World's Most Iconic Aircraft
Trace the history of the world's most iconic aircraft through the ages. From Concorde to the Boeing 747 these are the airplanes that changed aviation forever.
The Wright Flyer
End Year: 1903
Display Date: 1903
Orville and Wilbur Wright, two brothers from the American mid-west, designed the first ever airplane in 1903. Both brothers worked in bicycle manufacturing, and saw parallels between bicycle and aircraft design, such as the need for balance, control and a solid, lightweight structure. After building the first piloted glider in 1900, the brothers went on to develop the glider design further, until creating the first functional powered aircraft in 1903. The three-axis control system is largely credited for the success of the aircraft, with wings shaped for lateral balance, a moveable rudder and an elevator for pitch control. The brothers’ record-breaking flight over North Carolina on December 17th 1903 lasted only 12 seconds but was the first time in history that a man had flown. During the flight Wilbur Wright lay on his stomach on the airplane’s lower wing. Elated at their success, the brothers made three more flights that day.
End Year: 1946
Display Date: 1945
In 1945 Enola Gay was the first airplane in history to drop an atomic bomb. Enola Gay was a Boeing B-29 bomber plane named by the Pilot Paul Tibbets after his mother. The airplane was owned by the United States Army Air Forces and was in service from 8 May 1945–24 July 1946. Enola Gay dropped a five-ton bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6th August 1945, killing up to 100,000 people and causing unprecedented devastation.
End Year: 1966
Display Date: 1964
The Learjet 23 was the first ever mass-produced business jet. Developed by American-born Bill Lear in 1964, Lear recognised the emergence of a new market for private jets specifically for business. This twin-engine jet could carry eight passengers and two crew members at a maximum speed of 560 mph and had a range of 1,830 miles. During the two years of production a total of 104 Learjet 23 aircraft were made, before the model was retired in 1966. Learjet has been a subsidiary of Canadian company Bombardier since 1990 and continues to be an industry leader with models such as the Learjet 60 XR.
End Year: 2003
Display Date: 1969
The iconic Concorde first took flight in 1969, entering service with British Airways and Air France in 1976. This turbojet-powered passenger aircraft could reach speeds of up to twice the speed of sound and was able to complete journeys in half the time of a standard passenger aircraft. Concorde’s primary routes were from London Heathrow and Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport across the Atlantic to JFK International Airport. Offering both speed and luxury, Concorde provided an unparalleled, exclusive experience for those that could afford it. The Concorde crash of 2000, in which all 109 people on board the Air France Flight 4590 died, led to a decline in passenger demand. The fatal crash coupled with unmanageable costs and the September 11 aftermath a year later, led to Concorde subsequently being taken out of service. By the time Concorde became a retired aircraft in 2003, a total of only 20 had been built.
End Year: 2017
Display Date: 1970
Delta and United Airlines recently announced that they will be removing the iconic Boeing 747 from their fleet by the end of 2017. This American commercial jet airliner and cargo aircraft was the first wide-bodied passenger jet ever to be produced, but now after 48 years of service the iconic ‘jumbo jet’ will be phased out. The Boeing 747 completed its first flight on February 9th 1969, and was introduced as a commercial airliner in 1970. Known as the ‘Queen of the skies’ the 747-400, the most popular passenger version, can seat up to 416 passengers in a three-class flight. Recognisable by the hump-like shape of the upper deck, this soon-to-be-retired aircraft has featured in over 300 movies such as Die Hard, and will live on in memory as Air Force One, the private plane to the President of the United States.
End Year: 1986
Display Date: 1986
This iconic airplane was designed to fly around the globe on just one tank of gas without stopping. Designed by Burt Rutan, the airframe and engine weighed a total of 1,020 kg, but on the day it set off it weighed in at 4,397 kg with the huge amount of fuel it was carrying. The airplane was flown by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, who had initially planned to take it in turns to fly the plane. However, due to flight handling characteristics resulting from the heavy load, the pilots were unable to swap every three hours as planned, and Rutan is reported to have flown the plane for the first three days straight. The journey was successfully completed in nine days from 14th–26th December 1986.
