Planes

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff Updated by an Factmonster Editor on February 21, 2017

The world's notable passenger, fighter, bomber, experimental, and spy planes

by David Noland

Passenger Planes

Boeing 707
The world's first successful commercial jetliner

Boeing 747
They've flown more than 3.5 billion passengers, the equivalent of more than half the world's population

Concorde
Its futuristic style and Mach 2 speed made it the darling of the jetset

Private Planes

Piper Cub
"Flies like a Cub" is still the pilot's ultimate compliment for an airplane

Lear Jet 23
Brainchild of a tinkerer

Fighter Planes

P-51 Mustang
The most famous and beloved warbird

MiG-15
The air power of the Evil Empire

Lockheed Martin F-16
The world's most popular fighter plane

Bombers

Boeing B-52
More than fifty years later, it's still flying

Northrup B-2 (Stealth Bomber)
The stealth bomber's features cost twice their weight in gold

Experimental and Spy Planes

Bell X-1
A plane that went faster than the speed of sound

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
The plane that literally grew several inches at Mach 3