3 Types of Civil Aircraft

There are two large categories of aircraft. Military aircraft are used by the armed forces to fulfill missions and are equipped with weapons for that purpose. Civil aircraft are planes that are not used by the military. There are many different types of civil aircraft Danbury CT because they are used to perform many different jobs, such as ferrying freight or transporting passengers. The following are some common types of civilian aircraft.

1. Propeller Planes

Propeller planes make use of a driveshaft used to turn a propeller, which creates lift. This was the means of propulsion used in the first aircraft. Though jet planes are more common, propeller planes are still in use because they consume less fuel and are less expensive to maintain. They are used to fly into smaller airports where it is not economical to land big jets. They are also used in agriculture for dusting crops and for trick flying. Another type of prop plane is the amphibious aircraft, which can land on and take off from a body of fresh water, such as a lake.

2. Business Jets

The difference between a propeller plane and a jet is that the latter uses a discharge of gas to create the necessary thrust to get off the ground. As a result, jets can fly higher and faster than prop planes. This is part of the reason why they are favored over prop planes for many tasks.

Business jets are private rather than commercial. In other words, they need to be chartered specifically by the passengers. They range in size from heavy to mid-size to light business jets. There are also very light jets intended for flights under an hour and a half’s duration. Larger jets can handle longer trips.

3. Jumbo Jets

A jumbo jet operates on the same principle as smaller jets. The difference is that it is larger, meaning that it has more capacity to transport cargo or passengers. Most commercial airlines use jumbo jets.

There are also other types of civilian aircraft. Some are unpowered, such as gliders, or unmanned, such as drones.