- An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft; the length of a typcial U.S. aircraft carrier runway is
300 feet while the lenghth of a commerical airline runway run from 8,000 to 13,000 feet.
- The F-35A -- the U.S. Air Force’s latest fifth-generation fighter -- replaces the U.S. Air Force’s aging fleet of F-16 Fighting Falcons
and A-10 Thunderbolt II’s, which have been the primary fighter aircraft since 1974, and bring with it an enhanced capability to survive in the advanced threat environment in which it was designed to operate. The F-35A is a stealth jet -- its
airframe, sensors and system are designed to operate undetected by enemy radar --, and provides enhanced situational awareness and advanced sensor that were designed to gather, fuse and distribute more information than any fighter. The F-35A can fly more
than 1,350 miles at the height of 50,000 feet (15 kilometers) with internal fuel (1,200+ nautical miles), unlimited with aerial refueling, and it can provide the pilot with unsurpassed situational awareness, positive target identification and
precision strike in all weather conditions.
- The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has proven itself in air-to-air combat and air-to-surface attack,
and can locate targets in all weather conditions and detect low flying aircraft in radar ground clutter. In an air-to-surface role with a full load of internal fuel, the F-16 can withstand up to 9 G's - nine times the force of gravity - that exceeds the capability of other current fighter aircraft, and
can fly more than 500 miles (860 kms), deliver its weapons with superior accuracy, defend itself against enemy aircraft, and return to its starting point; the first F-16 flight was 1974.
- Balloon carriers, which is a ship equipped with a balloon, usually tied to the ship by a rope or cable, were the first ships to deploy manned aircraft, used during the 19th and early 20th century, mainly for observation purposes.
Balloons launched from ships led to the formal development of balloon carriers, or balloon tenders, during World War I, by the navies in Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Sweden.
- An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length
flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. As of January 2018, there are 41 active aircraft carriers in the world operated
by thirteen navies. The United States Navy has 11 large nuclear-powered fleet carriers (known as supercarriers), carrying
up to around 80 fighter jets each; China, France, India and Russia each operate a single medium-size carrier, with capacity from 30 to 50 fighter jets. Italy operates two light fleet carriers and Spain operates one. Japan has 4 Helicopter carriers,
France has 3, Australia and Egypt, each has 2 , and South Korea, Thailand and the United Kingdom, each has 1.
- The B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing,
which has continued to provide support and upgrades. Introduced in the 1950s the B-52 bomber went through 6 major redesigns during the 5 year design period. The airplane is capable of carrying up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of weapons, and has a typical combat range of more than 8,800 miles (14,080 km) without aerial refueling. The B-52's official name Stratofortress is rarely used; informally, the bomber has become
commonly referred to as the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat Fucker/Fella). Starting with the first flight on April 15, 1952, the B-52 completed sixty years of continuous service with its original operator in 2015. After being upgraded between 2013 and 2015, the B-52 bombers are expected to serve until 2050s. There have been 744 B-52s built, but as of June 2019 there are
only 58 are in active service, 18 in reserve, and approximately 12 more aircraft in long term storage.
- The Boeing 747 is a large wide-body airliner and cargo aircraft manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes
in the United States. A Boeing 747 is a quadjet airliner made up of six million parts, including engines each weighs around 9,500 pounds (4,300 kg), initially powered by JT9D turbofans, then
GE CF6 and Rolls-Royce RB211 for the original variants. This wide-body aircraft has a 37.5° wing sweep, allowing a Mach 0.85 (490 kn; 900 km/h) cruise speed,
and its heavy weight is supported by four main landing gear legs with four-wheel bogies each. On September 30, 1968, the first Boeing 747 was rolled out of the custom-built Everett Plant, the largest building by volume. With a ten-abreast economy seating, a Boeing 747 typically accommodates
366 passengers in three travel classes. The first flight took place on February 9, 1969 and the airliner/aircraft was certified in December of that year. The first Boeing 747 entered service with Pan Am on January 22, 1970, was the first plane dubbed a "Jumbo Jet". By June 2019,
1,554 Boeing 747 aircrafts had been built; and as of January 2017, 60 of them have been
lost in accidents in which a total of 3,722 people died.
- The C919, China's first domestically designed and built large airliner made by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac), the 168-seat C919 is roughly the same size as Airbus's A320 and Boeing's 737-800, took off
May 5, 2017 from Shanghai Pudong International Airport into hazy skies with a five-person crew aboard. The jet landed one hour and 19 minutes later after a seemingly uneventful first trial.
- The Antonov 225 Mriya (AN-225) is the biggest commercially used freighter in the world. Powered by six turbofan engines,
it is the biggest heavier-than-air aircraft in terms of length (85.3m) and wingspan (88m) in operational service. The aircraft built over 30 years ago can carry up to 250 tons of cargo.
- The world's new planes in 2017:
- The Queen Elizabeth (QE) Class Aircraft Carriers,
scheduled entering service in 2020, will be the largest surface warships ever constructed for the UK and represent a step change in joint capability.
The ships will be 65,000 tonnes at full displacement - over three times the size of the Invincible Class aircraft carriers; length: 280m - 90m longer than the existing aircraft carrier; width: 70m - twice the width of the existing aircraft carrier; and range; 8,000 to 10,000 nautical miles.
