The term aircraft engine, for the purposes of this article, refers to reciprocating and rotary internal combustion engines used in aircraft. Jet engines and turboprops are the other common aviation power plants; while operation differs substantially, the basics here apply to all types.
Engine design
Engines must be:
* lightweight, as a heavy engine increases the empty weight of the aircraft & reduces its payload.
* small and easily streamlined; large engines with substantial surface area, when installed, create too much drag, wasting fuel and reducing power output.
* powerful, to overcome the weight and drag of the aircraft.
* reliable, as losing power in an airplane is a substantially greater problem than an automobile engine seizing. Aircraft engines operate at temperature, pressure, and speed extremes, and therefore need to operate reliably and safely under all these conditions.
* repairable, to keep the cost of replacement down. Minor repairs are relatively inexpensive.
Types of Reciprocating Engines
In-line Engine
This type of engine has cylinders lined up in one row. It typically has an even number of cylinders, but there are instances of three- and five- cylinder engines. An in-line engine may be either air cooled or liquid cooled. If the engine crankshaft is located above the cylinders, it is called an inverted engine. Advantages of mounting the crankshaft this way include shorter landing gear and better pilot visibility. An in-line engine has a higher weight-to-horsepower ratio than other aircraft engines. A disadvantage of this type of engine is that the larger it is, the harder it is to cool. Due to this, airplanes that use an inline engine use a low- to medium-horsepower engine, and are typically used by light aircraft.
Fairchild L-440 air-cooled, six-cylinder, inverted, in-line engine used in Fairchild PT-19
Fairchild L-440 air-cooled, six-cylinder, inverted, in-line engine used in Fairchild PT-19
Opposed Engine
An opposed-type engine has two banks of cylinders opposite each other. The crankshaft is located in the center and is being driven from both sides. The engine is either air cooled or liquid cooled, but air cooled versions are used mostly in aviation. It can be mounted either vertically or horizontally. The advantage of a horizontally-opposed engine is that it allows better visibility and eliminates fluid lock typically found on bottom cylinders. An opposed engine also has a relative advantage in being mostly free of vibration. This is due to the fact that the pistons are located left and right of the crankshaft and act as balance weights for each other.
ULPower UL260ihorizontally-opposed,air-cooled, aero engine.
ULPower UL260i
horizontally-opposed,
air-cooled, aero engine.
V-Type Engine
Cylinders in this engine are arranged in two in-line banks, tilted 30-60 degrees apart from each other. The engine can be either air cooled or liquid cooled.
[edit] Radial Engine
This type of engine has a row of cylinders arranged in a circle around a crankcase located in the middle. The combination of cylinders must be an odd number in each row and may contain more than one row. The odd number of cylinders allows for every other cylinder to be on a power stroke, allowing for smooth operation. The power output is anywhere from 100 to 3,800 HP.
Further information: Radial engine
Radial engine of a biplane
Radial engine of a biplane
Power
Unlike automobile engines, aircraft engines run at high power settings for extended periods of time. In general, the engine runs at maximum power for a few minutes during taking off, then power is slightly reduced for climb, and then spends the majority of its time at a cruise setting—typically 65% to 75% of full power. In contrast, a car engine might spend 20% of its time at 65% power accelerating, followed by 80% of its time at 20% power while cruising.
The power of an internal combustion reciprocating or turbine aircraft engine is rated in units of power delivered to the propeller (typically horsepower) which is torque multiplied by crankshaft revolutions per minute (RPM). The propeller converts the engine power to thrust horsepower or thp in which the thrust is a function of the blade pitch of the propeller relative to the velocity of the aircraft.
Jet engines are rated in terms of thrust.
Reliability
The design of aircraft engines tends to favor reliability over performance. It took many years before the reliability was established to fly over the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean. Engine failure at all stages in flight is a part of flight lessons for student pilots.[2] Forced landings without power are practiced extensively over rural areas until the new pilot is proficient enough to handle such a situation during a solo flight.
Long engine operation times and high power settings, combined with the requirement for high-reliability means that engines must be constructed to support this type of operation with ease. The engine, as well as the aircraft, needs to be lifted into the air, meaning it has to overcome lots of weight. The thrust to weight ratio is one of the most important characteristics for an aircraft engine. A typical 250 hp engine weighs just 15% of the total aircraft weight when installed into a 3000 lb (1,400 kg) aircraft.
Aircraft engines also tend to use the simplest parts and include two sets of anything needed for reliability, including ignition system (spark plugs and magnetos) and fuel pumps. Independence of function lessens the likelihood of a single malfunction causing an entire engine to fail. Thus magnetos are used because they do not rely on a battery. Two magnetos with two spark plugs per cylinder are used in certified piston engines so that the pilot can switch off a faulty magneto and continue the flight on the other— dual spark plugs also provide improved combustion efficiency. Similarly,for redundancy, a mechanical engine-driven fuel pump is often backed-up by an electric one.
Another difference between cars and aircraft is that the aircraft spend the vast majority of their time travelling at high speed. This allows an aircraft engine to be air cooled, as opposed to requiring a radiator. A few notable piston engines of the past, however, such as the Rolls-Royce Merlin series have employed liquid cooling, which, though efficient, added an extra level and complexity and risk in that receiving an enemy bullet to the cooling system in combat could cause coolant loss and engine seizure. In the absence of a radiator, aircraft engines can boast lower weight and less complexity. The amount of air flow an engine receives is usually carefully designed according to expected speed and altitude of the aircraft in order to maintain the engine at the optimal temperature. Just like overheating, too much cooling can be a bad thing for an engine as well. Some aircraft employ controls that allow a pilot to manually adjust the airflow into the engine compartment.
