Kit/Plans
Self explanatory.

Kit

This design is only available as a kit. (Most kits don't include the engine(s), avionics, upholstery, paint, etc.)

Plans

This design is only available as a set of plans.

Kit or plans

This design may be built from a kit or "from scratch" by using plans.

Plans or partial kit

This design may be built from plans, but a partial kit is optionally available.

Partial kit

This design is only available as a kit, but a significant portion of the aircraft is not included. (Usually reducing the cost by not providing commonly available items.)

Seats
Self explanatory.

Single seat

Self explanatory.

Two seat

Two seats arranged side by side.

Tandem seat

Two seats arranged one in front of the other. In a Biplane, the pilot is typically the rear seat. In most other configurations the pilot is typically the front.

Three seat

Most three seat designs have two front seats with a jump seat behind. The pilot typically is the front left seat. But in a Biplane, the pilot is typically the single rear seat.

Four seat, etc.

Self explanatory.

Wing
Type of wing used in the design.

Low wing

Primary wing connected to the bottom of the fuselage.

Mid wing

Primary wing connected to the middle of the fuselage.

High wing

Primary wing connected to the top of the fuselage.

Parasol wing

Primary wing located above the fuselage, connected via rods.

Biplane

Two primary wings, usually located one above the other.

Triplane

Three primary wings, usually located together. The most famous example is the Fokker DR-1 Triplane.

Canard

Main wing located in the back, with the elevator and horizontal stabilizer, called the Canard, located in the front of the aircraft.

Rotor

Instead of a wing, the main lifting structure is a rotor. This is used in helicopters and gyrocraft.

Removable wing

The primary wing of the completed aircraft is designed to be removed for more compact storage or transport. This is usally not a simple process and often requires two people to accomplish.

Folding wing

The primary wing of the completed aircraft is designed to swing towards the tail for more compact storage or transport.

Parachute

The primary wing is a parachute that fills and creates lift with forward motion. The motor and prop may be mounted on the pilot like a "backpack" or may be mounted on a more conventional tube-based fuselage with wheels and a seat.

Flying wing

The aircraft fuselage is integrated with the wing with little or no differentiation. Most notable is the absence of a tail section

Inverted gull wing

The wing angles down from the fuselage, then bends upward. The most famous example is the World War II Corsair.

Materials
What types of materials are used in the construction of the design. Most designs use a combination of these materials.

Composite

A combination of a fabric, such as fiberglass, and a resin, such as epoxy, to form a very light and strong structure. Other examples are carbon fiber and Kevlar. When layed up using a mold it is self supporting. Wet layups use a foam core as a shape template.

Metal

Primarily sheet metal welded or bolted together.

Wood

Can be used as structure, such as wing ribs, as well as the skin.

Tube

Metal tubes used for the structure.

Fabric

Used as the skin of wings or the entire aircraft. The structure is typically tube or wood.

Landing Gear
Landing gear configuration(s) and options.

Trigear

Nose wheel in the front and two main gears behind.

Tailwheel

Two main gear in front with a tailwheel. Also refered to as a "taildragger." Commonly used in biplanes and classic aircraft or replicas.

Trigear or tailwheel

May be optionally built in either configuration

Retractable

Landing gear retracts in flight.

Retractable nosegear

Nose gear only retracts in flight. This is common with Canard aircraft.

Amphibian

Capable of landing on a conventional runway or water. Typically, the aircraft structure has a boat-like bottom with retractable conventional gear.

Floats

Floats in place of landing gear. May be amphibious or only capable of landing on water.

Flying Boat

Only able to land on water. The bottom of the fuselage structure forms a boat. May have pontoons on wings to keep the wings above the water.

Skids

Tubular metal used to support the aircraft on the ground. Typically used for helicopters since they don't need to taxi on the ground and it saves wieght.

Foot launched

The entire aircraft is supported by the pilot until it is launched. This is typical of hang gliders and rare, extremely light gliders.

Single wheel

A single wheel, sometimes augmented by skids on outlying structures. Commonly used by gliders.

Tandem wheel

Two wheels arranged one in front of the other, usually on the main structure. This is often augmented by skids on the wings. Commonly used on gliders.

Unusual
Anything out of the ordinary that may be a distinguishing feature. This list could be thousands of terms. In the interest of brevity we limit them to the following.

Twin engine

Self explanatory.

Pusher

Some designs the prop is in the rear and it "pushes" the aircraft, hence the term, "Pusher." Most propeller based aircraft use a tractor type configuration where the prop is in the front of the aircraft and "pulls" the aircraft.

Turboprop

Designed to use a turbine based engine driving a propeller rather than a cylinder based reciprocating engine.

Turbojet

A jet engine based design.

Sailplane

An aircraft that has no engine and an exceptionally high lift to drag ratio. It is typically designed to be launched by being towed by a powered aircraft. Once released it rides thermals to stay airborne. Also called a glider.

Motorglider

A sailplane that has a small motor. These can be self-launched on their own power. Some can then retract the motor and prop into the fuselage.

Helicopter

An aircraft with a powered rotor providing both lift and propulsion.

Gyroplane

An aircraft with an unpowered rotor providing lift and a prop, usually a pusher, providing forward propulsion. The air moving through the rotor causes it to spin and provide lift.

Ultralight

An aircraft that meets FAA criteria, such as maximum weight, to be classified as an Ultralight rather than a Homebuilt Experimental. Ultralights do not require a Pilot's License, Medical, or aircraft certifications. But they are extremely limited in capability.

Open cockpit

Most aircraft have an enclosed cockpit. But most biplanes instead have an open cockpit. For many this brings back the nostalgic time of the early days of aviation.

Pressurized

The cockpit can be built to control the outflow of air to provide a cabin altitude lower than the pressure altitude the aircraft is flying through.

Replica

An aircraft based on a past design, usually a classic aircraft or warbird. Often, these are scaled down to make them more cost effective to operate. And many have changes made to make them safer to operate.

Aerobatic

An aircraft capable of flight maneuvers such as loops, inverted flight, etc.

Folding wing option

Can optionally be built so the wings can fold.

Jump seat option

Can optionally have a jump seat installed to allow a third passenger by sacrificing cargo space.

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