Planes

An aircraft, airplane or aeroplane, is a heavier-than-air aircraft capable of flight whose lift is generated not by wing motion but by forward motion through the air. Many fixed-wing aircraft are propelled by the thrust from propellers or jet engines, but the category also includes unpowered aircraft

The dream of flight goes back to the days of pre-history. Around 400 BC, Archytas, the Ancient Greek philosopher, built the first self-propelled flying device, a bird-shaped model propelled by steam, said to have actually flown some 200 meters. Leonardo da Vinci researched the wing design of birds and designed a man-powered aircraft in his Codex on the Flight of Birds (1502). The biggest challenge became to create other craft, capable of controlled flight.

The first self-powered aircraft was created by John Stringfellow, who created a self-powered model aircraft that had its first successful flight in 1848.

In most countries, civil aircraft have to be certified by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to be allowed to fly. The major aviation authorities worldwide are the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) FAA and EASA are, in particular, primarily responsible for the certification of the airliners from the two major manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus.