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class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Kites"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.1</span> <span>Kites</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Kites-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Gliders_and_powered_devices" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Gliders_and_powered_devices"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.2</span> <span>Gliders and powered devices</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Gliders_and_powered_devices-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Powered_flight" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Powered_flight"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.3</span> <span>Powered flight</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Powered_flight-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-World_War_I" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#World_War_I"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.4</span> <span>World War I</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-World_War_I-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Interwar_aviation;_the_"Golden_Age"" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Interwar_aviation;_the_"Golden_Age""> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.5</span> <span>Interwar aviation; the "Golden Age"</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Interwar_aviation;_the_"Golden_Age"-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-World_War_II" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#World_War_II"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.6</span> <span>World War II</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-World_War_II-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Postwar" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Postwar"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1.7</span> <span>Postwar</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Postwar-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Types" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Types"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Types</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Types-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Types subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Types-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Airplane/aeroplane" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Airplane/aeroplane"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1</span> <span>Airplane/aeroplane</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Airplane/aeroplane-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Seaplane" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Seaplane"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.1</span> <span>Seaplane</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Seaplane-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Powered_gliders" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Powered_gliders"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.2</span> <span>Powered gliders</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Powered_gliders-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Ground_effect_vehicle" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Ground_effect_vehicle"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.1.3</span> <span>Ground effect vehicle</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Ground_effect_vehicle-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Glider" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Glider"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2</span> <span>Glider</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Glider-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Types_2" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Types_2"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2.1</span> <span>Types</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Types_2-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Sailplane" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Sailplane"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2.1.1</span> <span>Sailplane</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Sailplane-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Military_gliders" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Military_gliders"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2.1.2</span> <span>Military gliders</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Military_gliders-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Research_gliders" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Research_gliders"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2.1.3</span> <span>Research gliders</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Research_gliders-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Hang_glider" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Hang_glider"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2.1.4</span> <span>Hang glider</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Hang_glider-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Paraglider" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Paraglider"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2.1.5</span> <span>Paraglider</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Paraglider-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Unmanned_gliders" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Unmanned_gliders"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.2.2</span> <span>Unmanned gliders</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Unmanned_gliders-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Kite" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Kite"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3</span> <span>Kite</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Kite-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Applications" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Applications"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3.1</span> <span>Applications</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Applications-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Military" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Military"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3.1.1</span> <span>Military</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Military-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Science_and_meteorology" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Science_and_meteorology"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3.1.2</span> <span>Science and meteorology</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Science_and_meteorology-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Radio_aerials_and_light_beacons" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Radio_aerials_and_light_beacons"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3.1.3</span> <span>Radio aerials and light beacons</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Radio_aerials_and_light_beacons-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Kite_traction" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Kite_traction"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3.1.4</span> <span>Kite traction</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Kite_traction-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Power_generation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Power_generation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3.1.5</span> <span>Power generation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Power_generation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Cultural_uses" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-4"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Cultural_uses"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3.1.6</span> <span>Cultural uses</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Cultural_uses-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Designs" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Designs"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3.2</span> <span>Designs</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Designs-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Types_3" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Types_3"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2.3.3</span> <span>Types</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Types_3-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Characteristics" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Characteristics"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Characteristics</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-Characteristics-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle Characteristics subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-Characteristics-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Air_frame" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Air_frame"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.1</span> <span>Air frame</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Air_frame-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Wings" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Wings"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2</span> <span>Wings</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Wings-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Structure" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Structure"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2.1</span> <span>Structure</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Structure-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Configuration" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Configuration"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.2.2</span> <span>Configuration</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Configuration-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Fuselage" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Fuselage"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.3</span> <span>Fuselage</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Fuselage-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Wings_vs._bodies" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Wings_vs._bodies"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.4</span> <span>Wings vs. bodies</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Wings_vs._bodies-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Flying_wing" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Flying_wing"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.4.1</span> <span>Flying wing</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Flying_wing-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Blended_wing_body" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Blended_wing_body"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.4.2</span> <span>Blended wing body</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Blended_wing_body-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Lifting_body" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Lifting_body"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.4.3</span> <span>Lifting body</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Lifting_body-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Empennage_and_foreplane" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Empennage_and_foreplane"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.5</span> <span>Empennage and foreplane</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Empennage_and_foreplane-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Aircraft_controls" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Aircraft_controls"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.6</span> <span>Aircraft controls</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Aircraft_controls-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Kite_control" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Kite_control"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.6.1</span> <span>Kite control</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Kite_control-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Free-flying_aircraft_controls" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-3"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Free-flying_aircraft_controls"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.6.2</span> <span>Free-flying aircraft controls</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Free-flying_aircraft_controls-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Cockpit_instrumentation" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Cockpit_instrumentation"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3.7</span> <span>Cockpit instrumentation</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Cockpit_instrumentation-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-See_also" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#See_also"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>See also</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-See_also-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-References" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#References"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>References</span> </div> </a> <button aria-controls="toc-References-sublist" class="cdx-button cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only vector-toc-toggle"> <span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-expand"></span> <span>Toggle References subsection</span> </button> <ul id="toc-References-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> <li id="toc-Notes" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Notes"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.1</span> <span>Notes</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Notes-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Citations" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Citations"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.2</span> <span>Citations</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Citations-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Bibliography" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-2"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Bibliography"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5.3</span> <span>Bibliography</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Bibliography-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Fixed-wing aircraft</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 22 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-22" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">22 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1%D8%A9_%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%86" title="طائرة ثابتة الجناحين – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="طائرة ثابتة الجناحين" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-az mw-list-item"><a href="https://az.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabit_qanadl%C4%B1_t%C9%99yyar%C9%99" title="Sabit qanadlı təyyarə – Azerbaijani" lang="az" hreflang="az" data-title="Sabit qanadlı təyyarə" data-language-autonym="Azərbaycanca" data-language-local-name="Azerbaijani" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Azərbaycanca</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cy mw-list-item"><a href="https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Awyren_adenydd_sefydlog" title="Awyren adenydd sefydlog – Welsh" lang="cy" hreflang="cy" data-title="Awyren adenydd sefydlog" data-language-autonym="Cymraeg" data-language-local-name="Welsh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Cymraeg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da mw-list-item"><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fastvingefly" title="Fastvingefly – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Fastvingefly" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-el mw-list-item"><a href="https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%83%CE%BA%CE%AC%CF%86%CE%BF%CF%82_%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B1%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%81%CF%8E%CE%BD_%CF%80%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%81%CF%8D%CE%B3%CF%89%CE%BD" title="Αεροσκάφος σταθερών πτερύγων – Greek" lang="el" hreflang="el" data-title="Αεροσκάφος σταθερών πτερύγων" data-language-autonym="Ελληνικά" data-language-local-name="Greek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Ελληνικά</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hego_finkoko_aireontzi" title="Hego finkoko aireontzi – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Hego finkoko aireontzi" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%D9%88%D8%A7%DA%AF%D8%B1%D8%AF_%D8%AB%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%AA%E2%80%8C%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84" title="هواگرد ثابت‌بال – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="هواگرد ثابت‌بال" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%A9roplane" title="Aéroplane – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Aéroplane" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ko mw-list-item"><a href="https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EA%B3%A0%EC%A0%95%EC%9D%B5%EA%B8%B0" title="고정익기 – Korean" lang="ko" hreflang="ko" data-title="고정익기" data-language-autonym="한국어" data-language-local-name="Korean" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>한국어</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-id mw-list-item"><a href="https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesawat_bersayap_tetap" title="Pesawat bersayap tetap – Indonesian" lang="id" hreflang="id" data-title="Pesawat bersayap tetap" data-language-autonym="Bahasa Indonesia" data-language-local-name="Indonesian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Bahasa Indonesia</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-my mw-list-item"><a href="https://my.