Wikipedia:WikiProject Aviation/Style guide/Layout (Aircraft)

This is a set of suggested guidelines for articles on specific aircraft types. It also offers some recommendations for articles on individual aircraft. It may be used to give a standardised look and feel to aircraft articles of similar scope. However different aircraft can have very different backgrounds, so many of these suggestions will not apply or will be subject to editorial judgement.

Article title

Main page: Wikipedia:Naming conventions (aircraft)

Most aircraft article titles should include the manufacturer, designation number and/or name, for example Boeing 747, Supermarine Spitfire.

Articles should be named as generally as possible, so an article should only be named after a subtype if it is about that specific version of the aircraft (e.g. Messerschmitt Bf 109G). Usually there will already be a more general article about the aircraft, relevant to all subtypes. If no general article exists, it may be worthwhile expanding the article slightly so that it encompasses all variants of the aircraft.

Lead section

The MOS:LEAD should begin by naming the aircraft, its manufacturer(s), and the general category of aircraft it belongs to. For example:

The Cessna 172 Skyhawk is a four-seat, single-engine, high wing, fixed-wing aircraft made by the Cessna Aircraft Company. First flown in 1955, more Cessna 172s have been built than any other aircraft.(see Cessna 172)

Without going any further, a reader should already have a good basic idea of what kind of aircraft the article is describing.

Tense

The first sentence should be in present tense if any aircraft still exist, whether flyable or not, even if they are only in museums. If no aircraft of that type exist any more, anywhere, then use past tense. See MOS:TENSE for more guidance.

NATO/Allied reporting names

Articles about Soviet aircraft with official NATO reporting names, or Japanese aircraft with Allied reporting names should display the reporting name in bold within parentheses in the first line, following the primary title, per the Wikipedia style guide on secondary names in lead sections. Reporting names should only be used in the first line, the variants section or in direct quotations from sources. For example:

The Sukhoi Su-9 (NATO reporting name Fishpot) was a ...

Infobox

If the article is of moderate length or longer, an infobox is often a good way to sum up relevant information. {{Infobox aircraft type}} presents data such as manufacturer, maiden flight, service entry and retirement dates, number produced, and other quick facts in a fairly attractive and concise fashion. For the most part, as there is an appropriate field in the infobox itself, including the manufacturer in the "name" field is not necessary. Some exceptions exist, such as aircraft which only have model numbers. (Example: "Boeing 737", but "A320".) Flags should not be used in the infobox to indicate national origin.

Based on several past discussions, the infobox is purely optional, though infoboxes including specifications are frowned upon. {{Infobox aircraft type}} was designed with input from the project and its use is encouraged.

Lead images

Infobox or lead images should show the aircraft in flight whenever such a picture is available. If an in-flight image is not available then the infobox or lead photo should show the best overall view of the aircraft and not a detail close up or similar shot. Detail photos should be further down, in the sections they better illustrate (i.e. Landing gear, instrument panel).

Main sections

The body of the article describes the aircraft in greater detail. This information is often best arranged in sections, especially in longer articles. However the backgrounds to different aircraft can vary widely and article structures will reflect this variety. Some frequently used sections are described here:

Development

The history behind the aircraft, such as why a manufacturer, airline, or air force felt there was a need for such an aircraft.

Design

Describing design, and major features of the aircraft. If noteworthy describe markings used, especially unusual schemes. Extensive descriptions of common or routine color schemes and markings should be avoided. Can be combined with above section as "Design and development".

Operational history

The history of the aircraft as it was used. For information on when it is appropriate to include the aircraft the registration, serial numbers, construction numbers and other individual identifiers in an article or captions, see Individual aircraft identifiers below.

Variants

This section briefly describes the major subtypes and variants of the aircraft. Military designations, related developments, notable modifications and production under other names can be listed. Layout will depend on the length and complexity of the list.

