The 12 best selling aircraft in the world

Recently, a solar-powered plane completed its test flight successfully. It flew from San Francisco to Phoenix took 18 hours and 18 minutes using only the sun’s energy.

While its uncertain if the future of flying can be planes using solar energy, let’s take a look most produced aircraft in the world.

The list includes aircraft that are still in production and also those who are used for civil purposes.

Cessna 172

Number produced: Over 43,000

Country: US

Production period: 1956 - present

The single-engine four-seater aircraft is manufactured by Cessna Aircraft Company. It is the most successful mass-produced aircraft in the history.

Piper Cherokee

Number produced: Over 32,778

Country: US

Production period: 1960 - present

Built by Piper Aircraft, this single-engine plane is designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use.

Piper has created variations within the Cherokee family by using different power engines (140 to 300 hp), providing turbocharging.

Cessna 182

Number produced: Over 23,237

Country: US

Production period: 1956 – present

Similar to Cessna 172, even this model is a single-engine, four-seater aircraft.

Under license, Cessna 182s were also built in Argentina by DINFIA (called A182), and by Reims Aviation, France, as the F-182.

Beechcraft Bonanza

Number produced: Over 22,000

Country: US

Production period: 1947 - present

This is the longest production airplane built by Beechcraft Aircraft Corporation.

The Bonanza is popular with air charter companies, and is operated by private individuals and companies.

Antonov An-2

Number produced: over 18,000

Country: Soviet Union, People's Republic of China, and Poland

Production period: 1947 - present

The single-engine biplane is used in agriculture and utility service. It is designed and manufactured by Antonov Design Bureau.

As of 2013, there were thousands of An-2 still in operation around the world, including over 1,500 in Russia, 294 in Kazakhstan and 54 in Ukraine, according to Wikipedia.

Mil Mi-8

Number produced: Over 17,000

Country: Soviet Union/Russia

Production period: 1961 - present

Designed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and built by Kazan Helicopter Plant and Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, Mil Mi-8 is the most produced helicopter and used by more than 50 countries.

Usually used as a transport helicopter, it can also be used as gunship.

Chotia Weedhopper

Number produced: 13,000

Country: US

Production period: 1977 - present

This ultra light aircraft is also available as a kit for amateur construction and can be assembled in 25-30 man-hours.

It has been popular because it offered people an inexpensive way to fly for pleasure. The aircraft could be easily disassembled and put on a trailer for home storage.

It can be flown from just about any field because of its short takeoff and landing requirements (about 100 feet with no obstacles).

Cessna 206

Number produced: 8,509

Country: US

Production period: 1962 - present

This single-engine light aircraft is used for commercial air service and also for personal use. These airplanes are also used for aerial photography, skydiving and other utility purposes.

Boeing 737

Number produced: 7,386

Country: US

Production period: 1967 - present

The 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers. This twin engine aircraft is used on small to medium routes.

Bell 206 Jetranger

Number produced: over 7.340

Country: US and Canada

Production period: 1966 - present

The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- or twin-engine helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter.

The company had originally made the helicopter for US military but it failed to be selected. Bell redesigned it and started marketing it for commercial use.

Robinson R44

Number produced: 5,610

Country: US

Production period: 1993 - present

The Robinson R44 is a single-engine four-seat light helicopter. It is produced by the Robinson Helicopter Company.

The aircraft is operated by many private individuals, companies, and flying clubs.

Airbus A320 family

Number produced: 5,307

Country: European Union

Production period: 1988–present

The Airbus A320 family consists of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners. Some of the jets in the family include A318, A319, A320 and A321.

These aircraft can accommodate up to 220 passengers and has a range of 3,100 km to 12,000 km.

As of July 2013, a total of 5,677 Airbus A320 family aircraft have been delivered, of which 5,481 are in service.

25 airlines flying oldest planes in the world

While airlines like Emirates and Qatar Airways are using new planes, there are some carriers that have ageing fleet.

Let's take a look at some airlines having oldest fleet in the world.

Source: Bloomberg Visual Data

Allegiant Air

Headquarters: Enterprise, Nevada

Country: The United States

Average age of planes: 23.0 years

Overall rank: 1

Allegiant Air, which was founded in 1997, is a low-cost carrier in America.

Delta Air Lines

Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia

Country: The United States

Average age of planes: 15.8 years

Overall rank: 2

Delta Air Lines, which was founded in 1924, is a major American carrier.

Aeromexico

Headquarters: Mexico City

Country: Mexico

Average age of planes: 15.2 years

Overall rank: 3

Aeromexico, which was founded in 1934, is the national carrier of Mexico.

Southwest Airlines

Headquarters: Dallas, Texas

Country: The United States

Average age of planes: 14.7 years

Overall rank: 4

Southwest Airlines, which was founded in 1967, is the world's largest low-cost carrier.