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%80%9C%E1%80%B1%E1%80%9A%E1%80%AC%E1%80%89%E1%80%BA%E1%80%95%E1%80%BB%E1%80%B6" title="လေယာဉ်ပျံ – Burmese" lang="my" hreflang="my" data-title="လေယာဉ်ပျံ" data-language-autonym="မြန်မာဘာသာ" data-language-local-name="Burmese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>မြန်မာဘာသာ</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BA%E5%AE%9A%E7%BF%BC%E6%A9%9F" title="固定翼機 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="固定翼機" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sta%C5%82op%C5%82at" title="Stałopłat – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Stałopłat" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeroplan" title="Aeroplan – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Aeroplan" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B9_%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82_%D1%81_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BF%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B6%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%BC_%D0%BA%D1%80%D1%8B%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BC" title="Летательный аппарат с неподвижным крылом – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Летательный аппарат с неподвижным крылом" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-wing_aircraft" title="Fixed-wing aircraft – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Fixed-wing aircraft" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sl mw-list-item"><a href="https://sl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zrakoplov_s_fiksnimi_krili" title="Zrakoplov s fiksnimi krili – Slovenian" lang="sl" hreflang="sl" data-title="Zrakoplov s fiksnimi krili" data-language-autonym="Slovenščina" data-language-local-name="Slovenian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenščina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ta mw-list-item"><a href="https://ta.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4_%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%B1%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%88_%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%A9%E0%AF%82%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF" title="நிலைத்த இறக்கை வானூர்தி – Tamil" lang="ta" hreflang="ta" data-title="நிலைத்த இறக்கை வானூர்தி" data-language-autonym="தமிழ்" data-language-local-name="Tamil" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>தமிழ்</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabit_kanatl%C4%B1_hava_arac%C4%B1" title="Sabit kanatlı hava aracı – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Sabit kanatlı hava aracı" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9B%D1%96%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82_%D0%B7_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%80%D1%83%D1%85%D0%BE%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BC_%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%BC" title="Літальний апарат з нерухомим крилом – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Літальний апарат з нерухомим крилом" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-vi mw-list-item"><a href="https://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A1y_bay_c%C3%A1nh_c%E1%BB%91_%C4%91%E1%BB%8Bnh" title="Máy bay cánh cố định – Vietnamese" lang="vi" hreflang="vi" data-title="Máy bay cánh cố 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.mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .ambox{display:none!important}}</style><table class="box-More_citations_needed plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" 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Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.<br /><small><span class="plainlinks"><i>Find sources:</i> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?as_eq=wikipedia&q=%22Fixed-wing+aircraft%22">"Fixed-wing aircraft"</a> – <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=nws&q=%22Fixed-wing+aircraft%22+-wikipedia&tbs=ar:1">news</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?&q=%22Fixed-wing+aircraft%22&tbs=bkt:s&tbm=bks">newspapers</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.google.com/search?tbs=bks:1&q=%22Fixed-wing+aircraft%22+-wikipedia">books</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%22Fixed-wing+aircraft%22">scholar</a> <b>·</b> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/action/doBasicSearch?Query=%22Fixed-wing+aircraft%22&acc=on&wc=on">JSTOR</a></span></small></span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">March 2024</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings generating aerodynamic lift</div> <p class="mw-empty-elt"> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg/220px-Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg/330px-Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg/440px-Tarom.b737-700.yr-bgg.arp.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2022" data-file-height="1349" /></a><figcaption>A <a href="/wiki/Boeing_737" title="Boeing 737">Boeing 737</a> <a href="/wiki/Airliner" title="Airliner">airliner</a> is an example of a fixed-wing aircraft</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:DeltaKite.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/DeltaKite.JPG/220px-DeltaKite.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="138" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/DeltaKite.JPG/330px-DeltaKite.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/DeltaKite.JPG/440px-DeltaKite.JPG 2x" data-file-width="2969" data-file-height="1858" /></a><figcaption>The fixed wings of a <a href="/wiki/Delta_wing" title="Delta wing">delta</a>-shaped kite are not rigid</figcaption></figure> <p>A <b>fixed-wing aircraft</b> is a heavier-than-air <a href="/wiki/Aircraft" title="Aircraft">aircraft</a>, such as an <a href="/wiki/Airplane" title="Airplane">airplane</a>, which is capable of <a href="/wiki/Flight" title="Flight">flight</a> using <a href="/wiki/Lift_(force)" title="Lift (force)">aerodynamic lift</a>. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from <a href="/wiki/Rotorcraft" title="Rotorcraft">rotary-wing aircraft</a> (in which a <a href="/wiki/Helicopter_rotor" title="Helicopter rotor">rotor</a> mounted on a spinning shaft generates lift), and <a href="/wiki/Ornithopter" title="Ornithopter">ornithopters</a> (in which the wings oscillate to generate lift). The wings of a fixed-wing aircraft are not necessarily rigid; kites, <a href="/wiki/Hang_glider" class="mw-redirect" title="Hang glider">hang gliders</a>, <a href="/wiki/Variable-sweep_wing" title="Variable-sweep wing">variable-sweep wing</a> aircraft, and airplanes that use <a href="/wiki/Wing_morphing" class="mw-redirect" title="Wing morphing">wing morphing</a> are all classified as fixed wing. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Gliding_flight" title="Gliding flight">Gliding</a> fixed-wing aircraft, including free-flying <a href="/wiki/Glider_(aircraft)" title="Glider (aircraft)">gliders</a> and tethered <a href="/wiki/Kite" title="Kite">kites</a>, can use moving air to gain altitude. <a href="/wiki/Powered_aircraft" class="mw-redirect" title="Powered aircraft">Powered</a> fixed-wing aircraft (airplanes) that gain forward <a href="/wiki/Thrust" title="Thrust">thrust</a> from an <a href="/wiki/Aircraft_engine" title="Aircraft engine">engine</a> include <a href="/wiki/Powered_paraglider" class="mw-redirect" title="Powered paraglider">powered paragliders</a>, <a href="/wiki/Powered_hang_glider" title="Powered hang glider">powered hang gliders</a> and <a href="/wiki/Ground_effect_vehicle" class="mw-redirect" title="Ground effect vehicle">ground effect vehicles</a>. Most fixed-wing aircraft are operated by a <a href="/wiki/Pilot_(aviator)" class="mw-redirect" title="Pilot (aviator)">pilot</a>, but some are <a href="/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle" title="Unmanned aerial vehicle">unmanned</a> and controlled either <a href="/wiki/Radio_control" title="Radio control">remotely</a> or autonomously. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: History"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1236090951">.mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .hatnote{display:none!important}}</style><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main articles: <a href="/wiki/Aviation_history" class="mw-redirect" title="Aviation history">Aviation history</a> and <a href="/wiki/Early_flying_machines" title="Early flying machines">Early flying machines</a></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Kites">Kites</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Kites"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Kites were used approximately 2,800 years ago in China, where kite building materials were available. Leaf kites may have been flown earlier in what is now <a href="/wiki/Sulawesi" title="Sulawesi">Sulawesi</a>, based on their interpretation of cave paintings on nearby <a href="/wiki/Muna_Island" title="Muna Island">Muna Island</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> By at least 549 AD paper kites were flying, as recorded that year, a paper kite was used as a message for a rescue mission.<sup id="cite_ref-needham_volume_4_part_1_127_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-needham_volume_4_part_1_127-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Ancient and medieval Chinese sources report kites used for measuring distances, testing the wind, lifting men, signaling, and communication for military operations.<sup id="cite_ref-needham_volume_4_part_1_127_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-needham_volume_4_part_1_127-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Kinderspiele_1828_Drachensteigen.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Kinderspiele_1828_Drachensteigen.jpg/310px-Kinderspiele_1828_Drachensteigen.jpg" decoding="async" width="310" height="146" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Kinderspiele_1828_Drachensteigen.jpg/465px-Kinderspiele_1828_Drachensteigen.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Kinderspiele_1828_Drachensteigen.jpg/620px-Kinderspiele_1828_Drachensteigen.jpg 2x" data-file-width="650" data-file-height="307" /></a><figcaption>Children flying a kite in 1828 <a href="/wiki/Kingdom_of_Bavaria" title="Kingdom of Bavaria">Bavaria</a>, by <a href="/wiki/Johann_Michael_Voltz" title="Johann Michael Voltz">Johann Michael Voltz</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Kite stories were brought to Europe by <a href="/wiki/Marco_Polo" title="Marco Polo">Marco Polo</a> towards the end of the 13th century, and kites were brought back by sailors from Japan and <a href="/wiki/Malaysia" title="Malaysia">Malaysia</a> in the 16th and 17th centuries.<sup id="cite_ref-G-Kites_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-G-Kites-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Although initially regarded as curiosities, by the 18th and 19th centuries kites were used for scientific research.<sup id="cite_ref-G-Kites_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-G-Kites-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Gliders_and_powered_devices">Gliders and powered devices</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Gliders and powered devices"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Around <a href="/wiki/Ancient_Greece" title="Ancient Greece">400 BC in Greece</a>, <a href="/wiki/Archytas" title="Archytas">Archytas</a> was reputed to have designed and built the first self-propelled flying device, shaped like a bird and propelled by a jet of what was probably steam, said to have flown some 200 m (660 ft).<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This machine may have been suspended during its flight.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>One of the earliest attempts with <a href="/wiki/Glider_aircraft" class="mw-redirect" title="Glider aircraft">gliders</a> was by 11th-century monk <a href="/wiki/Eilmer_of_Malmesbury" title="Eilmer of Malmesbury">Eilmer of Malmesbury</a>, which failed. A 17th-century account states that 9th-century poet <a href="/wiki/Abbas_Ibn_Firnas" class="mw-redirect" title="Abbas Ibn Firnas">Abbas Ibn Firnas</a> made a similar attempt, though no earlier sources record this event.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:LeBris1868.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/LeBris1868.jpg/220px-LeBris1868.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="139" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/LeBris1868.jpg/330px-LeBris1868.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/LeBris1868.jpg/440px-LeBris1868.jpg 2x" data-file-width="669" data-file-height="423" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Jean-Marie_Le_Bris" class="mw-redirect" title="Jean-Marie Le Bris">Le Bris</a> and his glider, Albatros II, photographed by <a href="/wiki/Nadar_(photographer)" class="mw-redirect" title="Nadar (photographer)">Nadar</a>, 1868</figcaption></figure> <p>In 1799, <a href="/wiki/Sir_George_Cayley" class="mw-redirect" title="Sir George Cayley">Sir George Cayley</a> laid out the concept of the modern airplane as a fixed-wing machine with systems for lift, propulsion, and control.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Cayley was building and flying models of fixed-wing aircraft as early as 1803, and built a successful passenger-carrying <a href="/wiki/Glider_aircraft" class="mw-redirect" title="Glider aircraft">glider</a> in 1853.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1856, Frenchman <a href="/wiki/Jean-Marie_Le_Bris" class="mw-redirect" title="Jean-Marie Le Bris">Jean-Marie Le Bris</a> made the first powered flight, had his glider L'Albatros artificiel towed by a horse along a beach.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In 1884, American <a href="/wiki/John_J._Montgomery" class="mw-redirect" title="John J. Montgomery">John J. Montgomery</a> made controlled flights in a glider as a part of a series of gliders he built between 1883 and 1886.<sup id="cite_ref-Quest_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Quest-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Other aviators who made similar flights at that time were <a href="/wiki/Otto_Lilienthal" title="Otto Lilienthal">Otto Lilienthal</a>, <a href="/wiki/Percy_Pilcher" title="Percy Pilcher">Percy Pilcher</a>, and protégés of <a href="/wiki/Octave_Chanute" title="Octave Chanute">Octave Chanute</a>. </p><p>In the 1890s, <a href="/wiki/Lawrence_Hargrave" title="Lawrence Hargrave">Lawrence Hargrave</a> conducted research on wing structures and developed a <a href="/wiki/Box_kite" title="Box kite">box kite</a> that lifted the weight of a man. His designs were widely adopted. He also developed a type of rotary aircraft engine, but did not create a powered fixed-wing aircraft.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Powered_flight">Powered flight</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Powered flight"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Aviation_in_the_pioneer_era" title="Aviation in the pioneer era">Aviation in the pioneer era</a></div> <p><a href="/wiki/Sir_Hiram_Maxim" class="mw-redirect" title="Sir Hiram Maxim">Sir Hiram Maxim</a> built a craft that weighed 3.5 tons, with a 110-foot (34-meter) wingspan powered by two 360-horsepower (270-kW) steam engines driving two propellers. In 1894, his machine was tested with overhead rails to prevent it from rising. The test showed that it had enough lift to take off. The craft was uncontrollable, and Maxim abandoned work on it.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Wright_Flyer_III_above.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Wright_Flyer_III_above.jpg/220px-Wright_Flyer_III_above.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="331" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/Wright_Flyer_III_above.jpg/330px-Wright_Flyer_III_above.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Wright_Flyer_III_above.jpg 2x" data-file-width="400" data-file-height="601" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Wright_Flyer_III" title="Wright Flyer III">Wright Flyer III</a> piloted by Orville Wright over Huffman Prairie, 4 October 1905</figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Wright_brothers" title="Wright brothers">Wright brothers</a>' flights in 1903 with their <a href="/wiki/Wright_Flyer" title="Wright Flyer"><i>Flyer I</i></a> are recognized by the <i><a href="/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_A%C3%A9ronautique_Internationale" title="Fédération Aéronautique Internationale">Fédération Aéronautique Internationale</a></i> (FAI), the standard setting and record-keeping body for <a href="/wiki/Aeronautics" title="Aeronautics">aeronautics</a>, as "the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight".<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> By 1905, the <a href="/wiki/Wright_Flyer_III" title="Wright Flyer III">Wright Flyer III</a> was capable of fully controllable, stable flight for substantial periods. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Santos-Dumont_flying_the_14_bis.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Santos-Dumont_flying_the_14_bis.jpg/220px-Santos-Dumont_flying_the_14_bis.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="138" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Santos-Dumont_flying_the_14_bis.jpg/330px-Santos-Dumont_flying_the_14_bis.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Santos-Dumont_flying_the_14_bis.jpg/440px-Santos-Dumont_flying_the_14_bis.jpg 2x" data-file-width="544" data-file-height="341" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Alberto_Santos-Dumont" title="Alberto Santos-Dumont">Santos-Dumont</a>'s self-propelled <span class="nowrap"><a href="/wiki/Santos-Dumont_14-bis" title="Santos-Dumont 14-bis">14-bis</a></span> on an old postcard</figcaption></figure> <p>In 1906, Brazilian inventor <a href="/wiki/Alberto_Santos_Dumont" class="mw-redirect" title="Alberto Santos Dumont">Alberto Santos Dumont</a> designed, <a href="/wiki/Santos-Dumont_14-bis" title="Santos-Dumont 14-bis">built and piloted an aircraft</a> that set the first world record recognized by the <a href="/wiki/A%C3%A9ro-Club_de_France" title="Aéro-Club de France">Aéro-Club de France</a> by flying the <a href="/wiki/14_bis" class="mw-redirect" title="14 bis">14 bis</a> 220 metres (720 ft) in less than 22 seconds.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The flight was certified by the FAI.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>18<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Bleriot_VIII" class="mw-redirect" title="Bleriot VIII">Bleriot VIII</a> design of 1908 was an early aircraft design that had the modern <a href="/wiki/Monoplane" title="Monoplane">monoplane</a> <a href="/wiki/Tractor_configuration" title="Tractor configuration">tractor configuration</a>. It had movable tail surfaces controlling both yaw and pitch, a form of roll control supplied either by wing warping or by ailerons and controlled by its pilot with a <a href="/wiki/Joystick" title="Joystick">joystick</a> and rudder bar. It was an important predecessor of his later <a href="/wiki/Bleriot_XI" class="mw-redirect" title="Bleriot XI">Bleriot XI</a> <a href="/wiki/English_Channel" title="English Channel">Channel</a>-crossing aircraft of the summer of 1909.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>19<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Aircraft_with_people_and_buildings.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Aircraft_with_people_and_buildings.jpg/220px-Aircraft_with_people_and_buildings.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="127" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Aircraft_with_people_and_buildings.jpg/330px-Aircraft_with_people_and_buildings.