Operators

Links to airlines or air forces, along with squadrons and other units that have used this type. May be separated into military and civilian sub-sections if applicable. Do not place potential operators here, only confirmed orders with likelihood of near-term production. Potential orders and interest by governments should be covered in the main text, either under "Development" or "Operational history", as fits best in the article. Operators should be in one list and not seperated between former and current operators, former operators can be indicated inline with a reliable reference.

Civil aircraft types that have many operators, each with just one or two aircraft can have a general statement, as applicable to the role and operators of the individual aircraft type, with wording similar to: "The aircraft is popular with air charter companies and small feeder airlines, and is operated by private individuals and companies." A mention may be made of particularly large fleet operators.

Accidents and incidents

For information on which accidents and incidents to include in aircraft type articles, please see WP:AIRCRASH. The section header can be changed to just 'Accidents' or just 'Incidents' if applicable to the contents.

Aircraft on display

Aircraft on display should be information on non-airworthy aircraft that are on permanent public display. It should not include partial aircraft or aircraft not viewable by the public. When a large number of aircraft are still preserved the list should be limited to the most prominent ones.

Surviving aircraft

This section should contain information on aircraft that have survived following the retirement of the aircraft type from normal military or commercial use. It should include airworthy aircraft and any non-airworthy aircraft not on public display but otherwise notable.

Aircraft specification

This is a summary of the aircraft's capacities, dimensions, weights, power plant, characteristics and performance. Please use the {{Aircraft specs}} template when adding specifications. If an article lacks specifications, you can tag it with {{Aero specs missing}} or add them yourself. If you are editing an article which uses an older specification template, please consider converting it to the current one, which automatically converts units to show both metric and imperial.

The specification should be for a single specific variant, and be labeled accordingly. Usually this will be the most famous/noteworthy/numerous variant. Significant differences for other variants may be described in the variants or development sections. Please avoid using multiple sets of specifications; in general, if two variants merit full specifications then they will also merit separate articles. Lines that are not applicable can be omitted, such as "|powerplant=" for sailplanes. On the other hand, if data is just not available, please leave the line in to remind others to fill it in.

For the units used, some further information is given at Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/Units.

Cultural impact

Some aircraft have had a significant impact on wider aspects of culture. Notable appearances in non-fiction media, such as documentaries, may be included here.

A "Popular culture" section should be avoided per Wikipedia:Avoid trivia sections in articles.

Fictional appearances of real aircraft should be placed in Aircraft in fiction; The main article may have a Notable appearances in media or similar section that simply refers to IT, as for example at Sikorsky MH-53#Notable appearances in media.

Inclusion criteria for Aircraft in fiction:

• Real world aircraft (not fictional or made-up aircraft) that have significant roles in books, films, video games and as toys, provided reliable refs are supplied.
• For fictional characters who assume the form of an aircraft - inclusion only as a one sentence summary and only for primary aircraft, not one-time configurations.
• All media types included under article subheadings by aircraft type with at least one link to the article about the aircraft type itself.
• The aircraft must have a significant role in the work and not simply be seen. Appearances in games are considered non-notable except for notable games dedicated to the specific aircraft.
• Third-party references are needed to show the notability of the appearance. Primary references, such as the book, game or movie itself, are not sufficient for inclusion.

Fictional aircraft that only resemble real-world aircraft should not be mentioned in aircraft articles or in Aircraft in fiction, but instead may be listed in List of fictional aircraft.

See Template:NoMoreCruft for a subst'ed template to discourage the addition of pop culture trivia.

Detailed content and formatting

Images

Images should enhance the article in which they are placed and should also feature the subject of the article section near which they are placed. For images in the article lead, see also lead images above.

• Use the "thumbnail" option for all images other than those inside infoboxes and the three-view drawing (where one is included in the specifications section). In accordance with Wikipedia:Manual of Style#Images, do not specify the size of the thumbnail as this is specified in user preferences.
• Wherever possible use free images, preferably uploaded to the Commons.
• The quality of an image is always more important than the quantity of images included — a gallery or a link to the Commons is preferable to flooding an article with images.
• Any captions should be concise and not overwhelm the image.
• Many existing images used in aircraft articles have been carefully selected to illustrate specific variants, angles of view or aircraft features. These images should not be deleted from articles without discussion and consensus that this action will improve the article on the article's talk page. Images may be added to the article without removing or replacing existing images without discussion.
• Aircraft performance diagrams are considered by consensus to be too technical for a general encyclopedia and are not used in aircraft type articles.