US Airways

Headquarters: Tempe, Arizona

Country: The United States

Average age of planes: 14.6 years

Overall rank: 5

US Airways, which was founded in 1937, employs 32,213 people worldwide and operates 3,028 daily flights.

United Airlines

Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois

Country: The United States

Average age of planes: 13.7 years

Overall rank: 6

United Airlines, which was founded in 1926, is the world's largest airline in terms of fleet size and number of destinations.

Cathay Pacific Airways

Headquarters: Hong Kong

Country: Hong Kong

Average age of planes: 13.0 years

Overall rank: 7

Cathay Pacific Airways, which was founded in 1946, is the international flag carrier of Hong Kong.

Asiana Airlines

Headquarters: Seoul

Country: South Korea

Average age of planes: 12.6 years

Overall rank: 8

Asiana Airlines, which was founded in 1988, is one of South Korea's two major airlines.

Lufthansa

Headquarters: Cologne

Country: Germany

Average age of planes: 12.4 years

Overall rank: 9

Lufthansa, which was founded in 1953, is the largest airline in Europe.

Norwegian Air

Headquarters: Stavanger

Country: Norway

Average age of planes: 12.3 years

Overall rank: 10

Norwegian Air, which was founded in 1993, is the third largest low-cost carrier in Europe.

Thai Airways

Headquarters: Bangkok

Country: Thailand

Average age of planes: 12.2 years

Overall rank: 11

Thai Airways, which was founded in 1960, flies to 75 destinations in 35 countries, using a fleet of more than 80 aircraft.

Air France

Headquarters: Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport Tremblay-en-France

Country: France

Average age of planes: 11.5 years

Overall rank: 12

Air France, which was founded in 1933, serves 35 destinations in France and operates services to 164 destinations in 93 countries.

Eva Airways

Headquarters: Taoyuan County

Country: Taiwan

Average age of planes: 11.3 years

Overall rank: 13

Eva Airways, which was founded in 1989, operates to more than 40 international destinations.

Garuda Airlines

Headquarters: Banten

Country: Indonesia

Average age of planes: 11.3 years

Overall rank: 14

Garuda Airlines, which was founded in 1949, is the flag carrier of Indonesia.

Air New Zealand

Headquarters: Auckland City

Country: New Zealand

Average age of planes: 11.2 years

Overall rank: 15

Air New Zealand, which was founded in 1939, is the national airline of New Zealand.

Japan Airlines

Headquarters: Tokyo

Country: Japan

Average age of planes: 11.2 years

Overall rank: 16

Japan Airlines, which was founded in 1951, is the flag carrier of Japan.

Philippines Airline

Headquarters: Pasay City

Country: The Philippines

Average age of planes: 11.2 years

Overall rank: 17

Philippines Airline, which was founded in 1935, is the oldest commercial airline in Asia.

China Airlines

Headquarters: Taoyuan

Country: Taiwan

Average age of planes: 11.0 years

Overall rank: 18

China Airlines, which was founded in 1959, is the largest airline in Taiwan

Alaska Airlines

Headquarters: Seattle, Washington

Country: The United States

Average age of planes: 10.6 years

Overall rank: 19

Alaska Airlines, which was founded in 1932, operates flights in the United States, Canada, Mexico and four Hawaiian Islands.

Hainan Airlines

Headquarters: Hainan

Country: China

Average age of planes: 10.1 years

Overall rank: 20

Hainan Airlines, which was founded in 1989, is the fourth-largest airline in terms of fleet size in China.

Korean Air

Headquarters: Seoul

Country: South Korea

Average age of planes: 9.9 years

Overall rank: 21

Korean Air, which was founded in 1946, is the largest airline of South Korea.

All Nippon Airways

Headquarters: Tokyo

Country: Japan

Average age of planes: 9.8 years

Overall rank: 22

All Nippon Airways, which was founded in 1952, operates to 49 destinations in Japan and 32 international routes.

Gol

Headquarters: Sao Paulo

Country: Brazil

Average age of planes: 9.5 years

Overall rank: 23

Gol, which was founded in 2000, is a Brazilian low-cost airline.

KLM

Headquarters: Amstelveen

Country: The Netherlands

Average age of planes: 9.4 years

Overall rank: 24

KLM, which was founded in 1919, is the flag carrier of the Netherlands.

Westjet

Headquarters: Calgary, Alberta

Country: Canada

Average age of planes: 9.3 years

Overall rank: 25

Westjet, which was founded in 1996, is a Canadian low-cost carrier.

Airbus 'plane of the future' will blow your mind

The world’s largest supplier of passenger aircraft (in 2011), Airbus has a huge stake in the future of aviation. And so its experts have been looking ahead towards mid-century and imagining what that future might look like in terms of everything from energy sources and air traffic management to new aircraft designs and passengers' in-flight experience.

