Aircraft
Aircraft Stats Based on FAA Registry
Some observations before we dive into different segments:
- More than 90% of the roughly 220,000 civil aircraft registered in the United States are general aviation aircraft.
- The No.1 Cessna and No.3 Beechcraft are both subsidiaries of Textron Aviation.
- Cessna 172 and Piper PA-28 are the most popular aircraft for training, so no surprise that Cessna and Piper are the top 2. However the absolute numbers of both brands are decreasing.
- Cirrus is climbing fast, with the help of the best selling SR22.
Brand | Single Piston | Twin Piston | Single Turboprop | Twin Turoboprop | Single Jet | Twin Jet |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cessna | 172/182/206 | 208 | 408 | Citation | ||
Beechcraft | G36 | G58 | Denali | King Air | ||
Piper | PA-28 | PA-34/44 | M500/M600 | |||
Cirrus | SR20/22 | SF50 | ||||
Diamond | DA40 / DA50 RG | DA42 / DA62 | ||||
Daher | TBM / Kodiak | |||||
Pilatus | PC-12NG | PC-24 | ||||
Epic | Epic E1000 |
Class of Aircraft
Class 1 or 2 aircraft typically include piston aircraft weighing 6,000 lbs or less, while Class 3 aircraft typically include piston or turbine aircraft weighing between 6,001 lbs and 12,500 lbs.
Piston
2-seater Trainers
- Cessna 150/152
- Piper PA-28-140
- Piper PA-38 Tomahawk
- DA20
4-seater Single Piston
Most popular single engine, 4-seater:
- Cessna 172: metal, 44,000+ built since 1956
- Lycoming O-360, Avgas (100 LL).
- Aluminum prop.
- Piper PA-28: metal, 32,000+ built since 1961
- Cirrus SR22: composite airframe, 6,000+ built since 2001, world's best-selling general aviation (GA) airplane every year since 2003
- Continental IO-550-N Six cylinder
- Diamond DA40: composite airframe, since 1997
- Jet Fuel (Jet A-1)
- Fully computerized; no spark plugs, no magnetos.
- Composite prop.
Mooney (M20) and Grumman used to compete in the same space but both ceased production.
6-seater Single Piston
In Production
- Cessna 206 Stationair
- Beechcraft Bonanza
Ceased production
- Cessna 210
- Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six
Twin Piston
Twin pistons are losing popularity, Cessna used to build quite a few different twin piston models (310 / 320 / 401 / 402 / 404 / 411, etc), now Cessna builds none; Cessna's sister company Beechcraft still offers Baron. Piper has 2 models: Seneca and Seminole, the latter one is mostly for training. Diamond Twin Star is a diesel twin, burning jet fuel instead of avgas.
- Beechcraft Baron
- Piper PA-34 Seneca
- Piper PA-44 Seminole: for training
- Diamond DA42 Twin Star: 168hp jet fuel engines from Austro Engine AE300
Reasons for the decline? New single pistons like Cirrus SR22 are more powerful and can climb and cruise similar to twins. More advanced twins are being replaced by turbine engines.
Light Sport Aircraft (LSA)
MTOW: 1,320 lbs (600 kg) or 1,430 lbs for seaplanes (650 kg); max speed 120 knots; max 2 seats; max 1 engine, unpressurized cabin, fixed landing gear, fixed-pitch, two-blade.
- Citabria
- CubCrafters
- Aviat Husky: https://aviataircraft.com/
- Aviat Husky is marketed as "America’s Favorite Taildragger."
- Cessna 162
- Icon A5
Homebuilt, not certificated, licensed Experimental under FAA or similar local regulations.
- Van's Aircraft: https://www.vansaircraft.com/
- Kitfox
- Glasair: composite
- Lancair: composite
Biplanes
Biplanes are commonly used in aerobatics because they have greater maneuverability and usually deliver a faster roll rate than monoplanes.
Biplanes in production:
- Aviat Pitts Special
- Aviat Eagle: originally designed to compete with the Pitts Special.