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Aircraft_with_people_and_buildings.jpg/440px-Aircraft_with_people_and_buildings.jpg 2x" data-file-width="599" data-file-height="347" /></a><figcaption><a href="/wiki/Curtiss_NC-4" title="Curtiss NC-4">Curtiss NC-4</a> flying boat after it completed the first crossing of the Atlantic in 1919, standing next to a fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="World_War_I">World War I</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: World War I"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Aviation_in_World_War_I" title="Aviation in World War I">Aviation in World War I</a></div> <p><a href="/wiki/World_War_I" title="World War I">World War I</a> served initiated the use of aircraft as weapons and observation platforms. The earliest known aerial victory with a synchronized <a href="/wiki/Machine_gun" title="Machine gun">machine gun</a>-armed <a href="/wiki/Fighter_aircraft" title="Fighter aircraft">fighter aircraft</a> occurred in 1915, flown by German <a href="/wiki/Luftstreitkr%C3%A4fte" title="Luftstreitkräfte">Luftstreitkräfte</a> Lieutenant <a href="/wiki/Kurt_Wintgens" title="Kurt Wintgens">Kurt Wintgens</a>. <a href="/wiki/Fighter_aces" class="mw-redirect" title="Fighter aces">Fighter aces</a> appeared; the greatest (by number of air victories) was <a href="/wiki/Manfred_von_Richthofen" title="Manfred von Richthofen">Manfred von Richthofen</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (May 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p><p><a href="/wiki/Alcock_and_Brown" class="mw-redirect" title="Alcock and Brown">Alcock and Brown</a> crossed the Atlantic non-stop for the first time in 1919. The first commercial flights traveled between the United States and Canada in 1919.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (May 2024)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Interwar_aviation;_the_"Golden_Age""><span id="Interwar_aviation.3B_the_.22Golden_Age.22"></span>Interwar aviation; the "Golden Age"</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Interwar aviation; the "Golden Age""><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Aviation_between_the_World_Wars" class="mw-redirect" title="Aviation between the World Wars">Aviation between the World Wars</a></div> <p>The so-called Golden Age of Aviation occurred between the two World Wars, during which updated interpretations of earlier breakthroughs. Innovations include <a href="/wiki/Hugo_Junkers" title="Hugo Junkers">Hugo Junkers</a>' all-metal air frames <a href="/wiki/Junkers_J_1" title="Junkers J 1">in 1915</a> leading to multi-engine aircraft <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_ANT-20" title="Tupolev ANT-20">of up to 60+ meter wingspan</a> sizes by the early 1930s, adoption of the mostly air-cooled <a href="/wiki/Radial_engine" title="Radial engine">radial engine</a> as a practical aircraft power plant alongside V-12 liquid-cooled aviation engines, and longer and longer flights – as with <a href="/wiki/Transatlantic_flight_of_Alcock_and_Brown" title="Transatlantic flight of Alcock and Brown">a Vickers Vimy in 1919</a>, followed months later by <a href="/wiki/Curtiss_NC-4#The_transatlantic_flight" title="Curtiss NC-4">the U.S. Navy's NC-4 transatlantic flight</a>; culminating in May 1927 with <a href="/wiki/Charles_Lindbergh" title="Charles Lindbergh">Charles Lindbergh</a>'s solo trans-Atlantic flight in the <a href="/wiki/Spirit_of_St._Louis" title="Spirit of St. Louis">Spirit of St. Louis</a> spurring ever-longer flight attempts. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="World_War_II">World War II</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: World War II"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Aviation_in_World_War_II" title="Aviation in World War II">Aviation in World War II</a></div> <p>Airplanes had a presence in the major battles of World War II. They were an essential component of military strategies, such as the German <a href="/wiki/Blitzkrieg" title="Blitzkrieg">Blitzkrieg</a> or the American and Japanese <a href="/wiki/Aircraft_carrier" title="Aircraft carrier">aircraft carrier</a> campaigns of the Pacific. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Military_glider" title="Military glider">Military gliders</a> were developed and used in several campaigns, but were limited by the high casualty rate encountered. The <a href="/wiki/Focke-Achgelis_Fa_330" title="Focke-Achgelis Fa 330">Focke-Achgelis Fa 330</a> <i>Bachstelze</i> (Wagtail) rotor kite of 1942 was notable for its use by German <a href="/wiki/U-boats" class="mw-redirect" title="U-boats">U-boats</a>. </p><p>Before and during the war, British and German designers worked on <a href="/wiki/Jet_engine" title="Jet engine">jet engines</a>. The first <a href="/wiki/Jet_aircraft" title="Jet aircraft">jet aircraft</a> to fly, in 1939, was the German <a href="/wiki/Heinkel_He_178" title="Heinkel He 178">Heinkel He 178</a>. In 1943, the first operational jet fighter, the <a href="/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_262" title="Messerschmitt Me 262">Messerschmitt Me 262</a>, went into service with the German <a href="/wiki/Luftwaffe" title="Luftwaffe">Luftwaffe</a>. Later in the war the British <a href="/wiki/Gloster_Meteor" title="Gloster Meteor">Gloster Meteor</a> entered service, but never saw action – top air speeds for that era went as high as 1,130 km/h (700 mph), with the early July 1944 unofficial record flight of the German <a href="/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_163#Later_versions" class="mw-redirect" title="Messerschmitt Me 163">Me 163B V18</a> rocket fighter prototype.<sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-20"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>20<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Postwar">Postwar</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Postwar"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In October 1947, the <a href="/wiki/Bell_X-1" title="Bell X-1">Bell X-1</a> was the first aircraft to exceed the speed of sound, flown by <a href="/wiki/Chuck_Yeager" title="Chuck Yeager">Chuck Yeager</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>21<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 1948–49, aircraft transported supplies during the <a href="/wiki/Berlin_Blockade" title="Berlin Blockade">Berlin Blockade</a>. New aircraft types, such as the <a href="/wiki/B-52" class="mw-redirect" title="B-52">B-52</a>, were produced during the <a href="/wiki/Cold_War" title="Cold War">Cold War</a>. </p><p>The first <a href="/wiki/Jet_airliner" title="Jet airliner">jet airliner</a>, the <a href="/wiki/De_Havilland_Comet" title="De Havilland Comet">de Havilland Comet</a>, was introduced in 1952, followed by the Soviet <a href="/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-104" title="Tupolev Tu-104">Tupolev Tu-104</a> in 1956. The <a href="/wiki/Boeing_707" title="Boeing 707">Boeing 707</a>, the first widely successful commercial jet, was in commercial service for more than 50 years, from 1958 to 2010. The <a href="/wiki/Boeing_747" title="Boeing 747">Boeing 747</a> was the world's largest passenger aircraft from 1970 until it was surpassed by the <a href="/wiki/Airbus_A380" title="Airbus A380">Airbus A380</a> in 2005. The most successful aircraft is the <a href="/wiki/Douglas_DC-3" title="Douglas DC-3">Douglas DC-3</a> and its military version, the <a href="/wiki/C-47" class="mw-redirect" title="C-47">C-47</a><sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>22<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>, a medium sized twin engine passenger or transport aircraft that has been in service since 1936 and is still used throughout the world. Some of the hundreds of versions found other purposes, like the <a href="/wiki/Douglas_AC-47_Spooky" title="Douglas AC-47 Spooky">AC-47</a>, a <a href="/wiki/Vietnam_War" title="Vietnam War">Vietnam War</a> era gunship, which is still used in the <a href="/wiki/Colombian_Air_Force" title="Colombian Air Force">Colombian Air Force</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>23<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Types">Types</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Types"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-More_citations_needed_section plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Refimprove" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>needs additional citations for <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">verification</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Fixed-wing_aircraft" title="Special:EditPage/Fixed-wing aircraft">improve this article</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a> in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">March 2024</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Airplane/aeroplane"><span id="Airplane.2Faeroplane"></span>Airplane/aeroplane</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Airplane/aeroplane"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Airplane" title="Airplane">Airplane</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Flightline_at_Kabul_International_Airport.jpeg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Flightline_at_Kabul_International_Airport.jpeg/220px-Flightline_at_Kabul_International_Airport.jpeg" decoding="async" width="220" height="147" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Flightline_at_Kabul_International_Airport.jpeg/330px-Flightline_at_Kabul_International_Airport.jpeg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/Flightline_at_Kabul_International_Airport.jpeg/440px-Flightline_at_Kabul_International_Airport.jpeg 2x" data-file-width="1300" data-file-height="870" /></a><figcaption>Aircraft parked on the ground in Afghanistan</figcaption></figure> <p>An airplane (aeroplane or plane) is a powered fixed-wing aircraft propelled by <a href="/wiki/Thrust" title="Thrust">thrust</a> from a <a href="/wiki/Jet_engine" title="Jet engine">jet engine</a> or <a href="/wiki/Propeller_(aircraft)" class="mw-redirect" title="Propeller (aircraft)">propeller</a>. Planes come in many sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. Uses include recreation, transportation of goods and people, military, and research. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Seaplane">Seaplane</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Seaplane"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Seaplane" title="Seaplane">Seaplane</a></div> <p>A seaplane (hydroplane) is capable of <a href="/wiki/Takeoff" title="Takeoff">taking off</a> and <a href="/wiki/Water_landing" title="Water landing">landing</a> (alighting) on water. Seaplanes that can also operate from dry land are a subclass called <a href="/wiki/Amphibian_aircraft" class="mw-redirect" title="Amphibian aircraft">amphibian aircraft</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>24<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Seaplanes and amphibians divide into two categories: <a href="/wiki/Floatplane" title="Floatplane">float planes</a> and <a href="/wiki/Flying_boat" title="Flying boat">flying boats</a>. </p> <ul><li>A <a href="/wiki/Floatplane" title="Floatplane">float plane</a> is similar to a land-based airplane. The <a href="/wiki/Fuselage" title="Fuselage">fuselage</a> is not specialized. The wheels are replaced/enveloped by <a href="/wiki/Float_(nautical)" title="Float (nautical)">floats</a>, allowing the craft to make remain afloat for water landings.</li> <li>A <a href="/wiki/Flying_boat" title="Flying boat">flying boat</a> is a <a href="/wiki/Seaplane" title="Seaplane">seaplane</a> with a watertight <a href="/wiki/Hull_(watercraft)" title="Hull (watercraft)">hull</a> for the lower (ventral) areas of its fuselage. The fuselage lands and then rests directly on the water's surface, held afloat by the hull. It does not need additional floats for buoyancy, although small underwing floats or fuselage-mounted <a href="/wiki/Sponson" title="Sponson">sponsons</a> may be used to stabilize it. Large seaplanes are usually flying boats, embodying most classic amphibian aircraft designs.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Powered_gliders">Powered gliders</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Powered gliders"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Powered_glider" class="mw-redirect" title="Powered glider">Powered glider</a></div> <p>Many forms of glider may include a small power plant. These include: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Motor_glider" title="Motor glider">Motor glider</a> – a conventional <a href="/wiki/Glider_aircraft" class="mw-redirect" title="Glider aircraft">glider</a> or <a href="/wiki/Sailplane" class="mw-redirect" title="Sailplane">sailplane</a> with an auxiliary power plant that may be used when in flight to increase performance.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>25<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Powered_hang_glider" title="Powered hang glider">Powered hang glider</a> – a <a href="/wiki/Hang_glider" class="mw-redirect" title="Hang glider">hang glider</a> with a power plant added.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Powered_parachute" title="Powered parachute">Powered parachute</a> – a <a href="/wiki/Paraglider" class="mw-redirect" title="Paraglider">paraglider</a> type of parachute with an integrated air frame, seat, undercarriage and power plant hung beneath.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>26<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Powered_paraglider" class="mw-redirect" title="Powered paraglider">Powered paraglider</a> or paramotor – a <a href="/wiki/Paraglider" class="mw-redirect" title="Paraglider">paraglider</a> with a power plant suspended behind the pilot.<sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-27"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>27<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Ground_effect_vehicle">Ground effect vehicle</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Ground effect vehicle"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Ground_effect_vehicle" class="mw-redirect" title="Ground effect vehicle">Ground effect vehicle</a></div> <p>A ground effect vehicle (GEV) flies close to the terrain, making use of the <a href="/wiki/Ground_effect_(aerodynamics)" title="Ground effect (aerodynamics)">ground effect</a> – the interaction between the wings and the surface. Some GEVs are able to fly higher out of ground effect (OGE) when required – these are classed as powered fixed-wing aircraft.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>28<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Glider">Glider</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Glider"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Schempp-Hirth_Ventus_2b_glider_being_launched_at_Lasham_Airfield_in_UK.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Schempp-Hirth_Ventus_2b_glider_being_launched_at_Lasham_Airfield_in_UK.jpg/220px-Schempp-Hirth_Ventus_2b_glider_being_launched_at_Lasham_Airfield_in_UK.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="134" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Schempp-Hirth_Ventus_2b_glider_being_launched_at_Lasham_Airfield_in_UK.jpg/330px-Schempp-Hirth_Ventus_2b_glider_being_launched_at_Lasham_Airfield_in_UK.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Schempp-Hirth_Ventus_2b_glider_being_launched_at_Lasham_Airfield_in_UK.jpg/440px-Schempp-Hirth_Ventus_2b_glider_being_launched_at_Lasham_Airfield_in_UK.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="487" /></a><figcaption>A <a href="/wiki/Glider_(sailplane)" title="Glider (sailplane)">glider (sailplane)</a> being winch-launched</figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Glider_(aircraft)" title="Glider (aircraft)">Glider (aircraft)</a></div> <p>A glider is a heavier-than-air craft whose free flight does not require an engine. A sailplane is a fixed-wing glider designed for soaring – gaining height using updrafts of air and to fly for long periods. </p><p>Gliders are mainly used for recreation but have found use for purposes such as aerodynamics research, warfare and spacecraft recovery. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Motor_glider" title="Motor glider">Motor gliders</a> are equipped with a limited propulsion system for takeoff, or to extend flight duration. </p><p>As is the case with planes, gliders come in diverse forms with varied wings, aerodynamic efficiency, pilot location, and controls. </p><p>Large gliders are most commonly born aloft by a tow-plane or by a <a href="/wiki/Winch" title="Winch">winch</a>. <a href="/wiki/Military_glider" title="Military glider">Military gliders</a> have been used in combat to deliver troops and equipment, while specialized gliders have been used in atmospheric and <a href="/wiki/Aerodynamics" title="Aerodynamics">aerodynamic</a> research. <a href="/wiki/Rocket-powered_aircraft" title="Rocket-powered aircraft">Rocket-powered aircraft</a> and <a href="/wiki/Spaceplane" title="Spaceplane">spaceplanes</a> have made unpowered landings similar to a glider. </p><p>Gliders and sailplanes that are used for the sport of <a href="/wiki/Gliding" title="Gliding">gliding</a> have high aerodynamic efficiency. The highest <a href="/wiki/Lift-to-drag_ratio" title="Lift-to-drag ratio">lift-to-drag ratio</a> is 70:1, though 50:1 is common. After take-off, further altitude can be gained through the skillful exploitation of rising air. Flights of thousands of kilometers at average speeds over 200 km/h have been achieved. </p><p>One small-scale example of a glider is the <a href="/wiki/Paper_aeroplane" class="mw-redirect" title="Paper aeroplane">paper airplane.</a> An ordinary sheet of paper can be folded into an aerodynamic shape fairly easily; its low <a href="/wiki/Mass" title="Mass">mass</a> relative to its surface area reduces the required lift for flight, allowing it to glide some distance. </p><p>Gliders and sailplanes share many design elements and aerodynamic principles with powered aircraft. For example, the <a href="/wiki/Horten_H.IV" title="Horten H.IV">Horten H.IV</a> was a tailless <a href="/wiki/Flying_wing" title="Flying wing">flying wing</a> glider, and the <a href="/wiki/Delta_wing" title="Delta wing">delta-winged</a> <a href="/wiki/Space_Shuttle_orbiter" title="Space Shuttle orbiter">Space Shuttle orbiter</a> glided during its descent phase. Many gliders adopt similar control surfaces and instruments as airplanes. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Types_2">Types</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Types"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><span><video id="mwe_player_0" poster="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv/325px--Glider2010-overgunma.ogv.jpg" controls="" preload="none" data-mw-tmh="" class="mw-file-element" width="325" height="183" data-durationhint="21" data-mwtitle="Glider2010-overgunma.ogv" data-mwprovider="wikimediacommons" resource="/wiki/File:Glider2010-overgunma.ogv"><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/37/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv.480p.vp9.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp9, opus"" data-transcodekey="480p.vp9.webm" data-width="854" data-height="480" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/37/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv.720p.vp9.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp9, opus"" data-transcodekey="720p.vp9.webm" data-width="1280" data-height="720" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv" type="video/ogg; codecs="theora"" data-width="1280" data-height="720" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/37/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv.144p.mjpeg.mov" type="video/quicktime" data-transcodekey="144p.mjpeg.mov" data-width="256" data-height="144" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/37/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv.240p.vp9.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp9, opus"" data-transcodekey="240p.vp9.webm" data-width="426" data-height="240" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/37/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv.360p.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp8, vorbis"" data-transcodekey="360p.webm" data-width="640" data-height="360" /><source src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/37/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv/Glider2010-overgunma.ogv.360p.vp9.webm" type="video/webm; codecs="vp9, opus"" data-transcodekey="360p.vp9.webm" data-width="640" data-height="360" /></video></span><figcaption>Video clip of a glider sailing over <a href="/wiki/Gunma_Prefecture" title="Gunma Prefecture">Gunma Prefecture, Japan</a></figcaption></figure> <p>The main application of modern glider aircraft is sport and recreation. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Sailplane">Sailplane</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Sailplane"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Glider_(sailplane)" title="Glider (sailplane)">Glider (sailplane)</a></div> <p>Gliders were developed in the 1920s for recreational purposes. As pilots began to understand how to use rising air, <a href="/wiki/Sailplane" class="mw-redirect" title="Sailplane">sailplane</a> gliders were developed with a high <a href="/wiki/Lift-to-drag_ratio" title="Lift-to-drag ratio">lift-to-drag ratio</a>. These allowed the craft to glide to the next source of "<a href="/wiki/Lift_(soaring)" title="Lift (soaring)">lift</a>", increasing their range. This gave rise to the popular sport of <a href="/wiki/Gliding" title="Gliding">gliding</a>. </p><p>Early gliders were built mainly of wood and metal, later replaced by composite materials incorporating glass, carbon or <a href="/wiki/Aramid" title="Aramid">aramid</a> fibers. To minimize <a href="/wiki/Drag_(force)" class="mw-redirect" title="Drag (force)">drag</a>, these types have a streamlined <a href="/wiki/Fuselage" title="Fuselage">fuselage</a> and long narrow wings incorporating a <a href="/wiki/Wing_configuration#Aspect_ratio" title="Wing configuration">high aspect ratio</a>. Single-seat and two-seat gliders are available. </p><p>Initially, training was done by short "hops" in <a href="/wiki/Primary_glider" title="Primary glider">primary gliders</a>, which have no <a href="/wiki/Cockpit_(aviation)" class="mw-redirect" title="Cockpit (aviation)">cockpit</a> and minimal instruments.<sup id="cite_ref-Schweizer_29-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Schweizer-29"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>29<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Since shortly after World War II, training is done in two-seat dual control gliders, but high-performance two-seaters can make long flights. Originally skids were used for landing, later replaced by wheels, often retractable. Gliders known as <a href="/wiki/Motor_glider" title="Motor glider">motor gliders</a> are designed for unpowered flight, but can deploy <a href="/wiki/Piston_engine" class="mw-redirect" title="Piston engine">piston</a>, <a href="/wiki/Rotary_engine" title="Rotary engine">rotary</a>, <a href="/wiki/Jet_engine" title="Jet engine">jet</a> or <a href="/wiki/Electric_motor" title="Electric motor">electric engines</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-definition_30-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-definition-30"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>30<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Gliders are classified by the <a href="/wiki/F%C3%A9d%C3%A9ration_A%C3%A9ronautique_Internationale" title="Fédération Aéronautique Internationale">FAI</a> for competitions into <a href="/wiki/Glider_competition_classes" title="Glider competition classes">glider competition classes</a> mainly on the basis of wingspan and flaps. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Goatglider.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Goatglider.jpg/220px-Goatglider.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="140" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Goatglider.jpg/330px-Goatglider.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Goatglider.jpg/440px-Goatglider.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="510" /></a><figcaption>Ultralight "airchair" <a href="/wiki/Sandlin_Goat" title="Sandlin Goat">Goat 1 glider</a></figcaption></figure> <p>A class of ultralight sailplanes, including some known as <a href="/wiki/Microlift_glider" title="Microlift glider">microlift gliders</a> and some known as airchairs, has been defined by the FAI based on weight. They are light enough to be transported easily, and can be flown without licensing in some countries. Ultralight gliders have performance similar to <a href="/wiki/Hang_gliding" title="Hang gliding">hang gliders</a>, but offer some crash safety as the pilot can strap into an upright seat within a deform-able structure. Landing is usually on one or two wheels which distinguishes these craft from hang gliders. Most are built by individual designers and hobbyists. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Military_gliders">Military gliders</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Military gliders"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Waco_CG-4A_USAF.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Waco_CG-4A_USAF.JPG/220px-Waco_CG-4A_USAF.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="164" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Waco_CG-4A_USAF.JPG/330px-Waco_CG-4A_USAF.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Waco_CG-4A_USAF.JPG/440px-Waco_CG-4A_USAF.JPG 2x" data-file-width="1800" data-file-height="1338" /></a><figcaption>A 1943 <a href="/wiki/USAAF" class="mw-redirect" title="USAAF">USAAF</a> <a href="/wiki/Waco_CG-4" title="Waco CG-4">Waco CG-4</a>A</figcaption></figure> <p><a href="/wiki/Military_gliders" class="mw-redirect" title="Military gliders">Military gliders</a> were used during World War II for carrying troops (<a href="/wiki/Glider_infantry" title="Glider infantry">glider infantry</a>) and heavy equipment to combat zones. The gliders were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by transport planes, e.g. <a href="/wiki/C-47_Dakota" class="mw-redirect" title="C-47 Dakota">C-47 Dakota</a>, or by one-time bombers that had been relegated to secondary activities, e.g. <a href="/wiki/Short_Stirling" title="Short Stirling">Short Stirling</a>. The advantage over paratroopers were that heavy equipment could be landed and that troops were quickly assembled rather than dispersed over a <a href="/wiki/Parachute" title="Parachute">parachute</a> <a href="/wiki/Drop_zone" title="Drop zone">drop zone</a>. The gliders were treated as disposable, constructed from inexpensive materials such as wood, though a few were re-used. By the time of the <a href="/wiki/Korean_War" title="Korean War">Korean War</a>, transport aircraft had become larger and more efficient so that even light tanks could be dropped by parachute, obsoleting gliders. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Research_gliders">Research gliders</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: Research gliders"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Even after the development of powered aircraft, gliders continued to be used for <a href="/wiki/Aviation_research" class="mw-redirect" title="Aviation research">aviation research</a>. The <a href="/wiki/NASA_Paresev" title="NASA Paresev">NASA Paresev Rogallo flexible wing</a> was developed to investigate alternative methods of recovering spacecraft. Although this application was abandoned, publicity inspired hobbyists to adapt the flexible-wing <a href="/wiki/Airfoil" title="Airfoil">airfoil</a> for hang gliders. </p><p>Initial research into many types of fixed-wing craft, including <a href="/wiki/Flying_wing" title="Flying wing">flying wings</a> and <a href="/wiki/Lifting_body" title="Lifting body">lifting bodies</a> was also carried out using unpowered prototypes. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Hang_glider">Hang glider</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: Hang glider"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Hang_gliding_hyner.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Hang_gliding_hyner.jpg/220px-Hang_gliding_hyner.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Hang_gliding_hyner.jpg/330px-Hang_gliding_hyner.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Hang_gliding_hyner.jpg/440px-Hang_gliding_hyner.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="768" /></a><figcaption>Hang gliding</figcaption></figure> <p>A <a href="/wiki/Hang_glider" class="mw-redirect" title="Hang glider">hang glider</a> is a <a href="/wiki/Glider_aircraft" class="mw-redirect" title="Glider aircraft">glider aircraft</a> in which the pilot is suspended in a harness suspended from the <a href="/wiki/Airframe" title="Airframe">air frame</a>, and exercises control by shifting body weight in opposition to a control frame. Hang gliders are typically made of an <a href="/wiki/Aluminium_alloy" title="Aluminium alloy">aluminum alloy</a> or <a href="/wiki/Composite_material" title="Composite material">composite</a>-framed fabric wing. Pilots can <a href="/wiki/Lift_(soaring)" title="Lift (soaring)">soar</a> for hours, gain thousands of meters of altitude in <a href="/wiki/Thermal" title="Thermal">thermal</a> updrafts, perform aerobatics, and glide cross-country for hundreds of kilometers. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Paraglider">Paraglider</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=20" title="Edit section: Paraglider"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A <a href="/wiki/Paraglider" class="mw-redirect" title="Paraglider">paraglider</a> is a lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider with no rigid body.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-31"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>31<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The pilot is suspended in a <a href="/wiki/Safety_harness" title="Safety harness">harness</a> below a hollow fabric wing whose shape is formed by its suspension lines. Air entering vents in the front of the wing and the aerodynamic forces of the air flowing over the outside power the craft. Paragliding is most often a recreational activity. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Unmanned_gliders">Unmanned gliders</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=21" title="Edit section: Unmanned gliders"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A <a href="/wiki/Paper_airplane" class="mw-redirect" title="Paper airplane">paper plane</a> is a toy aircraft (usually a glider) made out of paper or paperboard. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Model_glider" class="mw-redirect" title="Model glider">Model glider aircraft</a> are models of aircraft using lightweight materials such as <a href="/wiki/Polystyrene" title="Polystyrene">polystyrene</a> and <a href="/wiki/Balsa_wood" class="mw-redirect" title="Balsa wood">balsa wood</a>. Designs range from simple glider aircraft to accurate <a href="/wiki/Scale_model" title="Scale model">scale models</a>, some of which can be very large. </p><p><a href="/wiki/Glide_bomb" title="Glide bomb">Glide bombs</a> are bombs with aerodynamic surfaces to allow a gliding flight path rather than a ballistic one. This enables stand-off aircraft to attack a target from a distance. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Kite">Kite</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=22" title="Edit section: Kite"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Chinese_Kite.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Chinese_Kite.jpg/220px-Chinese_Kite.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Chinese_Kite.jpg/330px-Chinese_Kite.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Chinese_Kite.jpg/440px-Chinese_Kite.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2288" data-file-height="1712" /></a><figcaption>A <a href="/wiki/Kite" title="Kite">kite</a> in flight</figcaption></figure><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1251242444"><table class="box-Unreferenced_section plainlinks metadata ambox ambox-content ambox-Unreferenced" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td class="mbox-image"><div class="mbox-image-div"><span typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg" class="mw-file-description"><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/50px-Question_book-new.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="39" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/75px-Question_book-new.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/100px-Question_book-new.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="399" /></a></span></div></td><td class="mbox-text"><div class="mbox-text-span">This section <b>does not <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources" title="Wikipedia:Citing sources">cite</a> any <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">sources</a></b>.<span class="hide-when-compact"> Please help <a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Fixed-wing_aircraft" title="Special:EditPage/Fixed-wing aircraft">improve this section</a> by <a href="/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners" title="Help:Referencing for beginners">adding citations to reliable sources</a>. Unsourced material may be challenged and <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Burden_of_evidence" title="Wikipedia:Verifiability">removed</a>.</span> <span class="date-container"><i>(<span class="date">May 2024</span>)</i></span><span class="hide-when-compact"><i> (<small><a href="/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal" title="Help:Maintenance template removal">Learn how and when to remove this message</a></small>)</i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Kite" title="Kite">Kite</a></div><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Rotor_kite" title="Rotor kite">Rotor kite</a></div> <p>A kite is a tethered aircraft held aloft by wind that blows over its wing(s).<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>32<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> High pressure below the wing deflects the airflow downwards. This deflection generates horizontal <a href="/wiki/Drag_(physics)" title="Drag (physics)">drag</a> in the direction of the wind. The resultant force vector from the lift and drag force components is opposed by the tension of the <a href="/wiki/Tether" title="Tether">tether</a>. </p><p>Kites are mostly flown for recreational purposes, but have many other uses. Early pioneers such as the <a href="/wiki/Wright_Brothers" class="mw-redirect" title="Wright Brothers">Wright Brothers</a> and <a href="/wiki/J.W._Dunne" class="mw-redirect" title="J.W. Dunne">J.W. Dunne</a> sometimes flew an aircraft as a kite in order to confirm its flight characteristics, before adding an engine and flight controls. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Applications">Applications</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=23" title="Edit section: Applications"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Chinese_dragon_kite_(Berkeley,_California_-_2000).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Chinese_dragon_kite_%28Berkeley%2C_California_-_2000%29.jpg/220px-Chinese_dragon_kite_%28Berkeley%2C_California_-_2000%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="164" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Chinese_dragon_kite_%28Berkeley%2C_California_-_2000%29.jpg/330px-Chinese_dragon_kite_%28Berkeley%2C_California_-_2000%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Chinese_dragon_kite_%28Berkeley%2C_California_-_2000%29.jpg/440px-Chinese_dragon_kite_%28Berkeley%2C_California_-_2000%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="500" data-file-height="373" /></a><figcaption>Chinese dragon kite more than one hundred feet long which flew in the <a href="/wiki/Berkeley,_California" title="Berkeley, California">Berkeley, California</a>, kite festival in 2000</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Military">Military</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=24" title="Edit section: Military"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Kites have been used for signaling, for delivery of <a href="/wiki/Munition" class="mw-redirect" title="Munition">munitions</a>, and for <a href="/wiki/Observation" title="Observation">observation</a>, by lifting an observer above the field of battle, and by using <a href="/wiki/Kite_aerial_photography" title="Kite aerial photography">kite aerial photography</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Science_and_meteorology">Science and meteorology</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=25" title="Edit section: Science and meteorology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Kites have been used for scientific purposes, such as <a href="/wiki/Benjamin_Franklin" title="Benjamin Franklin">Benjamin Franklin</a>'s famous experiment proving that <a href="/wiki/Lightning" title="Lightning">lightning</a> is <a href="/wiki/Electricity" title="Electricity">electricity</a>. Kites were the precursors to the traditional <a href="/wiki/Aircraft" title="Aircraft">aircraft</a>, and were instrumental in the development of early flying craft. <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Graham_Bell" title="Alexander Graham Bell">Alexander Graham Bell</a> experimented with large <a href="/wiki/Man-lifting_kite" title="Man-lifting kite">man-lifting kites</a>, as did the <a href="/wiki/Wright_brothers" title="Wright brothers">Wright brothers</a> and <a href="/wiki/Lawrence_Hargrave" title="Lawrence Hargrave">Lawrence Hargrave</a>. Kites had a historical role in lifting scientific instruments to measure atmospheric conditions for <a href="/wiki/Weather_forecasting" title="Weather forecasting">weather forecasting</a>. