American aircraft can be categorized by their purpose, design, and manufacturer. Here are the main types:
By Purpose
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Military Aircraft
- Fighter Jets – F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, F-16 Fighting Falcon
- Bombers – B-2 Spirit, B-1B Lancer, B-52 Stratofortress
- Attack Aircraft – A-10 Thunderbolt II, F/A-18 Super Hornet
- Transport Aircraft – C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III
- Reconnaissance & Surveillance – U-2 Dragon Lady, RQ-4 Global Hawk
- Helicopters – AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook
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Commercial Aircraft
- Passenger Jets – Boeing 737, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Boeing 777
- Regional Jets – Embraer E-Jets (operated by American carriers)
- Cargo Planes – Boeing 747-8F, Boeing 767F
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Private & General Aviation
- Business Jets – Gulfstream G700, Cessna Citation, Bombardier Challenger
- Small Aircraft – Cessna 172, Piper Cherokee, Beechcraft Bonanza
- Amphibious & Bush Planes – Icon A5, De Havilland Beaver
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Experimental & Spacecraft
- NASA Aircraft – X-15, X-59 QueSST
- Spacecraft – SpaceX Dragon, Boeing CST-100 Starliner
By Manufacturer
- Boeing – Produces commercial, military, and space aircraft.
- Lockheed Martin – Makes military aircraft like the F-22 and C-130.
- Northrop Grumman – Specializes in bombers and stealth aircraft.
- Gulfstream – Leading in business jets.
- Cessna (Textron Aviation) – Well-known for general aviation planes.