There are numerous U.S. hypersonic aircraft designs utilized to various degrees over the years. The only vehicle successfully used is the Space Shuttle, although this ceases to be an aircraft while in orbit. The newest major design for a hypersonic aircraft comes in the form of the Boeing X-51.

As one of the oldest manufacturers of aircraft in the world, the company that produced the Curtiss airplane designs achieved the height of its success during both World Wars. Among the most famous models from Curtiss are the famous barnstormer The Jenny and the P-40 Flying Tigers.

C-40 aircraft history took years to develop. The military has the tendency to use its cargo and passenger aircraft for long periods of time. However, by the 1990s, it was apparent that its previous workhorse, the C-9 Skytrain II, was in need of replacement. Enter the Boeing 737 as the Clipper.

NASA has long been at the front line of developing new technology with a variety of private enterprises. This technology, commonly called “spinoffs,” has permeated various aspects of private industry and become commonplace for public consumption.

The history of the airplane assembly line was a slow growth procedure, heavily aligned with the general maturation of the industry itself. From wartime necessity to the largest building in the world, the assembly lines for airplanes are dramatic human creations.