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Radio_aerials_and_light_beacons">Radio aerials and light beacons</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=26" title="Edit section: Radio aerials and light beacons"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Kites can be used to carry radio antennas. This method was used for the reception station of the first transatlantic transmission by <a href="/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi" title="Guglielmo Marconi">Marconi</a>. <a href="/wiki/Moored_balloon" class="mw-redirect" title="Moored balloon">Captive balloons</a> may be more convenient for such experiments, because kite-carried antennas require strong wind, which may be not always available with heavy equipment and a ground conductor. </p><p>Kites can be used to carry light sources such as light sticks or battery-powered lights. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Kite_traction">Kite traction</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=27" title="Edit section: Kite traction"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Kite333.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Kite333.JPG/220px-Kite333.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Kite333.JPG/330px-Kite333.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Kite333.JPG/440px-Kite333.JPG 2x" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="480" /></a><figcaption>A quad-line traction kite, commonly used as a power source for <a href="/wiki/Kite_surfing" class="mw-redirect" title="Kite surfing">kite surfing</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Kites can be used to pull people and vehicles downwind. Efficient <a href="/wiki/Foil_kite" title="Foil kite">foil-type kites</a> such as <a href="/wiki/Power_kite" title="Power kite">power kites</a> can also be used to sail upwind under the same principles as used by other sailing craft, provided that lateral forces on the ground or in the water are redirected as with the keels, center boards, wheels and ice blades of traditional sailing craft. In the last two decades, <a href="/wiki/Kiteboarding" title="Kiteboarding">kite sailing</a> sports have become popular, such as <a href="/wiki/Kite_buggy" title="Kite buggy">kite buggying</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kite_landboarding" title="Kite landboarding">kite landboarding</a>, <a href="/wiki/Kiteboating" title="Kiteboating">kite boating</a> and kite surfing. <a href="/wiki/Snowkiting" title="Snowkiting">Snow kiting</a> is also popular. </p><p>Kite sailing opens several possibilities not available in traditional sailing: </p> <ul><li>Wind speeds are greater at higher altitudes</li> <li>Kites may be maneuvered dynamically, which dramatically increases the available force</li> <li>Mechanical structures are not needed to withstand bending forces; vehicles/hulls can be light or eliminated.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Power_generation">Power generation</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=28" title="Edit section: Power generation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">See also: <a href="/wiki/Laddermill" title="Laddermill">Laddermill</a> and <a href="/wiki/High_altitude_wind_power" class="mw-redirect" title="High altitude wind power">High altitude wind power</a></div> <p>Research and development projects investigate kites for harnessing high altitude wind currents for electricity generation.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>33<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading5"><h5 id="Cultural_uses">Cultural uses</h5><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=29" title="Edit section: Cultural uses"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Kite festivals are a popular form of entertainment throughout the world. They include local events, traditional festivals and major international festivals. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Designs">Designs</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=30" title="Edit section: Designs"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Stringoperamaskkite.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/Stringoperamaskkite.JPG/220px-Stringoperamaskkite.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="164" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/Stringoperamaskkite.JPG/330px-Stringoperamaskkite.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3c/Stringoperamaskkite.JPG/440px-Stringoperamaskkite.JPG 2x" data-file-width="2848" data-file-height="2128" /></a><figcaption>Train of connected kites</figcaption></figure> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bermuda_kite" title="Bermuda kite">Bermuda kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bowed_kite" title="Bowed kite">Bowed kite</a>, e.g. <a href="/wiki/Rokkaku_dako" title="Rokkaku dako">Rokkaku</a></li> <li>Cellular or <a href="/wiki/Box_kite" title="Box kite">box kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chapi-chapi" title="Chapi-chapi">Chapi-chapi</a></li> <li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Delta_kite&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Delta kite (page does not exist)">Delta kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Foil_kite" title="Foil kite">Foil</a>, <a href="/wiki/Parafoil" title="Parafoil">parafoil</a> or <a href="/wiki/Bow_kite" title="Bow kite">bow kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Malay_kite" title="Malay kite">Malay kite</a> see also <a href="/wiki/Wau_bulan" title="Wau bulan">wau bulan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tetrahedral_kite" title="Tetrahedral kite">Tetrahedral kite</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Types_3">Types</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=31" title="Edit section: Types"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Kite_types" title="Kite types">Kite types</a></div> <ul><li><a href="/w/index.php?title=Expanded_polystyrene_kite&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Expanded polystyrene kite (page does not exist)">Expanded polystyrene kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fighter_kite" title="Fighter kite">Fighter kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Indoor_kite" title="Indoor kite">Indoor kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Inflatable_single-line_kite" title="Inflatable single-line kite">Inflatable single-line kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Kytoon" title="Kytoon">Kytoon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Man-lifting_kite" title="Man-lifting kite">Man-lifting kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rogallo_wing" title="Rogallo wing">Rogallo parawing kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sport_kite" title="Sport kite">Stunt (sport) kite</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paravane_(water_kite)" title="Paravane (water kite)">Water kite</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Characteristics">Characteristics</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=32" title="Edit section: Characteristics"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:IAI_Heron_1_in_flight_2.JPEG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/IAI_Heron_1_in_flight_2.JPEG/220px-IAI_Heron_1_in_flight_2.JPEG" decoding="async" width="220" height="117" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/IAI_Heron_1_in_flight_2.JPEG/330px-IAI_Heron_1_in_flight_2.JPEG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/IAI_Heron_1_in_flight_2.JPEG/440px-IAI_Heron_1_in_flight_2.JPEG 2x" data-file-width="2296" data-file-height="1224" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/IAI_Heron" title="IAI Heron">IAI Heron</a> is an <a href="/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle" title="Unmanned aerial vehicle">unmanned aerial vehicle</a> (UAV) with a <a href="/wiki/Twin-boom" class="mw-redirect" title="Twin-boom">twin-boom</a> configuration</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Air_frame">Air frame</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=33" title="Edit section: Air frame"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Airframe" title="Airframe">Airframe</a></div> <p>The structural element of a fixed-wing aircraft is the air frame. It varies according to the aircraft's type, purpose, and technology. Early airframes were made of wood with fabric wing surfaces, When engines became available for powered flight, their mounts were made of metal. As speeds increased metal became more common until by the end of World War II, all-metal (and glass) aircraft were common. In modern times, <a href="/wiki/Composite_material" title="Composite material">composite materials</a> became more common. </p><p>Typical structural elements include: </p> <ul><li>One or more mostly horizontal wings, often with an <a href="/wiki/Airfoil" title="Airfoil">airfoil</a> cross-section. The wing deflects air downward as the aircraft moves forward, generating <a href="/wiki/Lift_(force)" title="Lift (force)">lifting force</a> to support it in flight. The wing also provides lateral stability to stop the aircraft level in steady flight. Other roles are to hold the fuel and mount the engines.</li></ul> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Antonov_225_(2010).jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Antonov_225_%282010%29.jpg/220px-Antonov_225_%282010%29.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="54" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Antonov_225_%282010%29.jpg/330px-Antonov_225_%282010%29.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Antonov_225_%282010%29.jpg/440px-Antonov_225_%282010%29.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2855" data-file-height="705" /></a><figcaption>The <a href="/wiki/An-225_Mriya" class="mw-redirect" title="An-225 Mriya">An-225 Mriya</a>, which was the largest airplane in the world, could carry a 250-tonne payload, had two vertical stabilizers.</figcaption></figure> <ul><li>A <a href="/wiki/Fuselage" title="Fuselage">fuselage</a>, typically a long, thin body, usually with tapered or rounded ends to make its shape <a href="/wiki/Aerodynamically" class="mw-redirect" title="Aerodynamically">aerodynamically</a> slippery. The fuselage joins the other parts of the air frame and contains the payload, and flight systems.</li> <li>A <a href="/wiki/Vertical_stabilizer" title="Vertical stabilizer">vertical stabilizer</a> or fin is a rigid surface mounted at the rear of the plane and typically protruding above it. The fin stabilizes the plane's <a href="/wiki/Flight_dynamics_(aircraft)" class="mw-redirect" title="Flight dynamics (aircraft)">yaw</a> (turn left or right) and mounts the <a href="/wiki/Rudder" title="Rudder">rudder</a> which controls its rotation along that axis.</li> <li>A <a href="/wiki/Horizontal_stabilizer" class="mw-redirect" title="Horizontal stabilizer">horizontal stabilizer</a>, usually mounted at the tail near the vertical stabilizer. The horizontal stabilizer is used to stabilize the plane's <a href="/wiki/Flight_dynamics_(aircraft)" class="mw-redirect" title="Flight dynamics (aircraft)">pitch</a> (tilt up or down) and mounts the <a href="/wiki/Elevator_(aircraft)" class="mw-redirect" title="Elevator (aircraft)">elevators</a> that provide pitch control.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Landing_gear" title="Landing gear">Landing gear</a>, a set of wheels, skids, or floats that support the plane while it is not in flight. On seaplanes, the bottom of the fuselage or floats (pontoons) support it while on the water. On some planes, the landing gear retracts during the flight to reduce drag.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Wings">Wings</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=34" title="Edit section: Wings"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The wings of a fixed-wing aircraft are static planes extending to either side of the aircraft. When the aircraft travels forwards, air flows over the wings that are shaped to create lift. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Structure">Structure</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=35" title="Edit section: Structure"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Kites and some lightweight gliders and airplanes have flexible wing surfaces that are stretched across a frame and made rigid by the lift forces exerted by the airflow over them. Larger aircraft have rigid wing surfaces. </p><p>Whether flexible or rigid, most wings have a strong frame to give them shape and to transfer lift from the wing surface to the rest of the aircraft. The main structural elements are one or more spars running from root to tip, and ribs running from the leading (front) to the trailing (rear) edge. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Wing_Components.png" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Wing_Components.png/220px-Wing_Components.png" decoding="async" width="220" height="125" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Wing_Components.png/330px-Wing_Components.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Wing_Components.png/440px-Wing_Components.png 2x" data-file-width="2488" data-file-height="1408" /></a><figcaption>Major components of a rigid wing.</figcaption></figure> <p>Early airplane engines had little power and light weight was critical. Also, early airfoil sections were thin, and could not support a strong frame. Until the 1930s, most wings were so fragile that external bracing struts and wires were added. As engine power increased, wings could be made heavy and strong enough that bracing was unnecessary. Such an unbraced wing is called a <a href="/wiki/Cantilever" title="Cantilever">cantilever</a> wing. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Configuration">Configuration</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=36" title="Edit section: Configuration"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main articles: <a href="/wiki/Wing_configuration" title="Wing configuration">Wing configuration</a> and <a href="/wiki/Wing" title="Wing">Wing</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Morane-Saulnier_Type_L_-_Captured_with_german_insigna.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Morane-Saulnier_Type_L_-_Captured_with_german_insigna.jpg/220px-Morane-Saulnier_Type_L_-_Captured_with_german_insigna.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="122" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Morane-Saulnier_Type_L_-_Captured_with_german_insigna.jpg/330px-Morane-Saulnier_Type_L_-_Captured_with_german_insigna.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Morane-Saulnier_Type_L_-_Captured_with_german_insigna.jpg/440px-Morane-Saulnier_Type_L_-_Captured_with_german_insigna.jpg 2x" data-file-width="600" data-file-height="334" /></a><figcaption>Captured <a href="/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_L" title="Morane-Saulnier L">Morane-Saulnier L</a> wire-braced parasol monoplane</figcaption></figure> <p>The number and shape of wings vary widely. Some designs blend the wing with the fuselage, while left and right wings separated by the fuselage are more common. </p><p>Occasionally more wings have been used, such as the three-winged <a href="/wiki/Triplane" title="Triplane">triplane</a> from World War I. Four-winged <a href="/wiki/Quadruplane" class="mw-redirect" title="Quadruplane">quadruplanes</a> and other <a href="/wiki/Multiplane_(aeronautics)" title="Multiplane (aeronautics)">multiplane</a> designs have had little success. </p><p>Most planes are <a href="/wiki/Monoplane" title="Monoplane">monoplanes</a>, with one or two parallel wings. <a href="/wiki/Biplane" title="Biplane">Biplanes</a> and <a href="/wiki/Triplane" title="Triplane">triplanes</a> stack one wing above the other. <a href="/wiki/Tandem_wing" title="Tandem wing">Tandem wings</a> place one wing behind the other, possibly joined at the tips. When the available engine power increased during the 1920s and 1930s and bracing was no longer needed, the unbraced or cantilever monoplane became the most common form. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Planform_(aeronautics)" class="mw-redirect" title="Planform (aeronautics)">planform</a> is the shape when seen from above/below. To be aerodynamically efficient, wings are straight with a long span, but a short chord (high <a href="/wiki/Aspect_ratio" title="Aspect ratio">aspect ratio</a>). To be structurally efficient, and hence lightweight, wingspan must be as small as possible, but offer enough area to provide lift. </p><p>To travel at <a href="/wiki/Transonic" title="Transonic">transonic</a> speeds, variable geometry wings change orientation, angling backward to reduce drag from supersonic shock waves. The <a href="/wiki/Variable_sweep_wing" class="mw-redirect" title="Variable sweep wing">variable-sweep wing</a> transforms between an efficient straight configuration for <a href="/wiki/Takeoff_and_landing" title="Takeoff and landing">takeoff and landing</a>, to a low-drag swept configuration for high-speed flight. Other forms of variable planform have been flown, but none have gone beyond the research stage. The <a href="/wiki/Swept_wing" title="Swept wing">swept wing</a> is a straight wing swept backward or forwards. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Dassault_Mirage_G8.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Dassault_Mirage_G8.jpg/220px-Dassault_Mirage_G8.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="157" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Dassault_Mirage_G8.jpg/330px-Dassault_Mirage_G8.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Dassault_Mirage_G8.jpg/440px-Dassault_Mirage_G8.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="571" /></a><figcaption>Two <a href="/wiki/Dassault_Mirage_G" title="Dassault Mirage G">Dassault Mirage G</a> prototypes, one with wings swept (top)</figcaption></figure> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Delta_wing" title="Delta wing">delta wing</a> is a triangular shape that serves various purposes. As a flexible <a href="/wiki/Rogallo_wing" title="Rogallo wing">Rogallo wing</a>, it allows a stable shape under aerodynamic forces, and is often used for kites and other ultralight craft. It is supersonic capable, combining high strength with low drag. </p><p>Wings are typically hollow, also serving as fuel tanks. They are equipped with <a href="/wiki/Flap_(aeronautics)" title="Flap (aeronautics)">flaps</a>, which allow the wing to increase/decrease drag/lift, for take-off and landing, and acting in opposition, to change direction. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Fuselage">Fuselage</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=37" title="Edit section: Fuselage"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Fuselage" title="Fuselage">Fuselage</a></div> <p>The fuselage is typically long and thin, usually with tapered or rounded ends to make its shape <a href="/wiki/Aerodynamically" class="mw-redirect" title="Aerodynamically">aerodynamically</a> smooth. Most fixed-wing aircraft have a single fuselage. Others may have multiple fuselages, or the fuselage may be fitted with booms on either side of the tail to allow the extreme rear of the fuselage to be utilized. </p><p>The fuselage typically carries the <a href="/wiki/Flight_crew" class="mw-redirect" title="Flight crew">flight crew</a>, passengers, cargo, and sometimes fuel and engine(s). <a href="/wiki/Glider_(aircraft)" title="Glider (aircraft)">Gliders</a> typically omit fuel and engines, although some variations such as <a href="/wiki/Motor_glider" title="Motor glider">motor gliders</a> and <a href="/wiki/Rocket_glider" class="mw-redirect" title="Rocket glider">rocket gliders</a> have them for temporary or optional use. </p><p>Pilots of manned commercial fixed-wing aircraft control them from inside a <a href="/wiki/Cockpit_(aviation)" class="mw-redirect" title="Cockpit (aviation)">cockpit</a> within the fuselage, typically located at the front/top, equipped with controls, windows, and instruments, separated from passengers by a secure door. In small aircraft, the passengers typically sit behind the pilot(s) in the cabin, Occasionally, a passenger may sit beside or in front of the pilot. Larger <a href="/wiki/Airliner" title="Airliner">passenger aircraft</a> have a separate passenger cabin or occasionally cabins that are physically separated from the cockpit. </p><p>Aircraft often have two or more pilots, with one in overall command (the "pilot") and one or more "co-pilots". On larger aircraft a <a href="/wiki/Navigator" title="Navigator">navigator</a> is typically also seated in the cockpit as well. Some military or specialized aircraft may have other flight crew members in the cockpit as well. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Wings_vs._bodies">Wings vs. bodies</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=38" title="Edit section: Wings vs. bodies"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Flying_wing">Flying wing</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=39" title="Edit section: Flying wing"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Flying_wing" title="Flying wing">Flying wing</a></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:USAF_B-2_Spirit.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/USAF_B-2_Spirit.jpg/220px-USAF_B-2_Spirit.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="215" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/USAF_B-2_Spirit.jpg/330px-USAF_B-2_Spirit.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/USAF_B-2_Spirit.jpg/440px-USAF_B-2_Spirit.jpg 2x" data-file-width="711" data-file-height="695" /></a><figcaption>The US-produced <a href="/wiki/B-2_Spirit" class="mw-redirect" title="B-2 Spirit">B-2 Spirit</a>, a <a href="/wiki/Strategic_bomber" title="Strategic bomber">strategic bomber</a> capable of intercontinental missions, has a flying wing configuration</figcaption></figure> <p>A flying wing is a <a href="/wiki/Tailless_aircraft" title="Tailless aircraft">tailless aircraft</a> that has no distinct <a href="/wiki/Fuselage" title="Fuselage">fuselage</a>, housing the crew, payload, and equipment inside.<sup id="cite_ref-Crane_34-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Crane-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page / location: 224">: 224 </span></sup> </p><p>The flying wing configuration was studied extensively in the 1930s and 1940s, notably by <a href="/wiki/Jack_Northrop" title="Jack Northrop">Jack Northrop</a> and <a href="/wiki/Cheston_L._Eshelman" class="mw-redirect" title="Cheston L. Eshelman">Cheston L. Eshelman</a> in the United States, and <a href="/wiki/Alexander_Lippisch" title="Alexander Lippisch">Alexander Lippisch</a> and the <a href="/wiki/Horten_brothers" title="Horten brothers">Horten brothers</a> in Germany. After the war, numerous experimental designs were based on the flying wing concept. General interest continued into the 1950s, but designs did not offer a great advantage in range and presented technical problems. The flying wing is most practical for designs in the slow-to-medium speed range, and drew continual interest as a tactical <a href="/wiki/Airlift" title="Airlift">airlifter</a> design. </p><p>Interest in flying wings reemerged in the 1980s due to their potentially low <a href="/wiki/Radar_cross_section" title="Radar cross section">radar cross-sections</a>. <a href="/wiki/Stealth_technology" title="Stealth technology">Stealth technology</a> relies on shapes that reflect radar waves only in certain directions, thus making it harder to detect. This approach eventually led to the Northrop <a href="/wiki/B-2_Spirit" class="mw-redirect" title="B-2 Spirit">B-2 Spirit</a> <a href="/wiki/Stealth_aircraft" title="Stealth aircraft">stealth</a> bomber (pictured). The flying wing's aerodynamics are not the primary concern. Computer-controlled <a href="/wiki/Fly-by-wire" title="Fly-by-wire">fly-by-wire</a> systems compensated for many of the aerodynamic drawbacks, enabling an efficient and stable long-range aircraft. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Blended_wing_body">Blended wing body</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=40" title="Edit section: Blended wing body"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Blended_wing" class="mw-redirect" title="Blended wing">Blended wing</a></div> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:NASA_BWB.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/NASA_BWB.jpg/300px-NASA_BWB.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="136" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/NASA_BWB.jpg/450px-NASA_BWB.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/NASA_BWB.jpg/600px-NASA_BWB.jpg 2x" data-file-width="795" data-file-height="361" /></a><figcaption>Computer-generated model of the <a href="/wiki/Boeing_X-48" title="Boeing X-48">Boeing X-48</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Blended wing body aircraft have a flattened airfoil-shaped body, which produces most of the lift to keep itself aloft, and distinct and separate wing structures, though the wings are blended with the body. </p><p>Blended wing bodied aircraft incorporate design features from both fuselage and flying wing designs. The purported advantages of the blended wing body approach are efficient, high-lift wings and a wide, <a href="/wiki/Airfoil" title="Airfoil">airfoil</a>-shaped body. This enables the entire craft to contribute to <a href="/wiki/Lift_(force)" title="Lift (force)">lift</a> generation with potentially increased fuel economy. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Lifting_body">Lifting body</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=41" title="Edit section: Lifting body"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:X24.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/X24.jpg/220px-X24.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="172" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/X24.jpg/330px-X24.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/61/X24.jpg/440px-X24.jpg 2x" data-file-width="3000" data-file-height="2347" /></a><figcaption>The Martin Aircraft Company <a href="/wiki/Martin-Marietta_X-24" class="mw-redirect" title="Martin-Marietta X-24">X-24</a> was built as part of a 1963–1975 experimental US military program</figcaption></figure> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Lifting_body" title="Lifting body">Lifting body</a></div> <p>A lifting body is a configuration in which the body produces <a href="/wiki/Lift_(force)" title="Lift (force)">lift</a>. In contrast to a <a href="/wiki/Flying_wing" title="Flying wing">flying wing</a>, which is a wing with minimal or no conventional <a href="/wiki/Fuselage" title="Fuselage">fuselage</a>, a lifting body can be thought of as a fuselage with little or no conventional wing. Whereas a flying wing seeks to maximize cruise efficiency at <a href="/wiki/Subsonic_flight" class="mw-redirect" title="Subsonic flight">subsonic</a> speeds by eliminating non-lifting surfaces, lifting bodies generally minimize the drag and structure of a wing for subsonic, <a href="/wiki/Supersonic" class="mw-redirect" title="Supersonic">supersonic</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Hypersonic" class="mw-redirect" title="Hypersonic">hypersonic</a> flight, or, <a href="/wiki/Spacecraft" title="Spacecraft">spacecraft</a> <a href="/wiki/Re-entry" class="mw-redirect" title="Re-entry">re-entry</a>. All of these flight regimes pose challenges for flight stability. </p><p>Lifting bodies were a major area of research in the 1960s and 1970s as a means to build small and lightweight manned spacecraft. The US built lifting body rocket planes to test the concept, as well as several rocket-launched re-entry vehicles. Interest waned as the <a href="/wiki/US_Air_Force" class="mw-redirect" title="US Air Force">US Air Force</a> lost interest in the manned mission, and major development ended during the <a href="/wiki/Space_Shuttle_design_process" title="Space Shuttle design process">Space Shuttle design process</a> when it became clear that highly shaped fuselages made it difficult to fit fuel tanks. </p> <div style="clear:both;" class=""></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Empennage_and_foreplane">Empennage and foreplane</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=42" title="Edit section: Empennage and foreplane"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main articles: <a href="/wiki/Empennage" title="Empennage">Empennage</a> and <a href="/wiki/Canard_(aeronautics)" title="Canard (aeronautics)">Canard (aeronautics)</a></div> <p>The classic airfoil section wing is unstable in flight. Flexible-wing planes often rely on an anchor line or the weight of a pilot hanging beneath to maintain the correct attitude. Some free-flying types use an adapted airfoil that is stable, or other mechanisms including electronic artificial stability. </p><p>In order to achieve trim, stability, and control, most fixed-wing types have an <a href="/wiki/Empennage" title="Empennage">empennage</a> comprising a fin and rudder that act horizontally, and a tailplane and elevator that act vertically. This is so common that it is known as the conventional layout. Sometimes two or more fins are spaced out along the tailplane. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:SaabViggen_Canards.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/SaabViggen_Canards.jpg/220px-SaabViggen_Canards.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/SaabViggen_Canards.jpg/330px-SaabViggen_Canards.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/SaabViggen_Canards.jpg/440px-SaabViggen_Canards.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="600" /></a><figcaption>Canards on the <a href="/wiki/Saab_Viggen" class="mw-redirect" title="Saab Viggen">Saab Viggen</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Some types have a horizontal "<a href="/wiki/Canard_(aeronautics)" title="Canard (aeronautics)">canard</a>" foreplane ahead of the main wing, instead of behind it.<sup id="cite_ref-Crane_34-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Crane-34"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>34<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page / location: 86">: 86 </span></sup><sup id="cite_ref-GroundUp_35-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-GroundUp-35"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>35<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-FAR1.1_36-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-FAR1.1-36"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>36<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> This foreplane may contribute to the trim, stability or control of the aircraft, or to several of these. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Aircraft_controls">Aircraft controls</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=43" title="Edit section: Aircraft controls"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Kite_control">Kite control</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=44" title="Edit section: Kite control"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Kites are controlled by one or more tethers. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading4"><h4 id="Free-flying_aircraft_controls">Free-flying aircraft controls</h4><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=45" title="Edit section: Free-flying aircraft controls"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236090951"><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable">Main article: <a href="/wiki/Aircraft_flight_control_system" title="Aircraft flight control system">Aircraft flight control system</a></div><p> Gliders and airplanes have sophisticated control systems, especially if they are piloted.</p><figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Pilotska_kabina_zrakoplova.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Pilotska_kabina_zrakoplova.JPG/220px-Pilotska_kabina_zrakoplova.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="165" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Pilotska_kabina_zrakoplova.JPG/330px-Pilotska_kabina_zrakoplova.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Pilotska_kabina_zrakoplova.JPG/440px-Pilotska_kabina_zrakoplova.JPG 2x" data-file-width="2048" data-file-height="1536" /></a><figcaption>Typical light aircraft (<a href="/wiki/Cessna_150" title="Cessna 150">Cessna 150</a>M) cockpit with control yokes</figcaption></figure> <p>The controls allow the pilot to direct the aircraft in the air and on the ground. Typically these are: </p> <ul><li>The <a href="/wiki/Yoke_(aircraft)" class="mw-redirect" title="Yoke (aircraft)">yoke</a> or <a href="/wiki/Joystick" title="Joystick">joystick</a> controls rotation of the plane about the pitch and roll axes. A <a href="/wiki/Yoke_(aircraft)" class="mw-redirect" title="Yoke (aircraft)">yoke</a> resembles a steering wheel. The pilot can pitch the plane down by pushing on the yoke or joystick, and pitch the plane up by pulling on it. Rolling the plane is accomplished by turning the yoke in the direction of the desired roll, or by tilting the joystick in that direction.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rudder" title="Rudder">Rudder</a> pedals control rotation of the plane about the yaw axis. Two pedals pivot so that when one is pressed forward the other moves backward, and vice versa. The pilot presses on the right rudder pedal to make the plane yaw to the right, and pushes on the left pedal to make it yaw to the left. The rudder is used mainly to balance the plane in turns, or to compensate for winds or other effects that push the plane about the yaw axis.</li> <li>On powered types, an engine stop control ("fuel cutoff", for example) and, usually, a <a href="/wiki/Throttle" title="Throttle">Throttle</a> or <a href="/wiki/Thrust_lever" title="Thrust lever">thrust lever</a> and other controls, such as a fuel-mixture control (to compensate for air density changes with altitude change).</li></ul> <p>Other common controls include: </p> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Flap_(aircraft)" class="mw-redirect" title="Flap (aircraft)">Flap</a> levers, which are used to control the deflection position of flaps on the wings.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spoiler_(aeronautics)" title="Spoiler (aeronautics)">Spoiler</a> levers, which are used to control the position of spoilers on the wings, and to arm their automatic deployment in planes designed to deploy them upon landing. The spoilers reduce lift for landing.</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Trim_tab" title="Trim tab">Trim</a> controls, which usually take the form of knobs or wheels and are used to adjust pitch, roll, or yaw trim. These are often connected to small airfoils on the trailing edge of the control surfaces and are called "trim tabs". Trim is used to reduce the amount of pressure on the control forces needed to maintain a steady course.</li> <li>On wheeled types, <a href="/wiki/Brake" title="Brake">brakes</a> are used to slow and stop the plane on the ground, and sometimes for turns on the ground.</li></ul> <p>A craft may have two pilot seats with dual controls, allowing two to take turns. </p><p>The control system may allow full or partial automation, such as an <a href="/wiki/Autopilot" title="Autopilot">autopilot</a>, a wing leveler, or a <a href="/wiki/Flight_management_system" title="Flight management system">flight management system</a>. An <a href="/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle" title="Unmanned aerial vehicle">unmanned aircraft</a> has no pilot and is controlled remotely or via gyroscopes, computers/sensors or other forms of autonomous control. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Cockpit_instrumentation">Cockpit instrumentation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=46" title="Edit section: Cockpit instrumentation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>On manned fixed-wing aircraft, instruments provide information to the pilots, including <a href="/wiki/Flight_instruments" title="Flight instruments">flight</a>, <a href="/wiki/Aircraft_engine" title="Aircraft engine">engines</a>, <a href="/wiki/Air_navigation" title="Air navigation">navigation</a>, <a href="/wiki/Aviation_communication" title="Aviation communication">communications</a>, and other aircraft systems that may be installed. </p> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Six_flight_instruments.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Six_flight_instruments.JPG/240px-Six_flight_instruments.JPG" decoding="async" width="240" height="148" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Six_flight_instruments.JPG/360px-Six_flight_instruments.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Six_flight_instruments.JPG/480px-Six_flight_instruments.JPG 2x" data-file-width="1503" data-file-height="927" /></a><figcaption>The six basic flight instruments.<br />Top row (left to right): airspeed indicator, attitude indicator, altimeter.<br />Bottom row (left to right): turn coordinator, heading indicator, vertical speed indicator.</figcaption></figure> <p>The six basic instruments, sometimes referred to as the six pack, are:<sup id="cite_ref-6pack_37-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6pack-37"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>37<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <ul><li>The <a href="/wiki/Airspeed_indicator" title="Airspeed indicator">airspeed indicator</a> (ASI) shows the speed at which the plane is moving through the air.</li> <li>The <a href="/wiki/Attitude_indicator" title="Attitude indicator">attitude indicator</a> (AI), sometimes called the artificial horizon, indicates the exact orientation of the aircraft about its <a href="/wiki/Aircraft_principal_axes" title="Aircraft principal axes">pitch and roll axes</a>.</li> <li>The <a href="/wiki/Altimeter" title="Altimeter">altimeter</a> indicates the altitude or height of the plane <a href="/wiki/Metres_above_sea_level" class="mw-redirect" title="Metres above sea level">above mean sea level</a> (AMSL).</li> <li>The <a href="/wiki/Vertical_speed_indicator" class="mw-redirect" title="Vertical speed indicator">vertical speed indicator</a> (VSI), or variometer, shows the rate at which the plane is <a href="/wiki/Climb_(aeronautics)" title="Climb (aeronautics)">climbing</a> or <a href="/wiki/Descent_(aeronautics)" title="Descent (aeronautics)">descending</a>.