Jet Engines, Aviation Pioneers, Air Travel - Britannica
Jan 6, 2026 · History of flight - Jet Engines, Aviation Pioneers, Air Travel: From the very invention of flight at the beginning of the 20th century, military aircraft and engines generally led the way, and …
Airplane | Definition, Types, Mechanics, & Facts | Britannica
An airplane is any of a class of fixed-wing aircraft that is heavier than air, propelled by a screw propeller or a high-velocity jet, and supported by the dynamic reaction of the air against its wings. Learn more …
Jet Engines, Civil Aviation, Air Travel - Britannica
Jan 6, 2026 · The top executive jets, including the Boeing Business Jet (a variation of the 737), the Bombardier Global Express, the Dassault Falcon 900, and the Gulfstream 500/550, featured …
Airplane - Jet, Propeller, Glider | Britannica
Airplane - Jet, Propeller, Glider: There are a number of ways to identify aircraft by type. The primary distinction is between those that are lighter than air and those that are heavier than air.
History of flight | Airplanes, Dates, & Facts | Britannica
Jan 6, 2026 · This article tells the story of the invention of the airplane and the development of civil aviation from piston-engine airplanes to jets. For a history of military aviation, see military aircraft; for …
Jet aircraft | Britannica
Beginning in the 1920s, steady advances in aircraft performance had been produced by improved structures and drag-reduction technologies and by more powerful, supercharged engines, but by the …
Airplane - Civil Aviation, Design, Flight | Britannica
Airplane - Civil Aviation, Design, Flight: All nonmilitary planes are civil aircraft. These include private and business planes and commercial airliners. Private aircraft are personal planes used for pleasure …
Development and components of airplanes | Britannica
An airplane’s essential components are the body or fuselage, a flight-sustaining wing system, stabilizing tail surfaces, altitude-control devices such as rudders, a thrust-providing power source, and a landing …
airplane - Kids | Britannica Kids | Homework Help
The term airplane, which is often shortened to plane, usually refers to any type of power-driven aircraft that has fixed wings and is heavier than air. An airplane moves through the air with the help of its …
Military aircraft - Stealth, Radar, Design | Britannica
The six-engine, Ukrainian-built An-225, the world's largest airplane, was designed to carry oversized cargo externally and has a maximum payload capacity of 250,000 kg (about 551,000 pounds). The …