Aircraft operate at higher altitudes where the air is less dense than at ground level. As engines need oxygen to burn fuel, a forced induction system such as turbocharger or supercharger is especially appropriate for aircraft use. This does bring along the usual drawbacks of additional cost, weight and complexity.
Multi-engine debate
While some countries require twin-engined airplanes for commercial passenger transport, many, such as Canada, Australia, and the United States, allow the use of single-engine aircraft for some commercial services, including charter and sometimes scheduled commuter airline flights (the latter typically use turbine- rather than piston-powered singles).
A second engine adds redundancy so that the aircraft can stay in the air (or at least, descend more slowly) if one engine fails, providing an important safety margin during cruise flight over water or mountainous terrain; however, an engine failure on a twin-engine piston aircraft can also cause serious handling difficulties, especially right after takeoff, due to asymmetrical thrust.
A study of accidents in Australian air charter operations from 1986 to 1996 found that the overall fatal accident rate per hour for multi-engine aircraft was more than triple that for single-engine aircraft, though it did not isolate the accidents specifically caused by engine failure and the multi-engine aircraft did not fly under identical conditions.[3] According to the U.S. Air Safety Foundation, when an engine failure leads to an incident (e.g. some damage or injuries), it has a 10% chance of causing fatalities in a single-engine aircraft, but a 50% chance in a twin.[4]
This higher percentage of fatalities in a twin is likely due to the fact that they are designed for higher speed and higher performance, generally compromising low speed handling while increasing stall speed.
Size
At one time all engine designs were new and there was no particular difference in design between aircraft and automobile engines. This changed by the start of World War I, however, when a particular class of air-cooled rotary engines became popular. These had a short lifespan, but by the 1920s a large number of engine designs were moving to the similar radial engine design. This combined air-cooled simplicity with large displacements and they were among the most powerful small engines in the world.
Both the rotary and radial engine have the drawback of a very large frontal area (see drag equation). As aircraft increased in speed and demanded better streamlining, designers turned to water-cooled inline engines. Throughout WWII the two designs were generally similar in terms of power and overall performance but some mature-design radials tended to be more reliable. After the war, in the USA, the water-cooled designs rapidly disappeared.
Repairability
For the smaller application, notably in general aviation, a hybrid design in the form an air-cooled inline, almost always 4 or 6 cylinders horizontally opposed, is most common. These combine small frontal area with air-cooled simplicity, although they required careful installation in order to be effectively cooled, notably the rearmost cylinders. To make repairs practical, each cylinder is individually replaceable, as are each of the accessories (pumps, generator and magnetos).
Fuel
Aircraft piston engines are typically designed to run on Avgas. Currently the most common Avgas is 100LL, which refers to the octane rating (100 octane) and the Tetraethyl lead (LL = Low Lead). All aviation fuel is produced to stringent quality standards (to avoid fuel-related engine failures), and 100LL has a higher octane rating compared to automotive gasoline, allowing a higher compression ratio and thus more power out of an engine with the same Engine displacement. 100LL uses Tetraethyl lead (TEL) to achieve these high octane ratings, a practice banned in automobile fuel. The shrinking supply of TEL, and the possibility of environmental legislation banning its use, has made a search for replacement fuels for General aviation aircraft a priority for pilot's organizations.[5].
New designs
Economics of new designs
Throughout most of the history of aircraft engine design, they tended to be more advanced than their automobile counterparts. High-strength aluminum alloys were used in these engines decades before they became common in cars. Likewise, those engines adopted fuel injection instead of carburetion quite early. Similarly, overhead cams were introduced, while automobile engines continued to use pushrods.
Today the piston-engine aviation market is so small that there is essentially no commercial money for new design work. Most aviation engines flying are based on a design from the 1960s, or before, using original materials, tooling and parts. Meanwhile the financial power of the automobile industry has continued improvement. A new car design is likely to use an engine designed no more than a few years ago, built with the latest alloys and advanced electronic engine controls. Modern car engines require no maintenance at all (other than adding fuel and oil) for over 100,000 km, aircraft engines are now, in comparison and paradoxically, rather heavy, dirty and unreliable.
Much of the innovation (and most newly constructed planes flying) in the past two decades in private aviation has been in ultralights and homebuilt aircraft, and so has innovation in powerplants. Rotax, amongst others, has introduced a number of new small production engine designs for this type of craft. The smallest of these mostly use two-stroke designs, but the larger models are four-strokes. For the reasons discussed above, some hobbyists and experimenters prefer to adapt automotive engines for their home-built aircraft, instead of using certified aircraft engines.
Over the history of the development of aircraft engines, the Otto cycle, that is, conventional gasoline powered, reciprocating-piston engines have been by far the most common type. That is not because they are the best but simply because they were there first and type-certification of new designs is an expensive, time-consuming process.
Powerplant from a Schleicher ASH 26e self-launching motor glider, removed from the glider and mounted on a test stand for maintenance at the Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co in Poppenhausen, Germany. Counter-clockwise from top left: propeller hub, mast with belt guide, radiator, Wankel engine, muffler shroud.