- Waco YMF-5
- Waco Great Lakes
Turboprops
Single-engine Turboprops (SETP)
- Beechcraft Denali
- Cessna Grand Caravan
- Pilatus PC-12NG
- Daher TBM 940
- Daher Kodiak 100
- Piper M500/M600
- Epic E1000
Twin Turboprops
In Production
- Beechcraft King Air
- Piaggio P.180 Avanti: 9-seat, Italian, twin-engine, turboprop
- Cessna 408 SkyCourier
- ATR 42/72
- Dash 8 Q400
- AVIC MA60/MA600/MA700
Out of Production
- SAAB 340
- Cessna 441/425
Jets
Very Light Jets
Very light jets: MTOW around or under 10,000 pounds (4,540 kg), seating 4 to 8.
Eclipse 500 was the first one in this category, 260 were built between 2006 and 2008; then Eclipse 550 was produced between 2014 and 2018.
Current only 4 models in production:
- Cirrus Vision SF 50: since 2016, single engine,
- HongdaJet: since 2015
- Cessna Citation M2: since 2013, MTOW 10,700 lb (4,853 kg); the smaller Citation Mustang stopped production in 2017.
- Embraer Phenom 100: since 2008, MTOW 10,582 lb (4,800 kg)
Business Jets
- Gulfstream
- Dassault Falcon
- Bombardier
Regional Jets
- Embraer E-Jets
- CRJ700/900/1000
- ARJ21
- Sukhoi Superjet
- Mitsubishi MRJ70/90
Mainline Airliners
- Boeing
- Airbus
More details: Airliners
Electric
By Brands
Diamond
https://www.diamondaircraft.com/en/
Based in Austria, Chinese-owned.
- DA20: 2-seat, single-engine.
- DA40: 4-seat, single-engine, composite airframe.
- DA42: 4-seat, twin-engine; 2x Austro Engine AE 300 turbocharged diesel engine.
- DA50 RG: 5-seat, single-engine, RG = Retractable Gear.
- DA62: 7-seat, twin-engine.
Pilatus
https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/en
- Pilatus PC-6: single-engined STOL utility aircraft, with both piston and turboprop versions.
- Pilatus PC-12: single-engined turboprop
- Pilatus PC-24: twin-engined jet
- Pilatus PC-21: single-engined turboprop (fighter) trainer
Daher
Both Kodiak and TBM are turboprops.
- Kodiak 100: for air-taxi, 10-seat, unpressurized, capable of operating from rough and short trips
- TBM 960/910: for business. 960 and 910 are in production.
- TBM 960 (2022): Replaced 940.
- TBM 940 (2019): Garmin G3000 + autothrottle; autoland. Replaced 930.
- TBM 930 (2016).
- TBM 910: Garmin G1000 NXi.
De Havilland Canada
Currently only produce Dash 8-400.
Some of the seaplanes are still in service:
- DHC-2 Beaver: 5-6 PAX
- DHC-3 Otter: 10-14 PAX
- DHC-6 Twin Otter: 18 PAX
Harbour Air Seaplanes operates DHC-2, DHC-3 and DHC-6, for tours and private charters.
Tecnam
- P2008: 2-seat
- P2010: 4-seat, high wing piston; composite fuselage, metal wing and landing gear; competing with Cessna 172/182.
- P2006T: the only Rotax powered twin. Rotax has lower fuel burn, often used for training.
- Astore: replacing P2002 Sierra
- P2012 Traveller: 11-seat, designed basedon Cape Air's request. Cape Air ordered 100 to replace its fleet of Cessna 402
Gulfstream
https://www.gulfstream.com/en/
The names reflect the max ranges:
- G800: 8,000 nm /14,816 km range the longest range of any currently announced business jet https://www.gulfstream.com/en/aircraft/gulfstream-g800/
- G700: 7,500 nm
- G650/G650ER
- G600: 6,600 nm
- G500: 5,300 nm
- G400: 4,200 nm, the entry point into Gulfstream's large-cabin family.
