Types of American aircraft

American aircraft can be categorized by their purpose, design, and manufacturer. Here are the main types:

By Purpose

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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.