</li> <li>The <a href="/wiki/Heading_indicator" title="Heading indicator">heading indicator</a> (HI), sometimes called the directional gyro (DG), shows the <a href="/wiki/Heading_(navigation)" title="Heading (navigation)">magnetic compass orientation</a> of the fuselage. The <a href="/wiki/Course_(navigation)" title="Course (navigation)">direction</a> is affected by wind conditions and <a href="/wiki/Magnetic_declination" title="Magnetic declination">magnetic declination</a>.</li> <li>The <a href="/wiki/Turn_and_slip_indicator#turn_coordinator" title="Turn and slip indicator">turn coordinator</a> (TC), or turn and bank indicator, helps the pilot to control the plane in a coordinated <a href="/wiki/Orientation_(geometry)" title="Orientation (geometry)">attitude</a> while turning.</li></ul> <p>Other cockpit instruments include: </p> <ul><li>A <a href="/wiki/Two-way_radio" title="Two-way radio">two-way radio</a>, to enable communications with other planes and with <a href="/wiki/Air_traffic_control" title="Air traffic control">air traffic control</a>.</li> <li>A <a href="/wiki/Horizontal_situation_indicator" title="Horizontal situation indicator">horizontal situation indicator</a> (HSI) indicates the position and movement of the plane as seen from above with respect to the ground, including course/heading and other information.</li> <li>Instruments showing the status of the plane's engines (<a href="/wiki/Engine#Speed" title="Engine">operating speed</a>, <a href="/wiki/Engine#Thrust" title="Engine">thrust</a>, <a href="/wiki/Operating_temperature" title="Operating temperature">temperature</a>, and other variables).</li> <li>Combined display systems such as <a href="/wiki/Primary_flight_display" title="Primary flight display">primary flight displays</a> or <a href="/wiki/Navigation_aid" class="mw-redirect" title="Navigation aid">navigation aids</a>.</li> <li>Information displays such as onboard <a href="/wiki/Weather_radar" title="Weather radar">weather radar</a> displays.</li> <li>A <a href="/wiki/Radio_direction_finder" class="mw-redirect" title="Radio direction finder">radio direction finder</a> (RDF), to indicate the direction to one or more radio beacons, which can be used to determine the plane's position.</li> <li>A <a href="/wiki/Satellite_navigation" title="Satellite navigation">satellite navigation</a> (satnav) system, to provide an accurate position.</li></ul> <p>Some or all of these instruments may appear on a computer display and be operated with touches, ala a phone. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=47" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239009302">.mw-parser-output .portalbox{padding:0;margin:0.5em 0;display:table;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:175px;list-style:none}.mw-parser-output .portalborder{border:1px solid var(--border-color-base,#a2a9b1);padding:0.1em;background:var(--background-color-neutral-subtle,#f8f9fa)}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-entry{display:table-row;font-size:85%;line-height:110%;height:1.9em;font-style:italic;font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-image{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em;vertical-align:middle;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .portalbox-link{display:table-cell;padding:0.2em 0.2em 0.2em 0.3em;vertical-align:middle}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .portalleft{clear:left;float:left;margin:0.5em 1em 0.5em 0}.mw-parser-output .portalright{clear:right;float:right;margin:0.5em 0 0.5em 1em}}</style><ul role="navigation" aria-label="Portals" class="noprint portalbox portalborder portalright"> <li class="portalbox-entry"><span class="portalbox-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Aviacionavion.png/28px-Aviacionavion.png" decoding="async" width="28" height="28" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Aviacionavion.png/42px-Aviacionavion.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/68/Aviacionavion.png/56px-Aviacionavion.png 2x" data-file-width="1600" data-file-height="1600" /></span></span></span><span class="portalbox-link"><a href="/wiki/Portal:Aviation" title="Portal:Aviation">Aviation portal</a></span></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aircraft_flight_mechanics" title="Aircraft flight mechanics">Aircraft flight mechanics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Airliner" title="Airliner">Airliner</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aviation" title="Aviation">Aviation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aviation_and_the_environment" class="mw-redirect" title="Aviation and the environment">Aviation and the environment</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aviation_history" class="mw-redirect" title="Aviation history">Aviation history</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fuel_efficiency" title="Fuel efficiency">Fuel efficiency</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_altitude_records_reached_by_different_aircraft_types" class="mw-redirect" title="List of altitude records reached by different aircraft types">List of altitude records reached by different aircraft types</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Maneuvering_speed" title="Maneuvering speed">Maneuvering speed</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rotorcraft" title="Rotorcraft">Rotorcraft</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=48" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Notes">Notes</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=49" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>In 1903, when the Wright brothers used the word, "aeroplane" (a <a href="/wiki/British_English" title="British English">British English</a> term that can also mean <a href="/wiki/Airplane" title="Airplane">airplane</a> in <a href="/wiki/American_English" title="American English">American English</a>) meant wing, not the whole aircraft. See text of their patent. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US821393?oq=821%2C393%7CU.S.">Patent 821,393</a> – Wright brothers' patent for "Flying Machine"</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Citations">Citations</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=50" title="Edit section: Citations"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 35em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110723191642/http://www.drachen.org/journals/journal10/journal_10.pdf">"Drachen Foundation Journal Fall 2002, page 18. Two lines of evidence: analysis of leaf kiting and some cave drawings"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.drachen.org/journals/journal10/journal_10.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 23 July 2011<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2 February</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Drachen+Foundation+Journal+Fall+2002%2C+page+18.+Two+lines+of+evidence%3A+analysis+of+leaf+kiting+and+some+cave+drawings&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drachen.org%2Fjournals%2Fjournal10%2Fjournal_10.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-needham_volume_4_part_1_127-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-needham_volume_4_part_1_127_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-needham_volume_4_part_1_127_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Needham, Volume 4, Part 1, 127.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-G-Kites-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-G-Kites_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-G-Kites_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFAnon" class="citation web cs1">Anon. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.gombergkites.com/nkm/hist1.html">"Kite History: A Simple History of Kiting"</a>. <i>G-Kites</i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100529022551/http://www.gombergkites.com/nkm/hist1.html">Archived</a> from the original on 29 May 2010<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">20 June</span> 2010</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=G-Kites&rft.atitle=Kite+History%3A+A+Simple+History+of+Kiting&rft.au=Anon&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gombergkites.com%2Fnkm%2Fhist1.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a href="/wiki/Aulus_Gellius" title="Aulus Gellius">Aulus Gellius</a>, "Attic Nights", Book X, 12.9 at <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.today/20120713140825/http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Gellius/10*.html">LacusCurtius</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.tmth.edu.gr/en/aet/1/14.html">Archytas of Tarentum, Technology Museum of Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Greece</a>. Tmth.edu.gr. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081226181400/http://www.tmth.edu.gr/en/aet/1/14.html">Archived</a> 26 December 2008 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070104/NEWS02/701040323/1006/">Modern rocketry</a><sup class="noprint Inline-Template"><span style="white-space: nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot" title="Wikipedia:Link rot"><span title=" Dead link tagged December 2014">dead link</span></a></i><span style="visibility:hidden; color:transparent; padding-left:2px">‍</span>]</span></sup>. Pressconnects.com.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.mechanical-toys.com/History%20page.htm">Automata history</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150215232219/http://www.mechanical-toys.com/History%20page.htm">Archived</a> 15 February 2015 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>. Automata.co.uk.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">White, Lynn. "Eilmer of Malmesbury, an Eleventh Century Aviator: A Case Study of Technological Innovation, Its Context and Tradition." <i><a href="/wiki/Technology_and_Culture" title="Technology and Culture">Technology and Culture</a></i>, Volume 2, Issue 2, 1961, pp. 97–111 (97–99 resp. 100–101).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.aviation-history.com/early/cayley.htm">"Aviation History"</a>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090413155148/http://aviation-history.com/early/cayley.htm">Archived</a> from the original on 13 April 2009<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">26 July</span> 2009</span>. <q>In 1799 he set forth for the first time in history the concept of the modern aeroplane. Cayley had identified the drag vector (parallel to the flow) and the lift vector (perpendicular to the flow).</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Aviation+History&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aviation-history.com%2Fearly%2Fcayley.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-10">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation encyclopaedia cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100795/Sir-George-Cayley-6th-Baronet">"Sir George Cayley (British Inventor and Scientist)"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Britannica" class="mw-redirect" title="Britannica">Britannica</a></i>. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090311002545/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100795/Sir-George-Cayley-6th-Baronet">Archived</a> from the original on 11 March 2009<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">26 July</span> 2009</span>. <q>English pioneer of aerial navigation and aeronautical engineering and designer of the first successful glider to carry a human being aloft. Cayley established the modern configuration of an aeroplane as a fixed-wing flying machine with separate systems for lift, propulsion, and control as early as 1799.</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Sir+George+Cayley+%28British+Inventor+and+Scientist%29&rft.btitle=Britannica&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britannica.com%2FEBchecked%2Ftopic%2F100795%2FSir-George-Cayley-6th-Baronet&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-11">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100795/Sir-George-Cayley-6th-Baronet">"Cayley, Sir George: Encyclopædia Britannica 2007."</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090311002545/https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/100795/Sir-George-Cayley-6th-Baronet">Archived</a> 11 March 2009 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> <i>Encyclopædia Britannica Online</i>, 25 August 2007.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-12">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGibbs-Smith2003" class="citation book cs1">Gibbs-Smith, Charles Harvard (2003). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/52566384"><i>Aviation : an historical survey from its origins to the end of the Second World War</i></a>. London: Science Museum. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-900747-52-9" title="Special:BookSources/1-900747-52-9"><bdi>1-900747-52-9</bdi></a>. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/52566384">52566384</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Aviation+%3A+an+historical+survey+from+its+origins+to+the+end+of+the+Second+World+War&rft.place=London&rft.pub=Science+Museum&rft.date=2003&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F52566384&rft.isbn=1-900747-52-9&rft.aulast=Gibbs-Smith&rft.aufirst=Charles+Harvard&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldcat.org%2Foclc%2F52566384&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Quest-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Quest_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFHarwoodFogel2012" class="citation book cs1">Harwood, Craig; Fogel, Gary (2012). <i>Quest for Flight: John J. Montgomery and the Dawn of Aviation in the West</i>. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0806142647" title="Special:BookSources/978-0806142647"><bdi>978-0806142647</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Quest+for+Flight%3A+John+J.+Montgomery+and+the+Dawn+of+Aviation+in+the+West&rft.place=Norman%2C+Oklahoma&rft.pub=University+of+Oklahoma+Press&rft.date=2012&rft.isbn=978-0806142647&rft.aulast=Harwood&rft.aufirst=Craig&rft.au=Fogel%2C+Gary&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-14">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFInglis" class="citation book cs1">Inglis, Amirah. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141229064955/http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hargrave-lawrence-6563">"Hargrave, Lawrence (1850–1915)"</a>. <i>Australian Dictionary of Biography</i>. Vol. 9. <a href="/wiki/Melbourne_University_Press" class="mw-redirect" title="Melbourne University Press">Melbourne University Press</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hargrave-lawrence-6563">the original</a> on 29 December 2014<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">28 December</span> 2014</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=Hargrave%2C+Lawrence+%281850%E2%80%931915%29&rft.btitle=Australian+Dictionary+of+Biography&rft.pub=Melbourne+University+Press&rft.aulast=Inglis&rft.aufirst=Amirah&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fadb.anu.edu.au%2Fbiography%2Fhargrave-lawrence-6563&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-15">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Beril, Becker (1967). <i>Dreams and Realities of the Conquest of the Skies</i>. New York: Atheneum. pp. 124–125</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-16">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fai.org/news_archives/fai/000295.asp">FAI News: 100 Years Ago, the Dream of Icarus Became Reality</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110113080326/http://www.fai.org/news_archives/fai/000295.asp">Archived</a> 13 January 2011 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> posted 17 December 2003. (The 1903 flights are not listed in the official FAI flight records, however, because the organization and its predecessors did not yet exist.) Retrieved 5 January 2007.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-17">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Jones, Ernest. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://earlyaviators.com/edumonb.htm">"Santos Dumont in France 1906–1916: The Very Earliest Early Birds."</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160316120252/http://earlyaviators.com/edumonb.htm">Archived</a> 16 March 2016 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> <i>earlyaviators.com</i>, 25 December 2006. Retrieved 17 August 2009.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-18">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070324025948/http://www.aeroclub.com/santos_dumont_14bis_14bis.htm">Les vols du 14bis relatés au fil des éditions du journal l'illustration de 1906.</a> The wording is: "cette prouesse est le premier vol au monde homologué par l'Aéro-Club de France et la toute jeune Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)." (This achievement is the first flight in the world to be recognized by the France Air Club and by the new International Aeronautical Federation (FAI).)</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-19">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCrouch1982" class="citation book cs1">Crouch, Tom (1982). <i>Bleriot XI, The Story of a Classic Aircraft</i>. <a href="/wiki/Smithsonian_Institution_Press" class="mw-redirect" title="Smithsonian Institution Press">Smithsonian Institution Press</a>. pp. 21 and 22. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87474-345-1" title="Special:BookSources/0-87474-345-1"><bdi>0-87474-345-1</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Bleriot+XI%2C+The+Story+of+a+Classic+Aircraft&rft.pages=21+and+22&rft.pub=Smithsonian+Institution+Press&rft.date=1982&rft.isbn=0-87474-345-1&rft.aulast=Crouch&rft.aufirst=Tom&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-20">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">de Bie, Rob. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/me163/production.htm">"Me 163B Komet – Me 163 Production – Me 163B: Werknummern list."</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20151022052441/http://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/me163/production.htm">Archived</a> 22 October 2015 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a> <i>robdebie.home.</i> Retrieved: 28 July 2013.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-21">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-085-DFRC.html#.VZTAlPlViko">NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: First Generation X-1</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150713021710/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-085-DFRC.html#.VZTAlPlViko">Archived</a> 13 July 2015 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>, 28 February 2014</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-22">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/douglas-dc-3/nasm_A19530075000#:~:text=The%20airlines%20liked%20it%20because,hours%20with%20Eastern%20Air%20Lines">https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/douglas-dc-3/nasm_A19530075000#:~:text=The%20airlines%20liked%20it%20because,hours%20with%20Eastern%20Air%20Lines</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-23">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.twz.com/39236/theres-one-place-in-the-world-where-ac-47-spooky-gunships-still-fly#:~:text=Based%20on%20the%20venerable%20World,of%20the%20Colombian%20Air%20Force">https://www.twz.com/39236/theres-one-place-in-the-world-where-ac-47-spooky-gunships-still-fly#:~:text=Based%20on%20the%20venerable%20World,of%20the%20Colombian%20Air%20Force</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-24">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">de Saint-Exupery, A. (1940). "Wind, Sand and Stars" p33, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-25">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation book cs1">"3. Gliding, chapter 1: General Rules and Definitions". <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071007144651/http://www.fai.org/gliding/sc3.1.0"><i>FAI Sporting Code</i></a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fai.org/gliding/sc3.1.0">the original</a> on 7 October 2007<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">21 March</span> 2024</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=bookitem&rft.atitle=3.