Cultual Connections

By the middle of the 20th century, jet powered aircraft had been developed, and civilian aircraft was quickly adapted to make use of the new speed and power possible from this new technology. Air travel became even faster than it already was, covering long distances became more efficient, and larger planes with higher payload capacities increased freight capacities. Some companies that are still industry giants today, such as Delta and American Airlines, updated their commercial fleets and really cemented their place in the market. Later, companies such as FedEx and UPS used the speed of jet aircraft to enhance their delivery services and offer even shorter transit times and higher shipment capacities.

Commercial flight is so common that it is often taken for granted. Anyone who has lived in a city is probably used to the sound of planes taking off and landing and barely notices anymore. Thousands of commercial airliner flights take off every day, along with mail and freight planes as a faster alternative to ground and sea freight. In this category, there are two major aircraft production companies: Boeing and Airbus. There is a joint venture forming between Chinese Comac and Japanese Mitsubishi, who hope to eventually become a key player in this market.

Boeing 747

In the private aircraft sector, propeller planes or turboprops are still prevalent, but jet-powered planes are still at the top of the market. Companies such as Embraer and Bombardier thrive here, with the private plane market being similar to the super luxury and coachbuilding niches in the automotive industry, offering completely customizable interiors and different options of powerplants. These private jets are quite expensive, and because of this, they have created a small culture of exclusivity and luxury often associated with the rich and famous. Some smaller regional or luxury airline companies make use of these smaller, better appointed planes to cater to more wealthy individuals.

Embraer Phenom 300

Nearly since the first functioning aircraft was made, airplanes have been put to use by militaries, starting off as spy planes and quickly escalating to dedicated attackers, bombers and fighters. This was mostly due to the two World Wars that happened during the first half of the 20th century, when the first flight occurred. During World War II, jet engines finished development and began to be used in experimental aircraft, used as high speed interceptors such as the British Gloster Meteor that was used to combat the rocket powered German V-2 automated missile.

Gloster Meteor

After World War II came the Cold War, which saw rapid development of new military aircraft from both the Americans and the Soviets. Speed Records were constantly being broken, and supersonic fighters (and even a supersonic airliner) were developed. Stealth technology progressed in leaps and bounds, with notable planes such as the remarkable F-117 Nighthawk at the forefront of innovation. Some designs from the 1970s and 80s are still in use today, such as the F-15 and F-16, using Pratt and Whitney engines, both very old at this point but still very common fighters used in the American air force (and in some other countries' air forces too, just dumbed down).

McDonnell-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle

There have been many American military aircraft manufacturers throughout the years. McDonnell Douglas created of the F-15E, one of America's top air superiority fighters since its conception. Bell Aircraft Corp created the Bell X-1, the first supersonic aircraft. North American Aviation made the iconic P-51 Mustang that is still produced today. Nowadays, the main American military aircraft manufacturers are Lockheed Martin (from a merge of Lockheed Corp and Martin Marietta in the 90s) and Boeing (which absorbed McDonnell Douglas). Today, Lockheed Martin is very well known for their F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II, currently the most capable combat aircraft in the world.

Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor

Other countries have their own manufacturers. Sweden is well-known for their company Saab, which built the Gripen, a capable multi-role fighter still in use today and being actively upgraded, as well as the Viggen, another multi-role fighter. Both are powered by Swedish Volvo powerplants. Russia has had a storied history of advanced fighters from the likes of Sukhoi and Mikoyan (commonly known as Su and MiG), trading blows with the US throughout the 20th century before falling behind. In Japan, a lot of manufacturers involved with making aircraft are still around today: Kawasaki and Honda have and still do make jet engines, and Mitsubishi, once known for its deadly Zero, still makes jets and aircraft today, and is in charge of producing the Japan-spec F-15J. Britain is known for jets like the Harrier, one of the only capable VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) fighters ever made, produced by Hawker Siddeley, which merged into British Aerospace (BAe), which became a subsidiary of General Electric called BAE Systems.

Saab JAS 39 Gripen