Powerplant from a Schleicher ASH 26e self-launching motor glider, removed from the glider and mounted on a test stand for maintenance at the Alexander Schleicher GmbH & Co in Poppenhausen, Germany. Counter-clockwise from top left: propeller hub, mast with belt guide, radiator, Wankel engine, muffler shroud.
Wankel engine
Wankel engine
Another promising design for aircraft use was the Wankel rotary engine. The Wankel engine is about one half the weight and size of a traditional four stroke cycle piston engine of equal power output, and much lower in complexity. In an aircraft application, the power to weight ratio is very important, making the Wankel engine a good choice. Because the engine is typically constructed with an aluminium housing and a steel rotor, and aluminium expands more than steel when heated, unlike a piston engine, a Wankel engine will not seize when overheated. This is an important safety factor for aeronautical use. Considerable development of these designs started after World War II, but at the time the aircraft industry favored the use of turbine engines. It was believed that turbojet or turboprop engines, could power all aircraft, from the largest to smallest designs. The Wankel engine did not find many applications in aircraft, but was used by Mazda in a popular line of sports cars. Recently, the Wankel engine has been developed for use in motor gliders where the small size, light weight, and low vibration are especially important.[6]
Wankel engines are becoming increasingly popular in homebuilt experimental aircraft, due to a number of factors. Most are Mazda 12A and 13B engines, removed from automobiles and converted to aviation use. This is a very cost-effective alternative to certified aircraft engines, providing engines ranging from 100 to 300 horsepower at a fraction of the cost of traditional engines. These conversions first took place in the early 1970s, and with hundreds or even thousands of these engines mounted on aircraft, as of 10 December 2006 the National Transportation Safety Board has only 7 reports of incidents involving aircraft with Mazda engines, and none of these is of a failure due to design or manufacturing flaws. During the same time frame, they have reports of several thousand reports of broken crankshafts and connecting rods, failed pistons and incidents caused by other components which are not found in the Wankel engines. Rotary engine enthusiasts refer to piston aircraft engines as "Reciprosaurs," and point out that their designs are essentially unchanged since the 1930s, with only minor differences in manufacturing processes and variation in engine displacement.
Peter Garrison, contributing editor for Flying magazine, has said that "the most promising engine for aviation use is the Mazda rotary." Garrison lost an airplane which he had designed and built (and missed death literally by inches), when a piston-powered plane had engine failure and crashed into Garrison's plane, which was waiting to take off.
Diesel engine
Aircraft diesel engine
The diesel engine is another engine design that has been examined for aviation use. In general diesel engines are more reliable and much better suited to running for long periods of time at medium power settings—this is why they are widely used in trucks for instance. Several attempts to produce diesel aircraft engines were made in the 1930s but, at the time, the alloys were not up to the task of handling the much higher compression ratios used in these designs. They generally had poor power-to-weight ratios and were uncommon for that reason. Improvements in diesel technology in automobiles (leading to much better power-weight ratios), the diesel's much better fuel efficiency (particularly compared to the old designs currently being used in light aircraft) and the high relative taxation of gasoline compared to diesel in Europe have all seen a revival of interest in the concept. As of May 2004 one manufacturer, Thielert Aircraft Engines, is already selling certified diesel aircraft engines for light aircraft, and other companies have alternative designs under development. It remains to be seen whether these new designs will succeed in the marketplace but they potentially represent the biggest change in light aircraft engines in decades.
This page contains a very long flat list of aircraft types, roughly categorised. (See also List of aircraft)
Contents
* 1 Civilian Aircraft
o 1.1 Airliners
o 1.2 Cargo planes
o 1.3 General aviation
o 1.4 Agricultural aircraft
o 1.5 Business aircraft
