Talk:Fixed-wing aircraft/Comments

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The article is basically excellent, covering a sensible chunk of information, rigorously and in detail. I have one, rather strong, objection : the name of the article - Fixed Wing Aircraft. This not a correct designation ; instead the article talks about Airplanes or Aeroplanes - and there's the rub. In an attempt to be "international" the term Fixed-Wing Aircraft (which is unknown and inaccurate) has been used. Sometimes this is abbreviated to "Aircraft" (when talking specifically about aeroplanes), which is even worse.

The correct definition of an aeroplane is : [1] has wings, [2] has no rotor, [3] is heavier than air, and [4] is self-propelled. Even this set of criteria is unsatisfactory in identifying some novel aircraft such as the FanWing, lifting-body aircraft, powered gliders, and the swing-wing aeroplanes.

I propose the article should be re-titled back to its original title, Airplanes, which is overwhelmingly the main topic of the article.

Mark: 8/10. -- OrangUtanUK 12:10, 23 August 2006 (UTC)