Fixed-wing aircraft

A fixed-wing aircraft, typically called an airplane, aeroplane or plane, is an aircraft capable of flight using forward motion that generates lift as the wing moves through the air. Planes include jet engine and propeller driven vehicles propelled forward by thrust, as well as unpowered aircraft (such as gliders). Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from ornithopters in which lift is generated by blades and rotary-wing aircraft in which wings move relative to the aircraft.

In the United States, Canada and many other regions, the term "airplane" is applied to these aircraft. In Britain and many other regions, the term "aeroplane" is used. The word derives from the Greek αέρας (aéras-) ("air") and -plane.^[1] The form "aeroplane" is the older of the two, dating back to the mid-late 19th century.^[2] The spelling "airplane" was first recorded in 1907.^[3]

Boeing 737-300, a modern passenger airliner

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A fixed-wing aircraft, typically called an airplane, aeroplane or plane, is an aircraft capable of flight using forward motion that generates lift as the wing moves the air