o 1.6 Civilian Seaplane, Flying Boats, and Amphibious Aircraft
o 1.7 Civilian Helicopters
o 1.8 Sailplanes
o 1.9 Civil Research Aircraft, Prototypes and Specials
* 2 Military Aircraft
o 2.1 Bombers, Strike, Ground attack, gunships
o 2.2 Patrol, Anti-Submarine and Electronic Warfare aircraft
o 2.3 Military transports, tankers, and utility
o 2.4 Reconnaissance aircraft
o 2.5 Close air support/Counterinsurgency
o 2.6 Fighter aircraft, nightfighters and heavy fighters
o 2.7 Military Trainers
o 2.8 Military Helicopters and autogyros
+ 2.8.1 Attack
+ 2.8.2 Utility
+ 2.8.3 Cargo
+ 2.8.4 Observation, Reconnaissance
+ 2.8.5 Anti-Submarine Warfare
o 2.9 Military Research Aircraft, Prototypes and Specials
Civilian Aircraft
* Airline Pics – hundreds of photos of aircraft around the world
(See also List of civil aircraft)
[edit] Airliners
Jets and Props (Note: Turboprops currently listed under Jets)
See also List of airliners by seat capacity and List of airliners by Maximum Takeoff Weight
Civil Airliners
Aérospatiale/Aeritalia Jet BAC/Aérospatiale Concorde - ATR-42 - ATR-72
Airbus Jet Airbus A300 - Airbus A310 - Airbus A318 - Airbus A319 - Airbus A320 - Airbus A321 - Airbus A330 - Airbus A340 - Airbus A350 XWB - Airbus A380
Airspeed Prop AS.57 Ambassador
Antonov Jet Antonov An-124 - Antonov An-225
Prop Antonov An-24
ATR Prop ATR 42 - ATR 72
Avro Jet Avro Jetliner
Prop Avro Lancastrian - Avro York
BAC Jet BAC 1-11 (One-Eleven) - BAC/Aerospatiale Concorde
BAe Jet BAe 146
Prop BAe Jetstream
Boeing Jet Boeing 707 - Boeing 717 - Boeing 720 - Boeing 727 - Boeing 737 - Boeing 747 - Boeing 757 - Boeing 767 - Boeing 777 - Boeing 787
Prop Boeing 40A - Boeing 80 - Boeing 221 Monomail - Boeing 247 - Boeing 307 Stratoliner - Boeing 314 Clipper - Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
Bombardier Aerospace Jet Bombardier CRJ-100 - Bombardier CRJ-200 - Bombardier CRJ-700 - Bombardier CRJ-900 - Bombardier CRJ-1000
Prop Dash 8 (Q Series)
Bristol Prop Bristol Britannia
Canadair Jet CL-44
Cessna Prop Cessna 208
Convair
(Consolidated-Vultee) Jet Convair 540 - Convair 660 - Convair 880 - Convair 990
Prop Convair 240 - Convair 340
de Havilland Jet de Havilland Comet
Prop De Havilland Dove - De Havilland Dragon Rapide - De Havilland Express - de Havilland Flamingo - de Havilland Heron
de Havilland Canada Prop
DHC-2 - DHC-3 - DHC-4 - DHC-6 - Dash 7 - Dash 8
Dornier Prop Dornier 228
Douglas Jet Douglas DC-8 - Douglas DC-9 Douglas DC-10
Prop Douglas DC-2 - Douglas DC-3 - Douglas DC-4 - Douglas DC-5 - Douglas DC-6 - Douglas DC-7
EMBRAER Jet Embraer ERJ 135 - Embraer ERJ 140 - Embraer ERJ 145 - Embraer 170 - Embraer 175 - Embraer 190 - Embraer 195
Prop Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante - Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia - Embraer EMB 121 Xingu - Embraer/FMA CBA 123 Vector
Fokker Jet Fokker F28 Fellowship - Fokker 70 - Fokker F100
Prop F27 Friendship - Fokker F50
Ford Motor Company Prop Ford Trimotor
Handley Page Jet HPR-7 Herald
Prop Handley Page W.8 - Handley Page Hannibal - Handley Page Hermes
Hawker Siddeley Jet Hawker Siddeley Trident - HS748
Ilyushin Jet Ilyushin Il-62 - Ilyushin Il-76 - Ilyushin Il-86 - Ilyushin Il-96
Prop Ilyushin Il-18
Junkers Prop Junkers F.13 - Junkers G.38 - Junkers Ju 52 - Junkers Ju 90
Kawasaki Piston Kawasaki Ki-56
Lockheed Jet Lockheed L-188 Electra - Lockheed L-1011 Tristar
Prop Lockheed Constellation
McDonnell Douglas Jet McDonnell Douglas DC-10 - McDonnell Douglas MD-11 - McDonnell Douglas MD-80 - McDonnell Douglas MD-90
NAMC Jet NAMC YS-11
SAAB Prop SAAB 340 Saab 2000
Saunders-Roe Prop Saunders-Roe Princess
Shanghai Jet Shanghai Y-10
Sud Aviation Jet Sud Aviation Caravelle
Sud-Est Prop Sud-Est Armagnac
Tupolev Jet Tupolev Tu-104 - Tupolev Tu-124 - Tupolev Tu-134 - Tupolev Tu-144 - Tupolev Tu-154 - Tupolev Tu-204 - Tupolev Tu-214
Prop Tupolev Tu-114
Vickers Jet Vickers VC-10 - Vickers Viscount
Prop Vickers Vanguard
Viking Air Prop DHC-6
Yakovlev Jet Yakovlev Yak-40 - Yakovlev Yak-42
[edit] Cargo planes
for detailed information see Cargo aircraft
* Airbus Beluga - Antonov An-72 - Bristol Freighter - Carvair - Mini Guppy - Short Skyvan - Super Guppy - Boeing 747 LCF
General aviation
* Aircoupe
* ATC Aircraft Technology Center
o RUSCHMEYER R90-230RG
* American Aviation AA-1 Yankee series
* Cessna
o Cessna 150 - Cessna 152 - Cessna 170 - Cessna 172 (Skyhawk) - Cessna 175(Skylark) - Cessna 182 (Skylane)
* Cirrus Design
o Cirrus SR20 - Cirrus SR22
* de Havilland
o de Havilland DH.88 Comet Race plane
* Fieseler
o Fieseler Fi 2 Sports plane
o Fieseler Fi 5 Sports plane
* Grumman American AA-1 Yankee series
* Hawker HS-125
* HFB-320 Hansa Jet
* Lockheed L-10 Electra
* Lockheed Vega
* Messerschmitt Bf 108
* Miles Whitney Straight
* Mooney
o Mooney M20
* Piper
o Piper Aztec/Apache - Piper Cherokee - Piper Cherokee Six - Piper Family Cruiser - Piper Vagabond
* Sequoia Falco Sports plane
* Sky Arrow Tandem, rear propeller, high wing, carbon fibre aircraft
* Pitts Special
Agricultural aircraft
* Aero Boero 260AG
* Agricultural aircraft
* Andrews A1
* Bennett Airtruck
* Cessna 188
* Embraer EMB 202 Ipanema
* Grumman Ag Cat
* Pacific Aerospace
o PAC 750XL
o PAC Cresco
o PAC Fletcher
* Transavia Airtruck
Business aircraft
* Gulfstream Aerospace
* Boeing/General Electric
* Dassault
* Embraer
o Embraer Lineage 1000
o Embraer Legacy 600
o Embraer Phenom 100
o Embraer Phenom 300
* Boeing Business Jet
* Bombardier
o Bombardier Global 5000 - Bombardier Global Express - Bombardier Global Express XRS
o Challenger 300 - Challenger 604 - Challenger 800
o Learjet 23 - Learjet 24 - Learjet 25
o Learjet 30 - Learjet 31 - Learjet 35 - Learjet 36
o Learjet 40 - Learjet 45 - Learjet 45
o Learjet 55 - Learjet 60
* Cessna
Contents * 1 Engine design * 2 Types of Reciprocating Engines o 2.1 In-line Engine o 2.2 Opposed Engine o 2.3 V-Type Engine o 2.4 Radial Engine * 3 Power * 4 Reliability o 4.1 Multi-engine debate * 5 Size * 6 Repairability * 7 Fuel * 8 New designs o 8.1 Economics of new designs o 8.2 Wankel engine o 8.3 Diesel engine * 9 References * 10 See also * 11 External links
o Cessna Citation Bravo - Cessna Citation CJ1 - Cessna Citation CJ2 - Cessna Citation CJ3
o Cessna Citation Encore - Cessna Citation Excel - Cessna Citation Mustang - Cessna Citation Sovereign - Cessna Citation X
* Lockheed JetStar
* Piaggio Aero
o Piaggio Avanti
Civilian Seaplane, Flying Boats, and Amphibious Aircraft
(see List of flying boats and seaplanes)
Civilian Helicopters
* Bell 212
* Eurocopter Dauphin
* Eurocopter EC 225
Sailplanes
See List of Gliders
[edit] Civil Research Aircraft, Prototypes and Specials
Civil Aircraft Research, Prototypes and Specials
Research & Prototypes
A-L
Aerosonde - Bell X-1 - Bell X-2 - Bell X-5 - Bell XV-15 - Boeing X-40 - Boeing X-43 - Bristol Brabazon - Coanda-1910 - Fairchild-Dornier 728 - Douglas X-3 Stiletto - Gossamer Albatross - Edgley Optica - Grumman X-29 - Lippisch Ente - LLRV - Lockheed WP-3D Orion - Lockheed Martin X-33 - Lockheed Martin X-35
M-Z
Martin-Marietta X-24 - Miles M.52 - McDonnell Douglas X-36 - North American X-15 - Northrop X-4 Bantam -Opel RAK.1 - Orbital Sciences X-34 - Rockwell-MBB X-31 - Rutan Voyager - Shuttle Carrier Aircraft - Sikorsky S-72 - Sky Arrow - SpaceShipOne - Spirit of St. Louis - Williams X-Jet - Wright Flyer - X-38 Crew Return Vehicle - X-44 MANTA
Currently in development
Boeing 787 - Boeing 747-8 - Airbus A350 - Sukhoi Superjet 100
Abandoned/Cancelled Projects
Boeing 2707 - Boeing Sonic Cruiser - Boeing 747x - Bristol 223 - Bristol Brabazon - Bombardier C-Series - Convair Model 37 - Fairchild-Dornier 528 - Fairchild-Dornier 928 - Lockheed L-2000 - Lockheed Martin X-33 and VentureStar - Sud Aviation Super-Caravelle - Tupolev Tu-70
[edit] Military Aircraft
(See also List of military aircraft)
[edit] Bombers, Strike, Ground attack, gunships
Bombers, Strike, Ground attack, gunships
Propeller-driven
A
A-1 Skyraider - A-2 Savage - A-12 Shrike - AC-47 Spooky - AC-119 gunship - Aichi B7A - Aichi D3A - Aichi M6A - Amiot 143M - Amiot 354 - Armstrong Whitworth Whitley - Avro Lancaster - Avro Lincoln - Avro Manchester
B-C
B-10 - B-17 Flying Fortress - B-18 Bolo - B-24 Liberator - B-25 Mitchell - B-26 Marauder - B-29 Superfortress - B-32 Dominator - Convair B-36 - XB-42 Mixmaster - Breguet 14 - Bristol Beaufort - Bristol Blenheim - Bristol Bombay - Bristol Buckingham - Curtiss Falcon
D
De Havilland Mosquito - Dornier Do 11 - Dornier Do 13 - Dornier Do 23 - Dornier Do 17 - Dornier Do 217 - Douglas Boston
F-G
Fairey Albacore - Fairey Barracuda - Fairey Battle - Fairey Swordfish - Fairey Fox - Gotha G.I
H
Handley Page O/100 - Handley Page O/400 - Handley Page V/1500 - Handley Page Hampden - Handley Page Halifax - Hawker Hart - Hawker Hind - Heinkel He 111 - Heinkel He 177 - Heinkel He 274 - Heinkel He 277 - Henschel Hs 123 - Henschel Hs 129
I-J
IAR 93 - Ilyushin Il-2 - Ilyushin Il-4 - Ilyushin Il-10 - Junkers Ju 87 Stuka - Junkers Ju 88 - Junkers Ju 188 - Junkers Ju 388
L-N
LWS-4 ?ubr - Martin AM Mauler - Martin B-10 - Mitsubishi G4M - Nakajima B5N - Nakajima B6N
P
Petlyakov Pe-2 - PZL.23 Kara? - PZL.37 ?o?