Here’s an Airbus Concept Plane that illustrates what future air transport could look like if improvements in aircraft materials, aerodynamics, cabins and engines continue apace

Bionic cabin structure

Airbus predicts that the aircraft in 2050 will have a bionic structure that mimics bird bones to allow for lighter weight structure and open panoramic views. Bone is both light and strong because its porous interior carries tension only where necessary, leaving space elsewhere.

By using bionic structures, the fuselage has the strength it needs, but can also make the most of extra space where required. This not only reduces the aircraft's weight and fuel burn, but also makes it possible to add features like oversized doors for easier boarding and panoramic windows.

Transparent cabin membrane

The future cabin's bionic structure will be coated with a biopolymer membrane, suggests Airbus, which controls the amount of natural light, humidity and temperature, providing opacity or transparency on command and eliminating the need for windows.

This smarter structure will make the aircraft lighter and more fuel-efficient while giving passengers 360 degree views of the skies, says the company.

A panoramic view

An intelligent cabin membrane could become transparent to give passengers open panoramic views, or be dimmed to make sleeping easier. It could also present destination information, track the progress of the journey, or provide virtual views of relaxing landscapes.

Harvesting passenger heat

Smart seats could harvest passenger's body heat to power aircraft systems such as holographic pop-ups projecting anything from your bedroom at home, a business conference or a peaceful garden.

Energy from body heat could be combined with energy collected from other sources, like solar panels, to fuel aircraft cabin appliances like fridges and lighting.

Holographic entertainment zone

With holographic technology onboard, passengers could entertain themselves with virtual reality in-flight social activities, such as a virtual game of golf with fellow passengers, people on the ground, or even with passengers in other aircraft.

Concept Plane Sound Shower

Inspired by nature, the Airbus Concept Cabin illustrates what the future of flight might look like from the passengers' perspective.

Vitalising Zone Panoramic Day

The Vitalising Zone by Day at the front of the aircraft. An intelligent cabin membrane can become transparent to give passengers open panoramic views.

Time Lapse Night

The Vitalising Zone by Night: Passengers in 2050 can sit back and enjoy the night sky when travelling to destinations due to bionic structure and interactiv membrane of the Airbus Concept Cabin.

External Flyaway

Passengers in 2050 can sit back and enjoy the night sky when travelling to destinations due to bionic structure and interactive membrane of the Airbus Concept Cabin.

Formation flying

It’s not just what we fly in, but also the way we fly that will be critical to the future of aviation. Conserving fuel is a fundamental priority.

In nature, large birds sometimes fly in formation to save energy and travel further. The leading bird’s wings generate whirling masses of air which give following birds free extra lift.

Aircraft wings create the same effect and so military pilots often fly in formation. Airbus’ is looking into the use of formation flying along “express skyways” as a way to reduce fuel burn and emissions on long-haul flights.

Assisted take-off

Passenger aircraft require huge amounts of engine power, and therefore fuel, to get off the ground and up to cruising altitude. A renewably-powered assisted take-off system, perhaps using electromagnetic motors, could propel aircraft into the air instead, says Airbus.

This system would allow for much lighter aircraft, with smaller engines using less fuel, which could then climb faster to optimum altitude. It would also allow for shorter runways, a key consideration in increasingly crowded megacities.

Eco-climb

A continuous, very steep "eco-climb" to cruising altitude would further cut fuel use, noise and CO2 emissions, argues Airbus. This would be in contrast to today, when aircraft climb in a series of incremental - and inefficient - stages, which require more fuel.

Eco-climb would also alleviate congestion through greater frequency of take-offs, says Airbus.

Free-glide approaches and landings

Today’s passenger aircraft descend from altitude in stages and often end up waiting in the air before landing, forced to circle while congested airspace and runways clear. This process of descending, then levelling off, and circling wastes fuel and increases emissions.

Airbus is promoting “free-glide” aircraft approaches and landings whereby the aircraft makes a continuous descent requiring minimum engine power and fuel use, thus lowering emissions and noise pollution. A smoother approach would also reduce landing speed thus enabling shorter runways.

Low-emission ground operations

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), up to six million tons of CO2 could be saved each year by reduced aircraft engine taxiing on the ground.

Smarter ground operations - such as optimising an aircraft’s landing position and renewably-powered taxiing vehicles - could enable pilots to switch off their engines sooner after landing and allow the aircraft to be quickly towed to the terminal building.

Biofuels

Jatropha seeds, the oil of which is used to produce biofuel, are seen here in a Mexican lab. Airbus believes that by 2030 biofuels could provide up to 30 percent of all commercial aviation jet fuel.

Biofuels are currently blended with kerosene and over 1,500 commercial flights have been flown on biofuels to date. Now 50:50 blend biofuels have been certified for commercial flights and the goal is a 100 percent aviation biofuel in the future.

Airbus says it encourages the development of second generation biofuels, which avoid competing with food resources. Some possible crops for these biofuels include algae, woodchip waste, camelina, waste produce, and yeast.