Air transport
From Envirowiki
Air transport is a category of moving things, goods or people, by air. a number of methods exist, the most common or which is the aeroplane. Aeroplanes are and relatively fast method of transport, and can easily cross half the earth in under 24 hours (excluding required stop for re-fuelling). they are also relatively innefficient, using a lot of fuel. for this reason, as well as the fact that a lot of air travel happens in the upper atmosphere (10km altitude), means that air travel is responsible for a disproportionate amount of global warming
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[edit] Types of Air Transport
[edit] Aeroplane
most common form of air transport - used from very small (single seater) to huge (eg, the AirBus A380 which can carry over 800 people). most international travel is done in aeroplanes, mostly in large passenger jets, such as the Boeing 747
[edit] Helicopter
the Helicopter is perhaps the next most common form of air transport, due partly to it's maneuverability.
[edit] Blimp
blimps, airships, or zeppelins are a lighter-than-air method of air transport, as opposed to aeroplanes or helicopters. they are kept aloft by the low weight of gases (such as helium) inside the balloon. this means that they require no energy for uplift, only for forward motion, making them somewhat more efficient than aeroplanes.
[edit] Hot Air balloons
Hot Air Balloons are the oldest successful method of air transport. they are kept aloft by heating the air inside the baloon, thus making it less dense and lighter. They have no method of steering, only of changing height.
[edit] Gliders
gliders (including hang-gliders) operate on similar principle to aeroplanes, but have in-built method of propulsion. they either glide down slowly after being dragged upwards by a powered aeroplane, or glide upwards on thermal updrafts
[edit] relative efficiency
| type of air craft | cruising height (maximum) | cruising speed(maximum) | maximum flight distance | maximum weight | fuel efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aeroplane (Boeing 747-400) | 10,000m (??) | 913 km/h | 9,200 km | 413,636 kg | fuel capacity= 216,840 litres |
