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.
Original Technorati articles tagged “aircraft”
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in FinanceTwo 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 TechnologyTwenty 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”
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PHOTOS: First look at Thomson Airways’ first Boeing 787 Dreamliner
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UK-based Thomson Airways has been cleared to operate its first long-haul flight using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in the second week of July 2013. According to the airline’s blog, lucky passengers heading to Cancun and Florida from 8th July will be the first to travel long-haul on the aircraft. To celebrate the ...1 week ago -
Udvar-Hazy Pt. 2
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So Ive got a bit more free time right this second so here more Udvar-Hazy museum pics. Well start with "Hey, whats this?" If you smugly identify it as a World War Two German V-1 "Buzz Bomb", youd be...wrong. (And right, but still technically wrong.) This one is a post-war American version known as a Loon, shown ...1 week ago -
Mysterious smell in Quincy MA – Same Town that has Mysterious aircraft flying around
InvestmentWatch: Emerging markets, Real Estate, Personal finance, Business management, Politics, Economics —
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‘Unbearable’ smell in Quincy a mystery Living so close the ocean, residents at The Moorings at Squantum Gardens are used to the full spectrum of sea scents wafting over to their building. “Maybe occasionally you get bad smells, but it was never this constant, six weeks of this now,” said Don Duggan, ...1 week ago -
VIDEO: INAS 303 Black Panthers MiG-29K Squadron Commissioning
LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence —
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Follow @livefist Follow @ShivAroor1 week ago -
US Defense Department once tried to outfit the C-130 with rocket boosters for improved agility
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So I just learned that in 1980, the US Defense Department tried to outfit a C-130 cargo airplane with rockets so that it could be used in rescue missions (specifically in Iran). The purpose of the rockets were to allow the plane to take off and land in about 300-400 feet of runway instead of the 1000+ it needed ...1 week ago -
Video of a C5 Galaxy aircraft taking off from a flooded runway
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Just because I was curious. The post Video of a C5 Galaxy aircraft taking off from a flooded runway appeared first on Doobybrain.com .1 week ago -
Terrafugia TF-X Vertical Take-Off Flying Car
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the fantasy of flying car grips us. we fall prey to this desire to get our cars into the sky, thanks to the frustration serves up by constant gridlock and the steady bombardment of this fantasy by sci-fi movies. as flying car inches towards reality, we are also quick to realize something: do we really have the luxury ...1 week ago -
China and Western weapons technology
Bayou Renaissance Man —
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Im cynically amused by the upswell in condemnation of China for its industrial and military espionage in the US , particularly its activities in cyberspace. Foreign Policy recently published details of a whole raft of cases and incidents. Heres an excerpt. Chinese hackers reportedly broke into the ...1 week ago -
Q&A: Fun things to do over summer??? Girls!?
Matrimonium —
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Question by Gina : Fun things to do over summer??? Girls!? i made a list of things to do w/ and w/out friends. I want to get to 101, but I only have 57 and theyre: 1. Beach 2. sleepover 3. pool party 4. movie night 5. Six flags 6. raging waters 7. customize TOMS shoes 8. make a splatter painting 9. go shopping 10. ...1 week ago -
Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Aircraft Paper Model Free Download
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This aircraft paper model is a Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk , a single-seat, twin-engine stealth ground-attack aircraft formerly operated by the [Read More…]1 week ago -
WWI`s Morane Saulnier Typ N Aircraft In 1/33 Scale - by Modele Kartonowe
Papermau Free Paper Models —
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The Morane-Saulnier N, also known as the Morane-Saulnier Type N, was a French monoplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Designed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier, the Type N entered service in April 1915 with the Aéronautique Militaire designated as the MS.5C.1. It also equipped four squadrons of the ...1 week ago -
Indian Navy MiG-29K Squadron Commissioned
LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence —
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The Indian Navys first MiG-29K fighter squadron, INAS 303 Black Panthers was commissioned today at the INS Hansa naval air station in Goa. Happy to say the squadrons name was first reported here on Livefist in 2009 before the first batch of aircraft were inducted. Excerpts from a press release today: The ...1 week ago -
Pilotless passenger planes ready for takeoff
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The unmanned aircraft are the next big transformation in the aviation industry. The phrase “this is your captain speaking” may soon become a thing of the past, thanks to a new generation of robotic, passenger aircraft that will take to the skies by themselves. “We believe that unmanned aircraft are the ...1 week ago -
Udvar-Hazy trip
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Since company was in town yesterday, a trip to the Smithsonians Udvar-Hazy Air and Space museum at Dulles Airport was in order. For those who have never been, its hundreds of great aircraft shoe-horned into one huge hangar. Theyve got pretty much everything in here, from an SR-71 (shown above) to this Wright Flyer ...1 week ago -
FCC proposal may greatly improve airplane Wi-Fi
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The FCC has proposed freeing up as much as 500MHz of spectrum for the purpose of impoving airplane Internet connectivity during flight. The bump in bandwidth could be a boon for airborne Internet junkies but may come at the expense of commercial satellite communications. Outgoing FCC chairman Julius Genachowski ...1 week ago -
Mystery Craft Frightens Quincy Residents
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For the past ten days, a low flying aircraft has been buzzing the city of Quincy, Massachusetts – frightening residents as it flies in loops in the sky from dusk until dawn. As locals reach out to city officials for answers, none appear to be forthcoming. Even the city council and the Mayor himself are [...]1 week ago -
The Hedge Fund Series
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The idea behind today’s post as I had certain questions yesterday with my peers wanted to know more about Hedge funds so trying to put in simple way What is a “hedge fund”? It’s a legal category, like “mutual fund”. The “hedge fund” category is basically a “none of the above” legal category, ...1 week ago -
New flights to Chicago by Aeromexico
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Aeromexico has announced its new flights to Mexico City from 15th July 2013.The frequencies offered by the Airmexico from Chicago is increase due to the demand of business and leisure travellers that now take the advantage of the wide network of connections offered by the airline with in Mexico and Latin America. ...1 week ago -
1927 Farman F.190 Free Simple Airplane Paper Model Download
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This airplane paper model is a simple Farman F.190 (1927 version), a utility aircraft built in France in the 1920s and 30s, the papercraft c [Read More…]1 week ago -
Doofus Of The Day #701
Bayou Renaissance Man —
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It seems that Australias capital city, Canberra, has a new poster child for government bloat. Its this: Thats a hot air balloon known as Skywhale. According to the Australian : Skywhale, a 23m-high, 34m-wide hot air balloon resembling a whale-like creature, will be unveiled in Canberra tomorrow as the ...1 week ago


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