Aircraft Classification Library — Tool Guide

Live AC 150/5300-13B CHG 1 · FAA ACD · ALL GUIDES

The Aircraft Classification Library is a searchable register of 388 aircraft with their AAC, ADG, and TDG classifications and the dimensional data behind them — wingspan, tail height, length, cockpit-to-main-gear distance, main gear width, wheelbase, approach speed, and maximum gross takeoff weight. It is the starting point for picking design-aircraft parameters: identify the critical aircraft, read its classifications, and carry them into the standards tools.

It replaces flipping between manufacturer planning manuals, the FAA Aircraft Characteristics Database, and the classification criteria in the AC — every aircraft's full planning envelope is on one card, with the classification logic shown visually.

Open the Aircraft Library →

Who It's For & When to Use It

Airport planners selecting or documenting the critical design aircraft for a runway, taxiway, or apron project. Use it at the front of any standards problem — before pulling RSA, ROFA, RPZ, or separation dimensions — when comparing candidate design aircraft for a forecast fleet, or when you need a defensible AAC/ADG/TDG citation for a design report or ALP narrative.

How to Use It

  1. Search or filter the fleet. Type a designator, FAA code, manufacturer, or model name into the search box, or narrow the register with the AAC, ADG, and TDG filter pills. Filters combine, and the results count updates live. A sort selector orders results by designator, wingspan, MGTOW, ADG, or TDG.
  2. Pick a view. The fleet register renders as cards (designator, model, classification chips, wingspan, MGTOW) or as a sortable list table with full dimensional columns. Both views load more rows as you scroll.
  3. Select an aircraft to open its dossier. Click any card or row. The dossier shows the three classifications up front, a readout band with the full dimensional set (wingspan, tail height, length, CMG, main gear width, wheelbase, approach speed, MGTOW), dimensioned plan- and profile-view schematics drawn to a common scale, and an ADG envelope diagram marking where the aircraft's wingspan and tail height fall within the design-group bands — with the more demanding of the two governing.
  4. Compare candidates. Use the + Compare button on any card, row, or dossier to pin up to four aircraft into a side-by-side comparison table covering classifications and every dimension.
  5. Carry the result forward. The dossier's Copy class button puts the AAC/ADG/TDG summary on the clipboard, and the deep-link buttons open the RSA/ROFA reference (with AAC and ADG pre-selected), RPZ, Taxiway Separation, and ADG/TDG tools. A CSV export downloads the current filtered set.

Key Features

  • 388-aircraft register. AAC, ADG, and TDG for each aircraft, with the dimensional data that drives the classifications.
  • Inline dossier with diagrams. Dimensioned plan and profile schematics (to-scale generic airframe, not a type drawing) plus an ADG envelope diagram showing how wingspan and tail height place the aircraft in its design group.
  • Pin-to-compare. Side-by-side table of up to four aircraft across all classifications and dimensions.
  • Card and list views. Cards for browsing; a sortable table for scanning the fleet by any dimensional column.
  • CSV export. Download the filtered register with full dimensional columns for use in fleet-mix worksheets.
  • Shareable URLs and session persistence. Search, filters, sort, and the selected aircraft are mirrored into the query string (?q=&aac=&adg=&tdg=&sort=&ac=) and saved locally, so a pasted link or a return visit restores the exact view.
  • Citation trail. Each dossier carries its sources — classification criteria from the AC, dimensional data from the FAA Aircraft Characteristics Database.

FAA References

  • AC 150/5300-13B Chg 1, Airport Design — governing standard for the classification criteria: AAC is grouped by approach speed, ADG by wingspan and tail height (the more demanding governs), and TDG by main gear width and cockpit-to-main-gear distance.
  • FAA Aircraft Characteristics Database — source of the per-aircraft dimensional data (wingspan, tail height, gear geometry, weights, approach speeds).

Limitations & Disclaimers

AvPlot is technical planning production support — accurate enough for design reports, planning studies, and ALP narratives. It is not a replacement for stamped engineering or construction documents. Verify all values against current FAA publications before use in official Airport Layout Plans or submittals.

  • This is reference data for planning. For the critical design aircraft on a project, confirm dimensions and approach speed against the manufacturer's airport planning manual and the current FAA Aircraft Characteristics Database release.
  • The library reports classifications and dimensions only; planning dimensions that vary with approach condition (RSA, ROFA, RPZ, separations) live in the dedicated standards tools linked from each dossier.
  • The dossier schematics are generic airframes drawn to the aircraft's dimensions — schematic aids, not type drawings.

Related Tools

Tips & Best Practices

  • Filter by TDG when working taxiway problems — fillet geometry and taxiway widths follow gear geometry, not wingspan, so the TDG-critical aircraft may not be the ADG-critical one.
  • Pin the candidate design aircraft and read the compare table before committing — the governing aircraft for one standard is often not the governing aircraft for another.
  • Carry classifications forward through the dossier deep links rather than re-entering them; the RSA/ROFA link pre-selects the aircraft's AAC and ADG.
  • Check the envelope diagram for aircraft near a group boundary — it shows at a glance whether wingspan or tail height is driving the ADG, which matters when a fleet variant differs in one dimension.
  • Copy the URL into project notes; it restores the exact search, filters, and selected aircraft behind a classification you cited.

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