Aircraft are vehicles that move through the air.
An aircraft is a vehicle that has the ability to move through the air (that is, without being in contact with the surface or water). Within this group, there are two types of machines that allow air travel: aerodynes (whose weight is greater than that of air and, therefore, have to be supported through some mechanism ) and aerostats (with a lower weight than air, they float more easily).
The most common aircraft today are aerodyne vehicles. In this set we can find airplanes and helicopters . Since they are heavier than air, these aircraft must provide lift. According to the system they use, a distinction can be made between aerodyne-type aircraft with a fixed wing and aerodynes with a rotary wing .
Types of aircraft
It must be emphasized that there are numerous types of airplanes. To discover them, there is nothing better than knowing the different classifications that are made in this regard:
- Based on the criteria of its use, we find, above all, military aircraft and civil aircraft .
- Within military aircraft, they range, based on their function, from fighters to bombers and reconnaissance aircraft.
- In the civil sphere, we can highlight the existence, based on the activities they carry out, of health workers , passenger transport workers and freight workers.
Aerostats such as hot air balloons were the first aircraft.
Aerostats, the first aircraft
Aerostats, which have lost popularity today, were the first aircraft. Its operation is based on the use of one or more tanks with a gas of lower density than air , which allows the aircraft to rise and float. Airships and hot air balloons are examples of this type of aircraft.
Aerostats originated in the 19th century , and they managed to design and fly thanks to a fundamental element: they were based on the famous Archimedes principle .
The airship has the distinction of being the first controlled aircraft that made a long-duration flight and was used, above all, in the first three decades of the 20th century . However, the origin of this device can be found in the second half of the 18th century , which is when Jean Pierre Blanchard designed a similar vehicle.
The Zeppelins
The best-known model of all time is what was called Zeppelin . It was baptized in July 1900 and was named in honor of the person who experimented the most with rigid airships: we are referring to Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin .
During the First World War they played a fundamental role, since they were used by both sides not only to recognize rival troops but also to use aerial weapons.
space plane
When the aircraft can move outside the Earth's atmosphere , it is called a spacecraft .
These vehicles are made up of a rocket (with the fuel and engines that allow it to leave the Earth 's atmosphere behind) and the ship itself (which may or may not be manned).
The choice of the type of aircraft depends on the trip you intend to make. To get a panoramic view of a place, a hot air balloon can be used. If a person wants to travel from one continent to another, they will travel by plane . When a government intends to investigate another planet, it will send a special ship.