- G280: 3,600 nm
Notes:
- G800 will have the same fuselage as the G650ER but borrows many of the elements designed for the G700. That included the cabin seats, cabinetry, and lighting, in addition to the aforementioned Symmetry flight deck, wing, tail, and Rolls engines. When the G800 eventually replaces the G650ER, all of Gulfstream’s large-cabin jets will have common flight decks—notably Honeywell Epic-based Symmetry avionics and BAE Systems active control sidesticks—that will make it easier for pilots to transition between these fly-by-wire aircraft.
- the G400 through G600 will have a common pilot type rating; the G700 and G800 will also have a common pilot rating.
- G400, G500, and G600 will share the same tail and fuselage cross-section but have slightly different variants of the Pratt & Whitney PW800-series engine. All three of these jets will be made at the Northwest manufacturing facility at Gulfstream’s Savannah campus. the exterior length of the G400 is about 10 feet shorter than its G500 sibling
- G700 and G800 will share a wing, tail, and fuselage cross-section, in addition to the Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 turbofans, which are on track to receive FAA certification early next year. These ultra-long-range airplanes will be manufactured at the current G650ER production facility in Savannah; G650ER production is in the process of being moved a few doors down to the former G450/550 manufacturing facility.
Dassault
https://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/
Headquarters in Paris, France.
- Falcon 10X: in development, 2025. To compete with the Bombardier Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G700. Range: 7,500 nm
- Falcon 8X / 7X: trijet, developed from Falcon 900
- Falcon 6X: twinjet; range: 5,500 nm
- Falcon 2000LXS (long-range) / 2000S (short-field)
- Falcon 900LX: trijet
HondaJet
aircraft | Max. Cruise Speed | Max. Cruise Altitude | Max Range |
---|---|---|---|
HondaJet | 422 KTAS | FL430 | 1223 nm |
HondaJet-Elite-S | 422 KTAS | FL430 | 1437 nm |
HondaJet 2600 | 450 KTAS | FL470 | 2625 nm |
HondaJet 2600 would be the longest-range single-pilot business aircraft.
Maule
Maule Air, Inc. is a manufacturer of light, single-engined, short take-off and landing (STOL) aircraft, based in Moultrie, Georgia, U.S.
In production: M-7, MX-7 and M-9.
X
in the model name indicates a slightly smaller fuselage, and the presence of a T
indicates a tricycle-gear configuration.
American Champion Aircraft
https://www.americanchampionaircraft.com/
Citabria, Decathlon, Scout.
Pipistrel
Slovenian.
- Panthera: lightweight, all-composite, highly efficient four-seat aircraft.
- Velis Electro: full-electric.
Elixir
French.
Elixir 912iS: two-seat light aircraft.
Epic
Epic E1000: all composite, started delivery in 2020, 1200 hp, over 330 knots, will be the fastest single-engine civil aircraft. E1000 is currently the only offering. Headquartered in Bend, Oregon, owned by the Russian company S7 Technics.
Extra
German.
- Extra NG: two-seat aerobatic monoplane.
Flight Design
German.
- Flight Design CT: high-wing, tricycle undercarriage, two seat, ultralight and light-sport aircraft.
Game Composites
British.
- Game Composites GB1 GameBird: single-engine, tandem two-seat, aerobatic, composite structure.
Zlin
Czech. Located at the Zlín Airfield on the outskirts of Otrokovice.
Sling
South Africa.
CubCrafters
Carbn Cub, XCub, TopCub.
AVIC / COMAC
- COMAC ARJ21
- COMAC C919
- COMAC CR929
United Aircraft Corporation
The Russian government merged Irkut with Mikoyan, Ilyushin, Sukhoi, Tupolev, and Yakovlev as a new company named United Aircraft Corporation.
- Sukhoi Superjet 100 (comparable to A220)
- Irkut MC-21 (comparable to A320)
Discontinued
Mitsubishi SpaceJet
Cancelled in 2023.