+Gliding%2C+chapter+1%3A+General+Rules+and+Definitions&rft.btitle=FAI+Sporting+Code&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fai.org%2Fgliding%2Fsc3.1.0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-26">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCode_of_Federal_Regulations_(U.S.)" class="citation web cs1">Code of Federal Regulations (U.S.). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-1/section-1.1">"14 CFR 1.1 - General definitions"</a>. <i>www.ecfr.gov</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=www.ecfr.gov&rft.atitle=14+CFR+1.1+-+General+definitions.&rft.au=Code+of+Federal+Regulations+%28U.S.%29&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcurrent%2Ftitle-14%2Fchapter-I%2Fsubchapter-A%2Fpart-1%2Fsection-1.1&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-27">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGoin2006" class="citation book cs1">Goin, Jeff (2006). Dennis Pagen (ed.). <i>The Powered Paragliding Bible</i>. Airhead Creations. p. 253. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9770966-0-2" title="Special:BookSources/0-9770966-0-2"><bdi>0-9770966-0-2</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Powered+Paragliding+Bible&rft.pages=253&rft.pub=Airhead+Creations&rft.date=2006&rft.isbn=0-9770966-0-2&rft.aulast=Goin&rft.aufirst=Jeff&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-28">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Michael Halloran and Sean O'Meara, <i>Wing in Ground Effect Craft Review</i>, DSTO, Australia <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130522002835/http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/publications/2058/DSTO-GD-0201.pdf">"Archived copy"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/publications/2058/DSTO-GD-0201.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 22 May 2013<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">24 August</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Archived+copy&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dsto.defence.gov.au%2Fpublications%2F2058%2FDSTO-GD-0201.pdf&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span><span class="cs1-maint citation-comment"><code class="cs1-code">{{<a href="/wiki/Template:Cite_web" title="Template:Cite web">cite web</a>}}</code>: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (<a href="/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_archived_copy_as_title" title="Category:CS1 maint: archived copy as title">link</a>)</span>, p51. Notes an agreement between ICAO and IMO that WIGs come under the jurisdiction of the International Maritime Organisation although there an exception for craft with a sustained use out of ground effect (OGE) to be considered as aircraft.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Schweizer-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Schweizer_29-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Schweizer, Paul A: <i>Wings Like Eagles, The Story of Soaring in the United States</i>, pages 14–22. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1988. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87474-828-3" title="Special:BookSources/0-87474-828-3">0-87474-828-3</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-definition-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-definition_30-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090903034839/http://www.fai.org/gliding/sc3.1.0">"Definition of gliders used for sporting purposes in FAI Sporting Code"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.fai.org/gliding/sc3.1.0">the original</a> on 3 September 2009.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Definition+of+gliders+used+for+sporting+purposes+in+FAI+Sporting+Code&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fai.org%2Fgliding%2Fsc3.1.0&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-31">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFWhittall2002" class="citation book cs1">Whittall, Noel (2002). <i>Paragliding: The Complete Guide</i>. Airlife Pub. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-84037-016-5" title="Special:BookSources/1-84037-016-5"><bdi>1-84037-016-5</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Paragliding%3A+The+Complete+Guide&rft.pub=Airlife+Pub&rft.date=2002&rft.isbn=1-84037-016-5&rft.aulast=Whittall&rft.aufirst=Noel&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-32">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/guided.htm">"Beginner's Guide to Aeronautics"</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150325054529/http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/guided.htm">Archived</a> 25 March 2015 at the <a href="/wiki/Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a>, <a href="/wiki/NASA" title="NASA">NASA</a> (11 July 2008).</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-33">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFJoseph_Faust" class="citation web cs1">Joseph Faust. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120824215911/http://www.energykitesystems.net/index.html">"Kite Energy Systems"</a>. Energykitesystems.net. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://energykitesystems.net/index.html">the original</a> on 24 August 2012<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">3 October</span> 2012</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Kite+Energy+Systems&rft.pub=Energykitesystems.net&rft.au=Joseph+Faust&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fenergykitesystems.net%2Findex.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Crane-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Crane_34-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Crane_34-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Crane, Dale: <i>Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition</i>. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-56027-287-2" title="Special:BookSources/1-56027-287-2">1-56027-287-2</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-GroundUp-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-GroundUp_35-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Aviation Publishers Co. Limited, <i>From the Ground Up</i>, page 10 (27th revised edition) <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-9690054-9-0" title="Special:BookSources/0-9690054-9-0">0-9690054-9-0</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-FAR1.1-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-FAR1.1_36-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFFederal_Aviation_Administration2008" class="citation web cs1"><a href="/wiki/Federal_Aviation_Administration" title="Federal Aviation Administration">Federal Aviation Administration</a> (August 2008). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131220152531/http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=49436e70336dc8d8f1ab7b3d789254af&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:1.0.1.1.1.0.1.1&idno=14">"Title 14: Aeronautics and Space – PART 1—DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS"</a>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=49436e70336dc8d8f1ab7b3d789254af&rgn=div8&view=text&node=14:1.0.1.1.1.0.1.1&idno=14">the original</a> on 20 December 2013<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">5 August</span> 2008</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Title+14%3A+Aeronautics+and+Space+%E2%80%93+PART+1%E2%80%94DEFINITIONS+AND+ABBREVIATIONS&rft.date=2008-08&rft.au=Federal+Aviation+Administration&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ecfr.gov%2Fcgi-bin%2Ftext-idx%3Fc%3Decfr%26sid%3D49436e70336dc8d8f1ab7b3d789254af%26rgn%3Ddiv8%26view%3Dtext%26node%3D14%3A1.0.1.1.1.0.1.1%26idno%3D14&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6pack-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6pack_37-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.learntofly.ca/six-pack-primary-flight-instruments/">"Six Pack – The Primary Flight Instruments"</a>. LearnToFly.ca. 13 March 2010. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110319004119/http://www.learntofly.ca/six-pack-primary-flight-instruments/">Archived</a> from the original on 19 March 2011<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">31 January</span> 2011</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Six+Pack+%E2%80%93+The+Primary+Flight+Instruments&rft.pub=LearnToFly.ca&rft.date=2010-03-13&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.learntofly.ca%2Fsix-pack-primary-flight-instruments%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3AFixed-wing+aircraft" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Bibliography">Bibliography</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=51" title="Edit section: Bibliography"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Blatner, David. <i>The Flying Book: Everything You've Ever Wondered About Flying on Airplanes</i>. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8027-7691-4" title="Special:BookSources/0-8027-7691-4">0-8027-7691-4</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Fixed-wing_aircraft&action=edit&section=52" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/40px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png" decoding="async" width="40" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/60px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg/80px-Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="512" data-file-height="512" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Look up <i><b><a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aeroplane" class="extiw" title="wiktionary:aeroplane">aeroplane</a></b></i>, <i><b><a 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//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/59px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fixed-wing_aircraft" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Fixed-wing aircraft">Fixed-wing aircraft</a></span>.</div></div> </div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.aerocentre.blogspot.com/">The airplane centre</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/">Airliners.net</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.aerospaceweb.org/">Aerospaceweb.org</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/airplanes.htm">How Airplanes Work – Howstuffworks.com</a></li> <li><a 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.navbox{display:none!important}}</style></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox" aria-labelledby="Types_of_aircraft_by_methods_of_thrust_and_lift" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239400231">.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:inline;font-size:88%;font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .navbar-collapse{float:left;text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .navbar-boxtext{word-spacing:0}.mw-parser-output .navbar ul{display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;line-height:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::before{margin-right:-0.125em;content:"[ "}.mw-parser-output .navbar-brackets::after{margin-left:-0.125em;content:" ]"}.mw-parser-output .navbar li{word-spacing:-0.125em}.mw-parser-output .navbar a>span,.mw-parser-output .navbar a>abbr{text-decoration:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-mini abbr{font-variant:small-caps;border-bottom:none;text-decoration:none;cursor:inherit}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-full{font-size:114%;margin:0 7em}.mw-parser-output .navbar-ct-mini{font-size:114%;margin:0 4em}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .navbar li a abbr{color:var(--color-base)!important}}@media print{.mw-parser-output .navbar{display:none!important}}</style><div class="navbar plainlinks hlist navbar-mini"><ul><li class="nv-view"><a href="/wiki/Template:Aircraft_types_(by_method_of_thrust_and_lift)" title="Template:Aircraft types (by method of thrust and lift)"><abbr title="View this template">v</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-talk"><a href="/wiki/Template_talk:Aircraft_types_(by_method_of_thrust_and_lift)" title="Template talk:Aircraft types (by method of thrust and lift)"><abbr title="Discuss this template">t</abbr></a></li><li class="nv-edit"><a href="/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Aircraft_types_(by_method_of_thrust_and_lift)" title="Special:EditPage/Template:Aircraft types (by method of thrust and lift)"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Types_of_aircraft_by_methods_of_thrust_and_lift" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em">Types of <a href="/wiki/Aircraft" title="Aircraft">aircraft</a> by methods of <a href="/wiki/Thrust" title="Thrust">thrust</a> and <a href="/wiki/Lift_(force)" title="Lift (force)">lift</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0;text-align:left"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <table class="wikitable" style="width:100%; margin:auto; text-align:center;"> <tbody><tr> <th rowspan="2" style="background-color: #efefef;">  </th> <th style="background-color: #e6e6ff"><a href="/wiki/Aerostat" title="Aerostat">Aerostat</a> </th> <th colspan="3" style="background-color: #e6e6ff"><a href="/wiki/Aircraft#Heavier_than_air_–_aerodynes" title="Aircraft">Aerodyne</a> </th></tr> <tr> <th style="background-color: #e6e6ff">Lift: Lighter than air gas</th> <th style="background-color: #e6e6ff">Lift: Fixed wing</th> <th style="background-color: #e6e6ff">Lift: Unpowered rotor</th> <th style="background-color: #e6e6ff">Lift: Powered rotor </th></tr> <tr> <th style="text-align:left; background-color: #e6e6ff">Unpowered free flight </th> <td>(Free) <a href="/wiki/Balloon_(aeronautics)" title="Balloon (aeronautics)">balloon</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Glider_(aircraft)" title="Glider (aircraft)">Glider</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Helicopter" title="Helicopter">Helicopter</a>, etc. in <a href="/wiki/Autorotation" title="Autorotation">autorotation</a></td> <td>(None – see note 2) </td></tr> <tr> <th style="text-align:left; background-color: #e6e6ff">Tethered (static or towed) </th> <td><a href="/wiki/Tethered_balloon" title="Tethered balloon">Tethered balloon</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Kite" title="Kite">Kite</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Rotor_kite" title="Rotor kite">Rotor kite</a></td> <td>(None – see note 2) </td></tr> <tr> <th style="text-align:left; background-color: #e6e6ff">Powered </th> <td><a href="/wiki/Airship" title="Airship">Airship</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Airplane" title="Airplane">Airplane</a>, <a href="/wiki/Ornithopter" title="Ornithopter">ornithopter</a>, etc.</td> <td><a href="/wiki/Autogyro" title="Autogyro">Autogyro</a></td> <td><a href="/wiki/Gyrodyne" title="Gyrodyne">Gyrodyne</a>, <a href="/wiki/Helicopter" title="Helicopter">helicopter</a> </td></tr></tbody></table> </div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0;text-align:left"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li>Note 1: <span class="wrap">A <a href="/wiki/Tiltwing" title="Tiltwing">tiltwing</a> or <a href="/wiki/Tiltrotor" title="Tiltrotor">tiltrotor</a> aircraft functions as an aeroplane during normal (horizontal) flight and as a helicopter during low-speed flight.</span></li></ul> <ul><li>Note 2: <span class="wrap">For full-size aircraft with powered rotors the rotor is normally tilted to achieve thrust (e.g. in a helicopter). Some toys (e.g. <a href="/wiki/Balloon_helicopter" title="Balloon helicopter">balloon helicopter</a>) do have a powered rotor with no means to tilt the rotor to produce horizontal thrust.</span></li></ul> <ul><li>Note 3: <span class="wrap"><a href="/wiki/Ground-effect_vehicle" title="Ground-effect vehicle">Ground-effect vehicles</a> and <a href="/wiki/Hovercraft" title="Hovercraft">hovercraft</a> are not included in the table, nor are <a href="/wiki/Experimental_aircraft" title="Experimental aircraft">experimental aircraft</a> with novel thrust / lift solutions (e.g. <a href="/wiki/Coleopter" title="Coleopter">coleopter</a>, <a href="/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Thrust_Measuring_Rig" title="Rolls-Royce Thrust Measuring Rig">Flying Bedstead</a>, <a href="/wiki/Avro_Canada_VZ-9_Avrocar" title="Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar">Avrocar</a> and <a href="/wiki/Flettner_airplane" title="Flettner airplane">flettner airplane</a>) or balloon-wing hybrids (e.g. <a href="/wiki/Kytoon" title="Kytoon">kytoon</a> and <a href="/wiki/Hybrid_airship" title="Hybrid airship">hybrid airship</a>).</span></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1236075235"></div><div role="navigation" class="navbox authority-control" aria-label="Navbox" style="padding:3px"><table class="nowraplinks hlist navbox-inner" style="border-spacing:0;background:transparent;color:inherit"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Help:Authority_control" title="Help:Authority control">Authority control databases</a>: National <span class="mw-valign-text-top noprint" typeof="mw:File/Frameless"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2875704#identifiers" title="Edit this at Wikidata"><img alt="Edit this at Wikidata" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/10px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png" decoding="async" width="10" height="10" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/15px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="20" data-file-height="20" /></a></span></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"><ul><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/sh85002782">United States</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://catalogo.bne.es/uhtbin/authoritybrowse.cgi?action=display&authority_id=XX524705">Spain</a></span></li><li><span class="uid"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://olduli.nli.org.il/F/?func=find-b&local_base=NLX10&find_code=UID&request=987007294593605171">Israel</a></span></li></ul></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1&useformat=desktop" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; 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