of a piloted, solar powered aircraft.
  by jaideepkhanduja / on Jul 9, 2010

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “aircraft”

 

• Solar Impulse takes off for Morocco on first sun-powered transcontinental flight

  
  2dayBlog - Technology Journal, New Gadget everyday! — Authority: 136
  The sun-powered Solar Impulse plane is gradually working up to a trip around the globe, with the most recent benchmark being its first international flight in 2011. Now Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg are taking the jumbo jet-size plane on its first transcontinental journey. The Solar Impulse set off for Morocco ...
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• SchlerProfile Weblogs: Bretedhxol

  
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  “ One of the ways that you will have the ability to help teach your kids proper time management skills is by utilizing play time as a sort of reward for when they use these skills correctly. While some parents think that it isn’t fair to make a child learn these things you are going to find that you’ll not be ...
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• An-30: Mission Impossible

  
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  A Russian military plane An-30 while performing a flight within “the Open Sky” mission went on the runway in the Czech Republic and started burning. 19 people suffered, most of them are in a poor condition…  
  1 day ago

• AeroVironment Introduces Digital Wasp AE Small Unmanned Aircraft System

  
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  AeroVironment has introduced the Wasp small unmanned aircraft system and announced that it has been accepted by the U.S. Air Force for inclusion in its Battlefield Air Targeting Micro Air Vehicle (BATMAV) program. Inclusion into the BATMAV program enabled the Air Force to place an order for Wasp AE systems valued at ...
  1 day ago

• Indian Air Force Selects Pilatus PC-7 MkII Training System

  
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  Pilatus Aircraft Ltd is proud to announce that the Indian Air Force has entered today into a contract in excess of 500 Million Swiss Francs to procure a fleet of 75 PC-7 MkII turboprop aircraft, together with an integrated ground based training system and a comprehensive logistics support package. The contract also ...
  1 day ago

• New Planes Come To Domodedovo

  
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  Three new vehicles were taken to Domodedovo airport in Moscow the other day: Boeing-747-8F Air Bridge Cargo, An -124-100 “Ruslan” an Il-76ТД-90ВД of “Volga Dniper” company. Now they are building a new cargo terminal that is going to be put … Read more...
  1 day ago

• An electric-hybrid airliner?

  
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  It seems as if Boeing has come up with an airliner equivalent to hybrid automobiles like the Prius .  Its purely a concept at this stage, but that may change over the next couple of decades.  Back in 2010, Boeing released this report . The Boeing subsonic team ... has looked at five concepts as part of the ...
  1 day ago

• Calling World War II British radar personnel!

  
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  Its perhaps a long shot to publish this on an American blog like mine, but I know I have readers in the UK and the Commonwealth, so Im going to give it a go. Angus Batey (whom weve met in these pages before) relays a request from the Association of Royal Air Force Fighter Control Officers . Calling all ...
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• Drones over US to get weaponized – so far, non-lethally

  
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  RT American police officers may soon be able to use unmanned aircraft not only for surveillance, but also for offensive action. The drones may be equipped to fire rubber rounds and tear gas. “Those are things that law enforcement utilizes day in and day out, and in certain situations it might be advantageous to ...
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• Just £110.00 for 30 Minute Light Aircraft Flight – Flying

  
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  30 Minute Light Aircraft Flight £110.00 30 Minute Light Aircraft Flight Red Letter Days Product Information Enjoy an intimate journey aboard a small aircraft for a half hour flight - just long ...
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• Russian Tu-214R intelligence gathering plane exposed! First photo of the new spyplane during test flight lands on the Web.

  
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  Evgeny Volkov is the name of the photographer who took the first picture of a flying Russian Tu-214R known to date. The image Evgeny has uploaded to the Russianplanes.net portal, shows the Tu-214R carring registration number RA-64511, serial number 42305011, serial number 511, built by the Kazan Aircraft Production ...
  1 day ago

• GoSwap - Trade YOUR Place for Something Else!!!!

  
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  WAYYY COOL!!  A Facebook buddy Amanda just shared this site that might be of interest to some here!! Do you fantasize about moving out of your home and off to some distant land but you just cant sell your house because the values gone so down?  Have a timeshare or vacation rental property you just cant unload in a ...
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• Saudis Sign Multi-Billion Trainer Aircraft Deal With BAE

  
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  Pilatus PC-21 (click to view full) In May 2012, Saudi Arabia signed a long-rumored agreement with BAE for training aircraft that can take RSAF pilots all the way from basic training to lead-in fighter training, along with their accompanying classroom training and simulators. This GBP 1.6 billion/ $2.5 billion ...
  1 day ago

• US carriers eye wider A320 seat

  
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  Two US carriers are interested in a new Airbus A320 cabin configuration that would provide wider aisle seats.
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• Indian Deal Biggest Ever For Pilatus

  
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  ©Photo / Martin Ombrelle At $523-million, the Indian contract for 75 PC-7 Mk.2 propeller trainers signed yesterday is Swiss firm Pilatus Aircrafts largest ever. The deal is understood to have been pushed through with some effort by the Swiss government, which actually came in for criticism in 2011 by ...
  1 day ago

• Solar Impulse takes off for Morocco on first sun-powered transcontinental flight

  
  — Authority:
  The sun-powered Solar Impulse plane is gradually working up to a trip around the globe, with the most recent benchmark being its first international flight in 2011. Now Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg are taking the jumbo jet-size plane on its first transcontinental journey. The Solar Impulse set off for ...
  1 day ago

• Solar Impulse takes off for Morocco on first sun-powered transcontinental flight

  
  — Authority:
  The sun-powered Solar Impulse plane is gradually working up to a trip around the globe, with the most recent benchmark being its first international flight in 2011. Now Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg are taking the jumbo jet-size plane on its first transcontinental journey. The Solar Impulse set off for ...
  1 day ago

• _lamorous _lennis

  
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  Some years ago, Pegasus Hobbies released a great big 1/18 scale model kit of the Bell X-1. Always wanted one, but never bought until a few days back when I came across one for cheap. On the box, the “Glamorous Glennis” markings in the photos of the model were blotted out with a black marker. In the box, the GG ...
  1 day ago

• Directory of AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT in YUKON Updated!

  
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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (YT, Canada) -- The most current aircraft equipment service providers, enterprise information, product fabricators, goods providers, local information, and affiliations in Yukon, Canada have been appended to the REALLY made IN Canada™ online directories and guides. This proprietary "Made In ...
  1 day ago

• Machinists picket Lockheed Martin headquarters

  
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  Machinists union members and supporters picketed outside Lockheed Martins corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Md. Thursday in support of the strike by workers in Fort Worth , the Star-Telegrams Maria Recio reports. About 50 Lockheed union members working with the F-35 test program at the Navys Pax River flight test ...
  1 day ago

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