Airplanes are fixed-wing aircraft that are propelled through the air by engines.

They are used for transportation, recreation, research and military purposes.

Engines provide the thrust needed to move a plane forward, overcoming drag and allowing the wings to create lift.

Aircraft wings feature a shape called an airfoil which is designed to create lift as the plane moves through the air.

The long, thin body of an aircraft is typically called the fuselage.

Pilots usually control the plane from a cockpit located at the front of the fuselage.

Some aircraft (usually military or experimental) are capable of supersonic flight (breaking the sound barrier) by traveling at speeds faster than sound (1235kph, 768mph).

There have only been two commercial aircraft capable of supersonic transport, the most well known of these was the Concorde which flew between major cities such as London, New York and Paris until 2003.

It took Concorde just three and a half hours to travel from New York to Paris while it took other commercial aircraft around eight hours.

Unmanned aircraft controlled remotely or by computers are known as drones.

American aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright (The Wright Brothers), are believed to be have created the first successful airplane.

Learn more about the principles of flying with our flight facts for kids.