Aircraft

From Citizendium
Revision as of 21:00, 17 November 2007 by imported>Dan Nachbar (added heavier-than-air and lighter-than-air terms)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
(PD) Photo: PDPhoto.org
Airplanes are a type of heavier-than-air aircraft.
(PD) Photo: -- Bryan Kennedy
A hot air balloon is a type of lighter-than-air aircraft.

Aircraft are vehicles capable of sustained flight within the Earth's atmosphere.

Vehicles that travel beyond the Earth's atmosphere, normally defined as 100,000 meters altitude, are called spacecraft.


Types

Most aircraft remain aloft by pushing air downward, in other words creating aerodynamic lift, are called heavier-than-air aircraft. Examples are airplanes, gliders, and helicopters.

Aircraft remain aloft by using low density gas to create buoyancy, called aerostatic lift, are called lighter-than-air aircraft. Examples include balloons and airships.