Facts & challenges
Start with a silhouette, stay for the explanation.
Identify that aircraft
Six silhouettes, six explanations and a chance to replay.
Explore →TOOL
Aircraft comparison
Read the row labels before hunting for a winner.
Explore →TOOL
The spotter’s checklist
Keep a small outing organised, saved on this device.
Explore →Myth or useful fact?
Air over a wing has to meet the air below it at the back.
Myth. Equal transit time is not a requirement for lift. NASA explains the flow and pressure relationship without this reunion story.
Read the lift explainer →An advertised range tells you where every flight can go.
Myth. Variant, payload and operating conditions matter. A published capability is not the remaining range of a real flight.
Understand range →A first flight and an entry into service are the same milestone.
Myth. A prototype may fly well before an operator begins service. Our timeline names the event.
Explore the timeline →The curious beginner’s reading room
How wings work
Lift without the misleading reunion story.
Explore →FactsFour forces, one flight
A useful starting point for understanding an aeroplane.
Explore →FactsYour first plane-spotting day
A small, observant outing beats an ambitious checklist.
Explore →FactsA thoughtful flight-sim starting point
Choose the experience before buying the controls.
Explore →