We understand by aircraft all that element that can be transported in the air, holding onto it without maintaining any type of contact with the earth’s surface and also being able to move from one place to another, that is, not remain static in the air. Normally, when we talk about aircraft we immediately think of airplanes, helicopters or small planes, but other elements such as balloons can also be considered as such.
The main and most important characteristic of any aircraft is, as its name says, the possibility it has to sustain itself in the air, that is, it needs the air to be able to move from one place to another. Thus, aircraft can be converted into passenger transport vehicles or cargo transport vehicles according to their physical capacities. Another important element to characterize an aircraft is the use of aerodynamics (that is, the movement of air) to propel and sustain itself in the air. Thus, elements such as rockets cannot be understood as such because they are mainly propelled by engines.
There are several ways for a heavy or light item to fly. Some of them must become lighter than air in order to be supported in it: they can do this by forming a hollow cavity in which there is air, just as ships float on water. This is visible in the case of balloons, hot air balloons, airplanes or airships. There are other heavier ones that need different elements such as propellers or wings to complement the movement.
Most of the aircraft are used commercially, both to transport passengers (one of the main goals of aviation) and also to transport cargo materials of all kinds: weapons, food, technological materials, etc.
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