Airplane

An airplane (American English), or aeroplane (Commonwealth English), is a type of fixed-wing aircraft that moves forward using power from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in many different sizes and shapes, and they are used for many purposes, such as fun, carrying people and goods from place to place, military operations, and scientific research.

Every year, commercial aviation helps carry over four billion passengers and huge amounts of cargo around the world on special travel airplanes called airliners. Most airplanes have a person called a pilot who controls the plane, but some can be operated from far away or by computers, like drones.

The story of airplanes began with the Wright brothers, who made and flew the first airplane in 1903. They built on ideas from earlier inventors like George Cayley, who described how modern airplanes should work, and Otto Lilienthal, who tried flying like a bird. Airplanes became very important during big wars, such as World War II. The first airplane that used a jet engine was the German Heinkel He 178 in 1939, and the first jet airplane for passengers, the de Havilland Comet, started flying people in 1952. One of the most famous jet airplanes was the Boeing 707, which carried passengers for over sixty years, from 1958 until 2019.

Etymology and usage

The words "airplane" and "aeroplane" come from old languages. The term started in French as aéroplane, mixing Greek for "air" and Latin or Greek for "level" or "wandering." It originally described a wing moving through the air but later came to mean the whole aircraft.

In the United States and Canada, people usually say "airplane" for powered fixed-wing aircraft. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, and many other countries, the word "aeroplane" is used instead. The term "airplane" became common in the U.S. after it was chosen by a government group in 1916.

Main article: Aircraft

History

Main articles: Aviation history and First flying machine

Many old stories talk about people trying to fly, like the Greek legend of Icarus and Daedalus. In the 1800s, people began building machines that could glide through the air. One important moment came in 1903 when the Wright brothers made the first long, controlled flight with a powered airplane.

Airplanes became very important during wars, helping soldiers see the enemy and fight from the sky. After the wars, airplanes changed travel, letting people and goods move quickly across the world. New kinds of airplanes, like jet planes, made travel even faster and more comfortable.

Propulsion

See also: Powered aircraft and Aircraft engine

Propeller

Main articles: Propeller (aeronautics) and Aircraft engine

An aircraft propeller turns to push air and move the plane forward. It is attached to an engine and has blades that spin. Propellers can be powered by different types of engines, like piston engines, gas turbines, or electric motors. Propellers work best at slower speeds, up to about Mach 0.6. Faster planes use jet engines instead.

Jet

Main article: Jet engine

Jet aircraft use jet engines, which are stronger and quieter than older engines and work well high up in the sky. Most jet planes use turbofan engines, which have a fan that pushes extra air to help the plane move. Some jet engines, like ramjets and scramjets, need to go very fast to work. Rockets are another type of engine that carry their own oxygen and can fly outside Earth’s atmosphere.

Design and manufacture

Main article: Aerospace manufacturer

Most airplanes are made by companies that build many of them for customers. The design and planning can take several years, especially for larger planes. Engineers use drawings, computers, and wind tunnel tests to predict how the airplane will fly. After the design is approved, a few prototype planes are built and tested. Representatives from aviation agencies, like the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States, check the first flights to make sure everything works safely.

When the design passes all tests, the company can start making airplanes for customers. Regulations help keep airplanes quiet and safe, especially near cities. Some small planes are even built by hobbyists using kits. Large airplane production involves many companies around the world, each making different parts like wings or landing gear. Once all parts are assembled, the airplane goes through more tests to make sure it flies properly.

Characteristics

Airframe

Main article: Airframe

The structural parts of a fixed-wing aircraft are called the airframe. Early airplanes were usually made of wood with fabric wing surfaces. As engines became more powerful, more parts were made of metal. Today, many airplanes use composite materials.

Typical parts of an airframe include:

• One or more large horizontal wings, often with an airfoil shape. Wings help the airplane fly by pushing air downward.
• A fuselage, a long body that holds the pilot, passengers, and equipment.
• A vertical stabilizer or fin at the rear, which helps the airplane turn left or right.
• A horizontal stabilizer or tailplane, which helps the airplane tilt up or down.
• Landing gear, which supports the airplane on the ground or water.

Wings

Main article: Wing

The wings of an airplane are shaped to create lift as air flows over them. Wings can be flexible or rigid and often have a strong frame to keep their shape.

The number and shape of wings vary. Some airplanes have one wing plane (monoplane), while others have two stacked wings (biplane). Wings can also be swept backward for high-speed flight.

Fuselage

Main article: Fuselage

A fuselage is the main body of an airplane, usually shaped to move smoothly through the air. It holds the pilot, passengers, cargo, fuel, and engines. Pilots operate the airplane from a cockpit at the front of the fuselage.

Empennage and foreplane

Main articles: Empennage and Canard (aeronautics)

Most airplanes have an empennage at the rear, including a fin and rudder for turning and a tailplane and elevator for tilting up or down. Some airplanes have a canard foreplane ahead of the main wing to help with control.

Safety

Main article: Aviation safety

Air travel is much safer than many people think when looking at deaths per passenger kilometer—it is about 10 times safer than traveling by bus or rail. However, if we look at deaths per journey, air travel can seem riskier compared to cars, trains, or buses. Because of this, air travel insurance tends to cost more. It’s also important to note that large commercial airplanes are much safer than smaller private planes, being about 8.3 times safer for each mile traveled.

Environmental impact

Main article: Environmental impact of aviation

Airplanes burn fuel, which releases pollutants like soot and greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO₂). When flying high in the sky, big jets can create thin clouds called contrails, and release chemicals that affect the layer of air called the tropopause. Some small planes use fuel that contains lead, but newer planes can use cleaner fuels or even electricity.

Another effect of airplanes is noise pollution, especially during takeoff and landing. This can disturb people living near airports.