Airplanes Throughout History
The Complete Database

There are various types of airplanes, including commercial airliners, private aircraft, cargo planes, military jets, and recreational aircraft. Airplanes offer the advantage of long-range travel, high-speed capability, and the ability to operate in a wide range of weather conditions. You can use this page to explore the different types and go deeper into our aircraft and airplane and warplane database.

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Air SuperiorityAirlinersBiplanesBombersCoastal PatrolFightersGeneral PurposeGround AttackInterceptorsMonoplanesPrototypes and ExperimentsReconnaissance and SurveillanceScoutsSports / RacersStealth AttackTrainersTransportersUnmanned Vehicles

What is an Airplane and How Does it Work?

An airplane, also known as an aeroplane or aircraft, is a fixed-wing vehicle designed for controlled flight in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is one of the most common and widely used modes of transportation for both passengers and cargo.

An airplane typically consists of several key components, including a fuselage (the main body), wings, engines, landing gear, and a tail section. The wings generate lift as the aircraft moves through the air, allowing it to stay aloft. The engines provide the necessary thrust to propel the airplane forward, overcoming drag and enabling it to maintain speed and altitude.

Airplanes rely on the principles of aerodynamics to achieve flight. By carefully shaping the wings and controlling the airflow over them, an airplane can generate lift, counteract gravity, and achieve controlled and sustained flight. The tail section, including the horizontal stabilizer and vertical fin, provides stability and control during flight.

All Airplane Types Through History

Airplanes have significantly impacted global connectivity, commerce, and tourism, shrinking distances and facilitating global transportation networks. They have revolutionized travel, enabled rapid delivery of goods, facilitated emergency response and medical evacuations, and played a crucial role in military operations and surveillance. Here is the access to the complete database (divided by Type):

Biplanes

Nieuport 12 - WW1 French Aircraft & Warplanes

Nieuport 12

The Nieuport 12 was a French sesquiplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft used by France, Great Britain, Russia, and the US during WW1.

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Short S.38 - British WW1 Aircraft and Warplanes

Short S.38

The Short S.38 was a British coastal patrol and trainer built by Shot Brothers. It fley for the first time on 30 August 1912.

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Bombers

Voisin III - WW1 French Aircraft & Warplanes

Voisin III

The Voisin III was a French two-seater pusher biplane aircraft developed by Voisin in 1914 and used during World War I.

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A Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" in flight. Image courtesy of Wikimedia.

Nakajima B5N

The Nakajima B5N was a Japanese carrier-based torpedo bomber used during the Second World War by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN).

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Fighters

Fairey Fulmar - British WW2 Aircraft and Warplanes - Fighters

Fairey Fulmar

The Fairey Fulmar is a British carrier-borne reconnaissance fighter aircraft that served with the Royal Navy’s FAA during World War II.

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Heinkel He 112 - German WW2 Aircraft & Warplanes - History, Pics

Heinkel He 112

The Heinkel Heinkel He 112 was a German fighter aircraft designed to compete for the 1933 fighter contract of the Luftwaffe during WW2.

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Morane-Saulnier N - Pre-WW1 French Aircraft & Warplanes

Morane-Saulnier N

The Morane-Saulnier N was a French monoplane fighter used during World War I and designed by Morane-Saulnier. It was nicknamed the Bullet.

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Hawker Nimrod - British Interwar & WW2 Aircraft and Warplanes

Hawker Nimrod

The Hawker Nimrod is a British single-engined, single-seat biplane fighter aircraft built by Hawker Aircraft in the early 1930s.

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Interceptors

Spitfire H.F Mk. VII being tested at Langley, 1943.

Supermarine Spitfire

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used before, during, and after the Second World War by the Royal Air Force and Allied countries.

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Prototypes & Experiments

Bell X-1 - American Aircraft & Warplanes - Experimental X-Planes

Bell X-1

The Bell X-1 was a supersonic research project conceived in 1944 and built by Bell Aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force.

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Gloster E.28/39 - British Interwar & WW2 Aircraft and Warplanes

Gloster E.28/39

The Gloster E.28/39, first flown in 1941, was the first British jet-engine aircraft and the fourth jet to fly. It led to the Gloster Meteor.

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Grumman X-29 - American Aircraft and Warplanes - Experimental

Grumman X-29

The Grumman X-29 was an American experimental aircraft developed by Grumman and used for testing several novel aircraft technologies.

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Air Superiority

Sukhoi Su-35 - Soviet Union / Russian Aircraft - Post-WW2

Sukhoi Su-35

The Sukhoi Su-35 is a Soviet Union (Russian from 1991) single-seat, twin-engine air-defence fighter aircraft introduced in 2014.

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French Fighter Aircraft: Dassault Rafale

Dassault Rafale

The Dassault Rafale is a French twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft equipped with a wide range of weapons.

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