S-T
Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 - SB2C Helldiver - SBD Dauntless - Short Stirling - Sukhoi Su-2 - TBD Devastator - TB2D Skypirate - TBF Avenger - TBY Sea Wolf - Tupolev Tu-4
V-Z
Vickers Vimy - Vickers Wellesley - Vickers Wellington - Yokosuka D4Y
Jet- and rocket-propelled
A
A-3 Skywarrior - A-4 Skyhawk - A-5 Vigilante - A-6 Intruder - A-7 Corsair II - A-10 Thunderbolt II - AC-130 gunship - Arado Ar 234 - AV-8 Harrier II - Avro Vulcan
B
BAC TSR-2 - B-1 Lancer - B-2 Spirit - B-45 Tornado - B-47 Stratojet - B-58 Hustler - B-52 Stratofortress - B-66 Destroyer - Blackburn Buccaneer
C-M
English Electric Canberra - F-15E Strike Eagle - F-117 Nighthawk - General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark - Handley Page Victor - Ilyushin Il-28 - Martin XB-51
N-S
Panavia Tornado (RAF Tornado GR1 - RAF Tornado GR4) - SEPECAT Jaguar - Sukhoi Su-24 - Sukhoi Su-25
T-Z
Tupolev Tu-16 - Tupolev Tu-22 - Tupolev Tu-22M - Tupolev Tu-160 - Tupolev Tu-95 - Vickers Valiant - Yokosuka Ohka
* See also Light bomber -- V bomber -- Torpedo bomber -- Dive bomber
Patrol, Anti-Submarine and Electronic Warfare aircraft
* Avro Shackleton
* BAe Nimrod
* Blohm & Voss BV 138
* Blohm + Voss BV 142
* Boeing OC-135 Open Skies
* Boeing Multimission Maritime Aircraft
* E-1 Tracer
* E-2 Hawkeye
* E-3 Sentry
* E-4B
* E-6 Mercury
* E-8 Joint STARS
* E-10 MC2A
* EA-6 Prowler
* EF-111A Raven
* Embraer R-99A
* Embraer R-99B
* Embraer P-99
* ES-3 Shadow
* Consolidated PBY Catalina
* Dornier Do 18
* Dornier Do 24
* Focke-Wulf Fw 200
* Grumman G-44 "Widgeon"
* Grumman G-21 "Goose"
* Grumman HU-16 "Albatross"
* Heinkel He 115
* Junkers Ju 290
* Kawanishi H6K
* Kawanishi H8K
* Lockheed P-7
* P-2 Neptune
* P-3 Orion
* Lockheed EP-3E
* P4M Mercator
* P5M Marlin
* P6M SeaMaster - strategic bomber, minelaying, reconnaissance
* S-2 Tracker
* S-3 Viking
* Saro Lerwick
* Saro London
* Short Sunderland
* Supermarine Stranraer
* Supermarine Walrus
* Vickers Warwick
Military transports, tankers, and utility
For detailed information see: Military transport aircraft
* Airbus A310 MRTT
* Airbus A330 MRTT
* Airbus A400M
* Antonov An-22
* Antonov An-72
* Antonov An-124
* Antonov An-225
* Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle
* Avro Lancastrian
* Avro York
* Bloch MB-81
* Blohm + Voss BV 142
* Boeing C-135
* Bristol Britannia
* Bristol Buckingham
* C-1 Trader
* C-2 Greyhound
* C-5 Galaxy
* C-7 Caribou
* C-9 Skytrain II
* C-12 Huron
* C-17 Globemaster III
* C-20 Gulfstream III
* C-21 Learjet
* C-40 Clipper
* C-46 Commando
* C-47 Skytrooper
* C-54 Skymaster
* C-56 Lodestar
* C-87 Liberator Express
* C-97 Stratofreighter
* XC-99 (Convair)
* C-123 Provider
* C-124 Globemaster II
* C-130 Hercules
* C-133 Cargomaster
* C-141 Starlifter
* de Havilland Comet
* DFS 230
* Farman F 402
* Handley Page Hastings
* HU-16 Albatross
* KC-10 Extender
* KC-135 Stratotanker
* Junkers Ju 52
* Junkers Ju 390
* Lockheed L-1011 Tristar
* Lockheed R6V Constitution
* Messerschmitt Me 321
* Messerschmitt Me 323
* Miles Martinet
* R3Y Tradewind (Convair) flying boat
* ShinMaywa US-1
* Short Belfast
* Transall C-160
* VC-25A, "Air Force One"
* Vickers VC-10
* Vickers Warwick
Reconnaissance aircraft
* Arado Ar 196
* Blohm & Voss Ha 139
* Blohm & Voss BV 141
* Blohm + Voss BV 142
* Fairey Seafox
* Focke-Wulf Fw 189
* Henschel Hs 126
* Lockheed U-2
* Mitsubishi F1M
* OS2U Kingfisher
* Rumpler Taube
* SR-71 Blackbird
* Boeing RC-135
* RF-84 Thunderflash
Close air support/Counterinsurgency
* A-10 Thunderbolt II
* AC-130 gunship
* Fieseler Fi 156 Storch
* IA 58 Pucará
* O-1 Bird Dog
* O-2 Skymaster
* Rockwell OV-10B Bronco
* Soko J-22 Orao
* T-42 Cochise
* Westland Lysander