- There are five major manufacturers of civil transport aircraft. Boeing, Airbus, Ilyushin and Tupolev concentrate on wide-body and narrow-body jet
airliners, while Bombardier, Embraer and Sukhoi concentrate on regional airliners
- During WWII, there were 276,000 aircraft manufactured in the US; 43,000 planes were lost overseas, including 23,000 in combat and 14,000 lost in the continental U.S.
- On August 6, 1945 the B-29 "Enola Gay" piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets lifted off the runway at Tinian Island and flew into Hiroshima, Japan to drop the world's first atomic bomb.
- In 1978, the Air Force awarded a full-scale development contract for the F-117A Stealth Fighter to Lockheed Corporation's Advanced Development Projects
(the famous Skunk Works); thirty one months later, on 18 June 1981, the F-117A made its first flight.
- The X-51 Waverider can reach at a flight speed of Mach 6.0 (4,567 mph), the
F/A-18 has a top speed of Mach 1.8 (1,370 mph), and the maximum flight speed of Boeing 787 is 647 mph (Mach 0.85).
- The Dreamliner is the world's first commercial plane made mostly of lighter-weight composite materials. The plane cuts fuel consumption by 20 percent and lowers operating costs by 30 percent.
The first Dreamliner version, the 787-8, carries between 210 and 250 passengers. Boeing plans to deliver the 787-9, which is longer and carries between 250 and 290 passengers, by early 2014.
Boeing is currently studying a possible 787-10, which would be bigger than the 787-9.
- In 2011, the cost to build a
F-117 stealth fighter is $120 million, $156 million for a
F-35 stealth fighter, $339 million for a
F-22 stealth fighter, and $2.4 billion for a
B-2 stealth bomber.
- The Airbus A380 is the world's largest passenger plane.
- The world's highest and fastest flying airplane is the North American X-15, which was
designed in 1954 and first flown in 1959. The plane reached a peak altitude of 354,200 feet (64 miles, 108 km) at a speed of 4,534 mph (7,295 kph).
- The first nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, from Newfoundland, Canada, to Ireland, was made by two British aviators, Capt. John W. Alcock (1892-1919) and Lt. Arthur W. Brown (1886-1948), on June 14, 1919
- The first man, who flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean, from New York (US) to Paris (France), was Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-1974).
- The first woman, who flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean, from Newfoundland, Canada, to Ireland, was Amelia Earhart (1897-1937).
- The first person who flew solo around the world in a balloon is Steve Fossett. He departed western Austria on 6/18/2002 and returned on 7/4/200, exactly 13 days, 23 hours, 16 minutes, and 13 seconds later.
- Delta Air Lines is the world's largest airline in terms of passenger traffic and fleet size.
It carried 161,049,000 passengers domestically and internationally to and from 357 airports around the world in 2009.
- American Airlines retired its entire A300 fleet. The last
A300 trip occurred August 24, 2009 with the aircraft flying from Miami to New York's JFK International Airport.
- In 2009 the US domestic carriers: Aloha, ATA, Skybus, Eos, Silverjet, Maxjet, and Zoom were out of business. Midwest, Mesa Air, and Sun Country are on death watch.
The airlines that aren't bankrupt have shrunk themselves and tried to raise fares.
- Southwest Airlines has been the most profitable of airline companies since 1973.
United Airlines,
Continental Airlines (twice),
US Airways (twice),
Delta Air Lines, and
Northwest Airlines have all declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and were survived.
- The most expensive airline tickets in the world was sold to
an Australian man for over US $100,000 by Singapore Airlines in 2007.
- As of August 20, 2009,
Boeing built 1,418 Boeing 747 aircrafts.
The cost for a 747-100 one is $24 million (1967); 747-200: $39 million (1976); 747-300: $83 million (1982); 747-400: $228–260 million (2007); and 747-8: $285.5-300 million (2007).
The black box carried on an airplane is actually painted bright orange to make it more visible in an aircraft's wreckage.
It is a tough stainless metal-and-plastic case containing two recorders, and is installed in the rear of the aircraft. The black box records information about airspeed, direction,
altitude, accelerations, engine thrust, rudder, and spoiler positions from sensors that are located around the aircraft.
Flight attendants must not have any tattoos visible when a uniform is worn. These requirements are designed to give the airlines a positive presentation.
Most flight attendants are women, who were selected not only for their knowledge but also for their characteristics. A 1936 New York Times article described the requirements
"The girls who qualify for hostesses must be petite; weight 100 to 118 pounds; height 5 feet to 5 feet 4 inches; age 20 to 26 years ... with perfect health". In 1966 New York Times classified ad for stewardesses "A high school graduate, single (widows and divorcees with no children considered), 20 years of age (girls 19 1/2 may apply for future consideration). 5'2" but no more than 5'9",
weight 105 to 135 in proportion to height and have at least 20/40 vision without glasses."
Flight attendants are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard
commercial flights. The world's first flight attendant (Heinrich Kubis) was hired in 1912.
British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919.
They flew a modified First World War Vickers Vimy bomber from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Clifden,
Connemara, County Galway, Ireland.
Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft. Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight.
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