Editing Aircraft (section)

=== Lighter-than-air ===
{{Main|Aerostat}}Lighter-than-air aircraft or ''[[aerostat]]s'' use [[buoyancy]] to float in the air in much the same way that ships float on the water. They are characterized by one or more large cells or canopies, filled with a [[lifting gas]] such as [[helium]], [[hydrogen]] or [[Hot air balloon|hot air]], which is less [[Density|dense]] than the surrounding air. Other gases lighter than air also theoretically work, however, such gases also needs to be same for human use (non-flammable, non-toxic).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-12 |title=What Is a Lifting Gas? - National Aviation Academy |url=https://www.naa.edu/lifting-gas/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Small hot-air balloons, called [[sky lantern]]s, were first invented in ancient China prior to the 3rd century BC and used primarily in cultural celebrations, although they also had military purposes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=26 May 2024 |title=The Fascinating History of Hot Air Balloons: From Ancient Sky Lanterns to Modern Marvels |work=History Tools |url=https://www.historytools.org/stories/the-fascinating-history-of-hot-air-balloons-from-ancient-sky-lanterns-to-modern-marvels |access-date=26 April 2025}}</ref> They, along with [[kite]]s, were two forms of [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|unmanned]] aircraft that originated from China.<ref>{{Cite web |last=MAK |date=2025-01-22 |title=The Origin of Kites in Ancient China - CS Kites |url=https://cskites.com/blog/the-origin-of-kites-in-ancient-china/ |access-date=2025-04-26 |language=en-US}}</ref> Kites were also used in the military, but unlike sky lanterns, their flight is caused by the differences of air pressure beneath and above the kite.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ashish |date=2016-08-02 |title=Why Is It Difficult To Fly Kites On Non-Windy Days? |url=https://www.scienceabc.com/pure-sciences/physics-kite-flying-how-to-make-aerodynamic-structure.html#:~:text=Kites%20fly%20because%20of%20the%20aerodynamic%20forces%20of,of%20the%20kite%20is%20balanced%20by%20the%20lift. |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=ScienceABC |language=en-US}}</ref>[[File:Colorado Springs Hot Air Balloon Competition.jpg|thumb|Hot air [[Balloon (aeronautics)|balloons]]]]
[[File:USS Akron (ZRS-4) in flight over Manhattan, circa 1931-1933.jpg|thumb|Airship [[USS Akron|USS ''Akron'']] over Manhattan in the 1930s]]A [[balloon (aeronautics)|balloon]] was originally any aerostat, while the term [[airship]] was used for large, powered aircraft designs&nbsp;— usually fixed-wing.<ref>[http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth172915/ US patent 467069] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223070653/http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark%3A/67531/metapth172915/ |date=23 February 2014}} "Air-ship" referring to a compound aerostat/rotorcraft.</ref><ref>[[Ezekiel Airship]] (1902) [http://www.wright-brothers.org/History_Wing/History_of_the_Airplane/History_of_the_Airplane_Intro/History_of_the_Airplane_Intro.htm wright-brothers.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203131729/http://www.wright-brothers.org/History_Wing/History_of_the_Airplane/History_of_the_Airplane_Intro/History_of_the_Airplane_Intro.htm |date=3 December 2013}}[http://altereddimensions.net/2012/burrell-cannon-flies-first-airplane altereddimensions.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222065900/http://altereddimensions.net/2012/burrell-cannon-flies-first-airplane |date=22 February 2014}} "airship," – referring to an HTA aeroplane.</ref><ref>[http://gustavewhitehead.org/news_journalism/1901_-_flying.html The Bridgeport Herald, August 18, 1901] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803021718/http://gustavewhitehead.org/news_journalism/1901_-_flying.html |date=3 August 2013}} – "air ship" referring to Whitehead's aeroplane.</ref><ref>Cooley Airship of 1910, also called the Cooley monoplane.{{Cite web|url=http://www.wright-brothers.org/History_Wing/Aviations_Attic/UFOs/UFOs.htm|title=Unbelievable Flying Objects|access-date=10 February 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102031147/http://www.wright-brothers.org/History_Wing/Aviations_Attic/UFOs/UFOs.htm|archive-date=2 November 2013}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.xpolet.eu.org|title=Round Aircraft Designs|access-date=7 September 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402075442/http://celticowboy.com/Round%20Aircraft%20Designs.htm|archive-date=2 April 2012}} – a heavier-than-air monoplane.</ref><ref>Frater, A.; ''The Balloon Factory'', Picador (2009), p. 163. Wright brothers' "airship."</ref><ref>[http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=879 George Griffith, ''The angel of the Revolution'', 1893] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222154830/http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/content.asp?Bnum=879 |date=22 February 2014}}&nbsp;— "air-ship," "vessel" referring to a VTOL compound rotorcraft (not clear from the reference if it might be an aerostat hybrid.)</ref> In 1919, [[Frederick Handley Page]] was reported as referring to "ships of the air," with smaller passenger types as "Air yachts."<ref>[http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=AS19190224.2.104 Auckland Star, 24 February 1919] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140324163806/http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=AS19190224.2.104 |date=24 March 2014}} "Ships of the air," "Air yachts" – passenger landplanes large and small</ref> In the 1930s, large intercontinental flying boats were also sometimes referred to as "ships of the air" or "flying-ships".<ref>[http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17455790 The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 11 April 1938] – "ship of the airs," "flying-ship," referring to a large flying-boat.</ref><ref>[http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/america-by-air/online/innovation/innovation16.cfm Smithsonian, America by air] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118135217/http://airandspace.si.edu/exhibitions/america-by-air/online/innovation/innovation16.cfm |date=18 January 2014}} "Ships of the Air" referring to Pan Am's Boeing Clipper flying-boat fleet.</ref>