Fighter aircraft, nightfighters and heavy fighters
Fighter aircraft, nightfighters and heavy fighters
Propeller-driven
A-C
Albatros D.III - AMX International AMX - Arado Ar 68 - Arado Ar 80 - Arado Ar 240 - Arsenal VG-33 - Avia B-534 - Avia S-199 - Blackburn Roc - Blackburn Skua - Blériot S.510 - Bloch MB.151 - Boulton Paul Defiant - Brewster F2A - Bristol Beaufighter - Bristol Bulldog - Bristol F2B - CAC Boomerang - Caudron C.714 - Curtiss P-36 - Curtiss P-40
D-G
De Havilland Hornet - De Havilland Mosquito - Dewoitine D.510 - Dewoitine D.520 - Dornier Do 335 - Douglas A-20 Havoc - F4F Wildcat - F6F Hellcat - F7F Tigercat - F8F Bearcat - Fairey Firefly - Fairey Fulmar - Fiat CR.32 - Fiat CR.42 - Fiat G.50 - Focke-Wulf Fw 190 - Focke-Wulf Ta 152 - Focke-Wulf Ta 154 - Fokker D.VII - Fokker D.VIII - Fokker D.XXI - Fokker Dr.I - Fokker G.I - F4U Corsair - Gloster Gladiator
H
Hawker Fury - Hawker Hurricane - Hawker Typhoon - Hawker Sea Fury - Hawker Tempest - Heinkel He 51 - Heinkel He 100 - Heinkel He 112 - Heinkel He 219 - Hispano Aviacion Ha 1112
I-L
I-15 - I-16 - IAR 80 - Kawanishi N1K-J - Kawasaki Ki-61 - Kawasaki Ki-100 - Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Goudkov LaGG-1 - Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Goudkov LaGG-3 - Lavochkin La-5 - Lavochkin La-7
M-N
Macchi C.200 - Macchi C.202 - Macchi C.205 - Mitsubishi A5M - Mitsubish A6M - Mitsubishi A7M - Mitsubishi J2M - Messerschmitt Bf 109 - Messerschmitt Bf 110 - Messerschmitt Me 210 - Messerschmitt Me 410 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-7 - Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 - Nakajima Ki-43 - Nakajima Ki-44 - Nakajima Ki-84
P-R
P-26 Peashooter - P-36 Hawk - P-38 Lightning - P-39 Airacobra -P-40 - P-47 Thunderbolt - P-51 Mustang - P-61 Black Widow - P-63 Kingcobra - Polikarpov I-15 - Polikarpov I-16 - PZL P.7 - PZL P.11 - PZL P.24
S-Z
Sopwith Camel - Sopwith Pup - Sopwith Snipe - Sopwith Triplane - Supermarine Seafire - Supermarine Spitfire - Westland Welkin - Westland Whirlwind - Yakovlev Yak-1 - Yakovlev Yak-3 - Yakovlev Yak-7 - Yakovlev Yak-9
Jet- and rocket-propelled
A-E
Aeritalia G.91 - AIDC Ching-kuo - Atlas Cheetah - Dassault Étendard IV - Dassault Mirage III - Dassault Mirage V - Dassault Mirage F.1 - Dassault Mirage 2000 - Dassault Rafale - Dassault Super Étendard - de Havilland Sea Vixen - de Havilland Vampire - de Havilland Venom - ENAER Pantera - English Electric Lightning - Eurofighter Typhoon
F
F-3 Demon - F-4 Phantom II - F-5 Freedom Fighter - F-8 Crusader - F-10 Skyknight - F-11 Tiger - F-14 Tomcat - F-15 Eagle - F-16 Fighting Falcon - F/A-18 Hornet (CF-18 Hornet) - F-20 Tigershark - F-22 Raptor - YF-23 Black Widow II - F-35 Lightning II - F-80 Shooting Star - F-84 Thunderjet - F-86 Sabre - F-89 Scorpion - F-94 Starfire - F-97 Starfire - F-100 Super Sabre - F-101 Voodoo - F-102 Delta Dagger - F-104 Starfighter - F-105 Thunderchief - F-106 Delta Dart - F-110 Spectre - F2H Banshee - F2Y Sea Dart - F3D Skyknight - F3H Demon - F4D Skyray - F9F Panther\F9F Cougar - FH Phantom - FJ Fury - FR Fireball
G-L
Gloster Javelin - Gloster Meteor - HAL Tejas - Hawker Siddeley Harrier - Hawker Hunter - Heinkel He 162 - Helwan HA-300 - IAI Kfir - IAI Nesher - Shenyang J-5 - Shenyang J-6 - Chengdu J-7 - Shenyang J-8 - Chengdu J-9 - Chengdu J-10
M
Messerschmitt Me 163 - Messerschmitt Me 262 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-13 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31 - Mitsubishi F-1 - Mitsubishi F-2
N-Z
Nanchang Q-5 - P-59 Airacomet - P-80 Shooting Star - Panavia Tornado\RAF Tornado F3 - Saab Lansen - Saab Gripen - Saab Viggen - Supermarine Scimitar - Sukhoi Su-7 - Sukhoi Su-27 - Sukhoi Su-30 - Sukhoi Su-33