Individual aircraft identifiers

Individual aircraft are identified by a manufacturer's construction number and a national identifier, which is either a civil registration or a military serial number.

The registration or serial numbers of individual aircraft should only be mentioned in article text or image captions if the aircraft is or was:

• Involved in an accident.
• A prototype or development aircraft.
• Part of a limited production batch (less than 20) when it is clearer to detail the history of each aircraft relevant to the development of the type.
• Given a uniquely significant special paint scheme.
• A world record holder.
• On public display.
• Notable enough for its own article.
• Related to the award of a country's highest military decoration.

If the civil or military identifier is not known, then the manufacturer's construction number may be used.

Otherwise, the manufacturer's construction number should not be mentioned.

Individual identifiers of any kind should not be included in:

• Production lists detailing either individual and/or batches of aircraft.
• Airline fleet lists (although aircraft in limited-number special paint schemes can be identified either in a Livery section or in the general text).

Units

For general Wikipedia conventions on units, see Wikipedia:Manual of Style (dates and numbers).

See Units page for conversion factors.

Units in specification tables and main article text should follow those used by the original manufacturer.

If the original source does include multiple units, the original numbers should be used to avoid adding rounding errors. If not, units can be converted using the {{Convert}} template. By default, the template will convert knots and nautical miles into both metric and imperial units. Editors should include both conversions and should not use the template to intentionally exclude metric or imperial units.

Mach number

Mach numbers should never be calculated by editors from maximum speeds, as this is original research and introduces errors because the speed of sound is not constant under flight conditions. Instead, they should be sourced from reliable data, along with applicable conditions. If no Mach number is stated for the design, then please leave the parameter blank.

Aircraft costs

Unit cost: Use the flyaway cost for military aircraft or retail price for commercial aircraft if available, since these are the most widely available and provide an "apples to apples" comparison. A helpful essay on aircraft costs is to be found at User:Askari Mark/Understanding aircraft unit costs.

Operating cost: Do not include operating costs for their own sake, as they can vary widely for the individual type. Include them only where they form part of the narrative describing specific events.

Aircraft type clubs

Aircraft type clubs should only be mentioned in aircraft type or manufacturer's articles if they have their own Wikipedia articles or have made verifiably significant contributions to the aircraft or manufacturer's history. Links should be added for type clubs which have their own Wikipedia article.

Type club websites are usually acceptable as reliable sources. However costing information and member forum posts are not reliable. They should not be added as external links, as these are promotional. Either they are suitable as references or they should not be mentioned.

Final touches

See also

Template:Aircontent is available to help organise links to other aircraft articles. However it will not always be suitable. For example articles already linked in the main text should not generally be linked again from the See also section.

Navboxes

Usually, we include a few navboxes to tie together aircraft by the same manufacturer or designated under the same sequence. Only include navboxes which link to the article.

Categories

Main page: Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/Categories

Aircraft are categorised primarily by their nationality, role and era, for example Category:1950s British airliners. Other categories list aircraft with noteworthy common characteristics, such as Category:Variable-geometry-wing aircraft.

Linking to your article

When you're done, please make sure that your article is linked to from the list of aircraft and from any included navboxes.

There may also be other lists from which it could be linked, such as a list of aircraft for the manufacturer, for the aircraft configuration, or for other related characteristics.

Check out articles on similar aircraft to see if there are any other categories you could add.

Creating a new aircraft article

Enter the aircraft article you wish to create and all the elements of the layout will be automatically created:

1.

2. After you create a new page, please add it to Wikipedia:New articles (Aircraft)

Finally, remember that you're in no way obliged to follow all, or even any, of these guidelines to contribute an article.