Antonov An-225 Mriya
End Year: Currently in service
Display Date: 1988
The world’s largest civilian cargo aircraft, the Antonov An-225 Mriya is the only aircraft with six turbofan engines. It can carry up to 250 tonnes or 250,000 kg of cargo over short and medium haul routes, which is the equivalent in weight to 62 female elephants or over 100 Range Rover Sport vehicles. In 2016, ACS chartered the AN-225 to transport the heaviest single piece of air cargo to ever be flown in the Americas. The An-225 has a range of 4500 km and a total load volume of 1100 m³ and is available for cargo charter with ACS.
All of these aircraft were groundbreaking for their time and shaped the aviation industry into what it is today. With big players such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340 set to be phased out, a space has opened up for new, highly advanced passenger and cargo aircraft to take the lead. The future of the aviation industry is big news right now, with digital advancements and increased automation at the forefront and Boeing recently announcing that it is currently undertaking a study on pilotless planes. Watch this space for news on future developments.
Ndege ya Dunia Zaidi Iconic Kufuatilia historia ya ndege ya dunia zaidi iconic kwa njia ya enzi. Ndege za Concorde na Boeing 747 zilikuwa ni ndege za kwanza duniani kutengeneza ndege za aina hiyo. Ndege ya kwanza ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege ya ndege. Ndugu hao wawili walifanya kazi katika utengenezaji wa baiskeli, na waliona kufanana kati ya baiskeli na kubuni ndege, kama vile haja ya usawa, udhibiti na muundo thabiti, mwepesi. Baada ya kutengeneza ndege ya kwanza ya kuelea, ndugu hao waliendelea kuendeleza muundo wa ndege hiyo hadi walipobuni ndege ya kwanza ya kuelea yenye nguvu mwaka 1903. Mfumo wa kudhibiti wa mhimili wa tatu unahesabiwa kwa kiasi kikubwa kwa mafanikio ya ndege, na mabawa yaliyoundwa kwa usawa wa upande, rudder inayoweza kuhamishwa na lifti kwa udhibiti wa pitch. Ndege ya ndugu hao iliyovunja rekodi ya kuruka juu ya jimbo la North Carolina mnamo Desemba 17, 1903, ilidumu sekunde 12 tu, lakini ilikuwa mara ya kwanza katika historia ya binadamu kuruka angani. Wakati wa ndege Wilbur Wright alikuwa amelala juu ya tumbo lake kwenye mrengo wa chini wa ndege. Wakiwa na furaha sana kwa sababu ya mafanikio yao, ndugu hao walifanya safari nyingine tatu za ndege siku hiyo. Mwaka 1945 - Enola Gay, ndege ya kwanza kutupa bomu la atomu. Enola Gay ni ndege ya kivita ya Boeing B-29 iliyopewa jina la mama yake na Paul Tibbetts. Ndege hiyo ilikuwa mali ya Jeshi la Marekani Air Force na ilikuwa katika huduma kutoka 8 Mei 1945 hadi 24 Julai 1946. Enola Gay alirusha bomu lenye uzito wa tani tano juu ya mji wa Hiroshima, Japan, mnamo Agosti 6, 1945, na kuua watu zaidi ya 100,000 na kusababisha uharibifu usio na kifani. Mwaka 1964 - Learjet 23 ilikuwa ndege ya kwanza ya biashara ya uzalishaji wa wingi. Lear ni ndege ya kwanza ya kibinafsi ya Marekani iliyoundwa na Bill Lear mnamo 1964, na ni moja ya ndege za kwanza za kibinafsi za biashara. Ndege hiyo yenye injini mbili iliweza kubeba abiria wanane na wafanyakazi wawili kwa mwendo wa kilomita 560 kwa saa na ilikuwa na uwezo wa kusafiri umbali wa kilometa 1,830. Katika miaka miwili ya uzalishaji, jumla ya ndege 104 za Learjet 23 zilitengenezwa kabla ya mtindo huo kustaafu mnamo 1966. Learjet imekuwa kampuni tanzu ya kampuni ya Canada Bombardier tangu 1990 na inaendelea kuwa kiongozi wa sekta na mifano kama vile Learjet 