Editing Aircraft (section)

=== Experimental ===
{{Main|Experimental aircraft}}
[[File:MiniCeline ultralight aircraft.jpeg|thumb|A model aircraft, weighing six grams]]
An ''experimental aircraft'' is an aircraft intended for testing new [[aerospace]] technologies and design concepts.

The term ''research aircraft'' or ''[[testbed aircraft]]'', by contrast, generally denotes aircraft modified to perform scientific studies, such as weather research or geophysical surveying, similar to a [[research vessel]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NOAA research aircraft |url=https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/about_hrd/aircraft.html |access-date=2024-09-29 |website=US NOAA}}</ref>

The term "experimental aircraft" also has specific legal meaning in Australia, the United States and some other countries; usually used to refer to aircraft flown with an [[Airworthiness certificate#Special airworthiness certificate|experimental certificate]].<ref>[http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/0/71F1608EE6AAF580862576E4005B24C6?OpenDocument 14CFR 21.175] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180912092021/http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/0/71F1608EE6AAF580862576E4005B24C6?OpenDocument |date=2018-09-12 }}, US Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 2018-01-12</ref> In the [[United States]], this also includes most [[homebuilt aircraft]], many of which are based on conventional designs and hence are experimental only in name because of certain restrictions in operation.<ref>[http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/0/A9986A485C9E636386256EDF00510840?OpenDocument 14CFR 21.191] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210610094213/http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/0/A9986A485C9E636386256EDF00510840?OpenDocument |date=2021-06-10 }}, US Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 2018-01-12</ref>