Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/Categories/Proposed update

This scheme is intended to cover specific aircraft designs (such as the Boeing 747 or P-3 Orion), variants of those designs (such as the WP-3D Orion), and articles about broader categories of aircraft (such as bomber aircraft). Other categories exist for manufacturers, powerplants, etc.

Primary categorisation
Primary categorisation includes three schema:

Nation
In nearly all cases, the nation refers to the nation in which the aircraft was produced. More specifically, it refers to the nation in which the manufacturer was headquartered at the time that the aircraft was first produced. Thus, Dornier aircraft of the 1920s are still listed as German aircraft even though they were actually being assembled in Italy. Also, Learjet aircraft whose production began before 1991 are considered U.S. aircraft, but those whose production began after Learjet's acquisition by Bombardier are considered Canadian.

Multinational aircraft
Aircraft manufactured by multinational consortia (such as Airbus and Eurofighter) and aircraft built as one-off joint ventures (such as the Concorde) are listed in Category:International aircraft.

Defunct nations
Special cases apply when the nation of origin no longer exists per se. The system for dealing with these cases is as follows:

Role
Role categories are intentionally broad—the danger of over-precision would be the creation of multiple closely-related categories with only hazy or semantic distinctions.

The role classification is based on the primary role an aircraft was designed for. Aircraft that were designed for multiple roles should be classified in as many trees as apply. A common example are 'tactical fighters' or 'strike fighters' that can serve both as bombers and fighters.

Military aircraft
Subcategories
 * Category:Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft (including AWACS and command and control aircraft)
 * Category:Bomber aircraft
 * Category:Electronic warfare aircraft
 * Category:Fighter aircraft
 * Category:Maritime patrol aircraft (including anti-submarine warfare aircraft)
 * Category:Military reconnaissance aircraft
 * Category:Military transport aircraft (including tanker aircraft, rescue aircraft, and utility aircraft)

Civil aircraft
Subcategories:
 * Category:Agricultural aircraft
 * Category:Airliners
 * Category:Business aircraft
 * Category:Cargo aircraft
 * Category:Mailplanes
 * Category:Sports planes
 * Category:Ultralight aircraft
 * Category:Civil utility aircraft
 * Category:Homebuilt aircraft

Although all airliners carry freight and some carry mail, the 'cargo' and 'mailplane' classifications should be reserved for dedicated freighters and mailplanes.

Examples

 * Boeing 747:Airliner
 * Boeing 747F:Cargo

Experimental aircraft
This category should be used for pure research aircraft, not for prototypes. Distinction is not made here between civil and military types.

Examples

 * Bell X-1:Experimental
 * Douglas XB-19:Military

Special-purpose aircraft
Aircraft in this category have been designed for a single, often unconventional or uncommon purpose. Most are modifications or specialised variants of existing aircraft types, and are designed for their mission at the expense of any other capabilities they may have had. An example is the WP-3D Orion.

Decade
Aircraft are classified into the decade that their first flight occurred in. Usually, this will be the first flight of the prototype, but for an article about a specific variant the category should reflect the date that this variant first flew, which may or may not be in a different decade. Unlike other schemes, first flight has the advantage of being a single, unambiguous point in time.

Aircraft projects that were cancelled without ever flying are categorised by the year the project was terminated or abandoned—the closest that it got to a first flight.

Secondary categorisation
Additionally, many aircraft have been given categories according to various distinguishing features. This is a more ad hoc set of categories, which currently include:
 * Category:Aircraft by wing type
 * Category:Biplane aircraft
 * Category:Canard aircraft
 * Category:Delta-wing aircraft
 * Category:Flying wing aircraft
 * Category:High wing aircraft
 * Category:Low wing aircraft
 * Category:Rotorcraft
 * Category:Autogyros
 * Category:Gyrodynes
 * Category:Helicopters
 * Category:Tiltrotors
 * Category:Tiltwings
 * Category:Swing-wing aircraft
 * Category:Aircraft configurations
 * Category:Airships
 * Category:Balloons (aircraft)
 * Category:Ekranoplans
 * Category:Lifting body aircraft
 * Category:Seaplanes and flying boats
 * Category:Spaceplanes
 * Category:Stealth aircraft
 * Category:Swing-wing aircraft
 * Category:UAVs and drones
 * Category:Aircraft by propulsion
 * Category:Human-powered aircraft
 * Category:Jet aircraft
 * Category:Mixed-power aircraft (powered by both jets and props)
 * Category:Multiple engine aircraft
 * Category:Propeller aircraft
 * Category:Pusher configuration aircraft
 * Category:Rocket-powered aircraft
 * Category:Single engine aircraft
 * Category:Thermojet-powered aircraft
 * Category:Aircraft by launch system
 * Category:Carrier-based aircraft
 * Category:Parasite aircraft
 * Category:STOL aircraft (currently Category:STOL)
 * Category:VTOL aircraft
 * Category:Aircraft projects by completion
 * Category:Cancelled aircraft projects
 * Category:Concept aircraft
 * Category:Upcoming aircraft
 * Category:Civil aircraft
 * Category:Homebuilt aircraft
 * Miscellaneous
 * Category:Individual aircraft