60XR. Concorde ilikuwa ndege ya kwanza ya ndege ya Concorde kuendeshwa na ndege ya British Airways na Air France mnamo 1969. Ndege hiyo ya abiria yenye injini ya turbojet iliweza kusafiri kwa kasi mara mbili ya sauti na ilifanya safari kwa muda mfupi kuliko ndege ya kawaida. Njia za msingi za Concorde zilikuwa kutoka London Heathrow na Uwanja wa Ndege wa Charles de Gaulle wa Paris kuvuka Atlantiki hadi Uwanja wa Ndege wa Kimataifa wa JFK. Kwa kuwa ndege hiyo ilikuwa na mwendo wa kasi na starehe, ndege hiyo ilitoa uzoefu usio na kifani kwa wale walio na uwezo wa kulipia. Mlipuko wa Concorde wa mwaka 2000 uliwaua watu wote 109 waliokuwa kwenye ndege ya Air France 4590, na kusababisha kupungua kwa idadi ya abiria. Mshtuko huo wa ndege, pamoja na gharama zisizoweza kudhibitiwa na matukio ya Septemba 11, mwaka mmoja baadaye, yalisababisha Concorde kuondolewa katika huduma. Wakati Concorde ilipoondolewa katika huduma mwaka 2003, ndege 20 tu zilikuwa zimetengenezwa. "Mwaka wa 2017: ""Delta na United Airlines hivi karibuni zilitangaza kwamba zitaondoa Boeing 747 kutoka kwa meli zao mwishoni mwa 2017." Ndege hii ya kibiashara ya Marekani ilikuwa ndege ya kwanza ya abiria ya mwili pana iliyowahi kutengenezwa, lakini sasa baada ya miaka 48 ya huduma, ndege ya kipekee ya "jumbo" itaondolewa. Ndege ya Boeing 747 ilifunga safari yake ya kwanza ya ndege Februari 9, 1969 na ilianzishwa kama ndege ya kibiashara mwaka 1970. "Maraisi wa anga, 747-400, ni ndege ya kwanza ya aina ya 747-500, ambayo inaweza kubeba abiria 416 katika ndege ya darasa la tatu.""" Ndege hiyo ya kwanza ya Marekani, ambayo imepigwa marufuku, imeonyeshwa katika filamu zaidi ya 300 kama vile Die Hard na itakumbukwa kama Air Force One, ndege ya kibinafsi ya Rais wa Marekani. Mwaka 1986 - Ndege hii ya kihistoria ilitengenezwa kuruka kuzunguka dunia kwa tangi moja tu la gesi bila kuacha. Ndege hiyo ilibuniwa na Burt Rutan, na injini yake ilizidi uzito wa kilo 1,102, lakini siku ya kuondoka ilikuwa na uzito wa kilo 4,397 kwa sababu ya kiasi kikubwa cha mafuta iliyokuwa ikibeba. Ndege hiyo ilirushwa na Dick Rutan na Jeanne Yeager, ambao awali walikuwa wamepanga kuibadilisha ndege hiyo. Hata hivyo, kwa sababu ya hali ya ndege hiyo, marubani hao hawakuweza kubadilishana kila baada ya saa tatu kama ilivyopangwa, na Rutan alirushwa kwa siku tatu za kwanza. Safari hiyo ilikamilishwa kwa mafanikio katika siku tisa kuanzia Desemba 14, 1986 hadi Desemba 26, 1986. Antonov An-225 Mriya ni ndege ya kwanza ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita ya kivita. Inaweza kubeba mizigo ya tani 250 au kilo 250,000 kwenye njia fupi na za kati, ambayo ni sawa na uzito wa tembo 62 za kike au zaidi ya magari 100 ya Range Rover Sport. ACS ilichukua ndege ya AN-225 mnamo 2016 ili kusafirisha mzigo mzito zaidi wa ndege katika Amerika. An-225 ina mbalimbali ya kilomita 4500 na jumla ya kiasi cha mzigo wa mita 1,100 na inapatikana kwa ajili ya mizigo ya mkataba na ACS. Ndege hizo zote zilikuwa za kisasa kwa wakati wao na zilifanyiza sekta ya anga kuwa ile ilivyo leo. Pamoja na wachezaji wakubwa kama Boeing 747 na Airbus A340 kuweka kuwa hatua kwa hatua nje, nafasi imefunguliwa kwa ajili ya mpya, ya juu sana abiria na mizigo ndege kuchukua uongozi. "Baadaye ya sekta ya anga ni habari kubwa sasa hivi, na maendeleo ya dijiti na kuongezeka kwa automatisering katika mstari wa mbele, na Boeing hivi karibuni ilitangaza kwamba kwa sasa inafanya utafiti juu ya ndege zisizo na rubani. """ Angalia nafasi hii kwa habari juu ya maendeleo ya baadaye.