Aircraft Recognition Lab: Identify Indian Military Aircraft & Helicopters

The Basics of Aircraft Recognition

Military spotters and air defence crews identify aircraft using the "WEFT" method — Wings, Engines, Fuselage and Tail. Instead of trying to see small details, they look at the overall shape, which can be seen even at long distance.

1. Wings

A delta wing forms a triangle (Rafale, Tejas, Mirage 2000). A swept wing angles back from the fuselage and is used by fast jets and large jet transports (Su-30MKI, C-17). A straight wing sticks out at right angles and is typical of propeller aircraft (C-130J, C-295). Also note whether the wing is mounted high (transports) or low (most trainers and airliners).

2. Engines

Count the engines and note where they are: inside the fuselage (fighters), under the wing (C-17, P-8I), on top of the wing (An-32) or on the rear fuselage (Netra). Propellers immediately tell you it is a turboprop, and the number of blades can separate similar types.

3. Fuselage

Look for a long nose, a bulky cargo body, a radar dome or beam on top (Netra, A-50), a glazed nose (Il-76) or a tail boom (P-8I).

4. Tail

Single fin, twin fins (Su-30MKI, MiG-29) or a T-tail where the horizontal tail sits on top of the fin (C-17, Il-76). Many deltas have no horizontal tail at all.

Helicopters

For helicopters, count the main rotor blades, check for tandem rotors (Chinook), see which side the tail rotor is on, and look for stub wings carrying weapons (Apache, Prachand).