* See also Interceptor aircraft -- Heavy fighter -- Night fighter -- Day fighter
Military Trainers
* Aermacchi MB-326
*Aermacchi SF-260
* Aero L-39
* EADS Mako/High Energy Advanced Trainer
* Hongdu JL-8
* HAL HJT-36
* HAL Kiran
* IA 63 Pampa
* IAR 99
* Ikarus Aero 2
* Miles Magister
* Miles Master
* Mitsubishi T-2
* Pacific Aerospace CT/4
* PZL Mielec TS-11
* Short Tucano
* SIAI Marchetti
* Stearman
* T-1A Jayhawk
* T-2 Buckeye
* T-6 Texan
* T-6 Texan II
* T-33
* T-37
* T-38 Talon
* T-41 Mescalero
* T-42 Cochise
* UTVA Aero 3
* UTVA 75
* Yokosuka MXY8
Military Helicopters and autogyros
Attack
* AH-1 Cobra
* AH-64 Apache
* Eurocopter Tiger
* Westland Lynx
Utility
* UH-60 Blackhawk
* Aérospatiale Alouette III
Cargo
* CH-3 Sea King
* CH-37 Mojave
* CH-46 Sea Knight
* CH-47 Chinook
* CH-53D Sea Stallion
* CH-53E Super Stallion
* Aérospatiale Puma
Observation, Reconnaissance
* OH-58 Kiowa
[edit] Anti-Submarine Warfare
* SH-60B Seahawk
* SH-60F Seahawk
* Agusta A109
* Agusta A129 Mangusta
* AgustaWestland EH101
* Atlas Oryx
* Denel AH-2 Rooivalk
* Eurocopter Colibri
* Eurocopter Cougar
* Eurocopter Dauphin
* Eurocopter Panther
* HAL Dhruv
* HH-60H Seahawk
* HH-60J Jayhawk
* HH-65 Dolphin
* Kayaba Ka-1
* MBB/Kawasaki BK 117
* MH-53E Sea Dragon
* MH-60R Seahawk
* MH-60S Knighthawk
* Mil Mi-24
* NHI NH90
* OH-6
* SH-2 Seasprite
* Kamov
o Kamov Ka-25
o Kamov Ka-50
* RAH-66 Comanche
* UH-1 Iroquois
o CH-146 Griffon
* UH-19 Chickasaw
* V-22 Osprey
* YH-32 Hornet
* Westland Sea King
* Westland Wasp
* Westland Wessex
* Westland Whirlwind
Military Research Aircraft, Prototypes and Specials
Military Research Aircraft, Prototypes and Specials
Research & Prototypes
A-D
Arado Ar 231 - Avro Arrow - Bachem Ba 349 - Beechcraft XA-38 Grizzly - BAC TSR-2 - Bell XP-52 - Bell XP-83 - Bisnovat 5 - Blohm und Voss BV 40 - Blohm und Voss BV 238 - Boeing X-40 - Boeing X-45 - Bristol 188 - Convair XC-99 - Convair YB-60 - Curtiss-Wright XF-87 Blackhawk - DAR-10 - Dassault Étendard II - Dassault Étendard VI - DFS 194 - DFS 228 - DFS 346 - Dornier Do 10
E-H
Douglas F5D Skylancer - Fairey FD-2 - Focke-Wulf Fw 187 - Fokker XA-7 - Future Offensive Air System - Gloster E.28/39 - Gotha Go 229 - Hawker P-1127 - Heinkel He 176 - Heinkel He 178 - Heinkel He 280 -Henschel Hs 132 - Hughes H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose"
I-M
Junkers EF 61 - Junkers Ju 89 - Junkers Ju 287 - Junkers Ju 390 - Ky?sh? J7W - Lockheed YF-12 - Lockheed YP-24 - Martin XB-51 - McDonnell XF-85 Goblin - McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo - Messerschmitt Me 263 - Messerschmitt Me 264 - Mikoyan-Gurevich I-270 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-8 - Miles M-52 - Mitsubishi J8M
N-Z
Nakajima J9Y Kikka - North American XB-70 Valkyrie - Northrop B-35 - Northrop YA-9 - Northrop YB-49 - Northrop YF-17 Cobra - OKB-1 EF 140 - PZL.38 Wilk - PZL.46 Sum - PZL.48 Lampart - PZL.54 Ry? - PZL.50 Jastrz?b - Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor - Ryan XF2R Dark Shark - Ryan XV-5 Vertifan - Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 - Saunders-Roe SR.53 - Tupolev Tu-75 - Tupolev Tu-80 - Tupolev Tu-85 - Tupolev Tu-91 - Yokosuka R2Y Keiun
UAVs and drones
EADS Barracuda - GNAT 750 - RQ-1 Predator - RQ-2 Pioneer - RQ-3 Dark Star - RQ-4 Global Hawk - RQ-5 Hunter - RQ-6 Outrider - RQ-7 Shadow - Sperwer - Polecat
Unfinished/Cancelled Projects
A-12 Avenger II - IAe Pulqui II - Miles M.52 - Mitsubishi Ki-202 - Nakajima G10N Fugaku - Nakajima Ki-115 - Nakajima Ki-116 - Nakajima Ki-201 - Saunders-Roe SR.177 - Silbervogel - X-20 Dyna-Soar - Yokosuka MXY9
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