Jet Set Go!

From the moment the Wright brothers lifted their fragile craft into the skies in 1903, aviation has been a story of endless ambition and breathtaking progress. Each decade brought sleeker designs, greater speed, and skies that grew busier with possibilities. Join Vibha Arya, AIS Gur 46, X A, as she takes you on a fascinating flight through some of the most extraordinary marvels in the world of commercial aviation.

Sky mammoth

Name: Airbus A380
First flight: April 27, 2005
Size: Wingspan- 80 m, Length- 73 m
Cruise speed: 903 km/h
Seating capacity: 853 passengers
Asking price: 455 million USD
Trivia: Nicknamed ‘Superjumbo’, it is the world’s largest passenger aircraft. With a total flying range of 15,200 km, equal to India’s land boundary, this double-decker weighs up to five adult whales (575 tonnes) during take-off.

Nature’s wonder

Name: Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
First flight: March 31, 2017
Size: Wingspan- 60 m, Length- 68 m
Cruise speed: 903 km/h
Seating capacity: 344 passengers
Asking price: 350 million USD
Trivia: This aircraft is the longest and largest variant in the 787 family. As it is also the first big aircraft in the world to have its airframe composed exclusively of composite materials, the Dreamliner is a very fuel-efficient and environment-friendly choice.

Hummingbird

Name: Antonov An-2
First flight: August 31, 1947
Size: Wingspan- 18m, Length- 12 m
Cruise speed: 190 km/h
Seating capacity: 12 passengers
Asking price: 1,15,000 USD
Trivia: It can hover in the air and can even appear to be flying backwards when put through a strong headwind, all while remaining in full control of the pilot. It can fly at unbelievably low speeds and has no recorded stall speed in its operating handbook to date.

Sonic boom

Name: Concorde
First flight: March 2, 1969
Size: Wingspan- 25.6 m, Length- 62.1 m
Cruise speed: 2,158 km/h
Seating capacity: 100 passengers
Asking price: 23-26 million GBP in the late 1970s
Trivia: This commercial aircraft can travel twice as fast as the speed of sound, and it can fly at 60,000 ft! It made a record for the fastest commercial transatlantic crossing, from New York to London, in just 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds!

Bush plane hero

Name: de Havilland
Canada DHC-2 Beaver
First flight: August 16, 1947
Size: Wingspan- 14.6 m, Length- 9.22 m
Cruise speed: 230 km/h
Seating capacity: 6 passengers (and 2 crew)
Asking price: 3,50,000-5,25,000 USD
Trivia: A single-engine STOL aircraft, it can take off and touch down on land, water, or snow. Its design is based on research with bush pilots to create a versatile utility aircraft.