The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Airframe materials · register of November 9, 2026

Built of steel tube and aluminium

A welded steel-tube frame carries the loads, with aluminium (and some fibreglass) skins over it.

58 of the model families on this list are built this way, 14,311 aircraft on the register between them; the largest is the Mooney M-20 with 6,245, then the Robinson R44 (1,948).

Biggest model families aircraft on the register

Mooney M-206,245Robinson R441,948Robinson R22817Air Tractor Inc AT-802687Air Tractor Inc AT-502502Bell 47478Robinson R66423Schweizer SGS 2 gliders (2-33 and 2-32)275Air Tractor Inc AT-602245Ayres Corporation S-2243Hiller UH-12217Schweizer 269 300 series helicopters212
The biggest families, as a table
aircraft
Mooney M-206,245
Robinson R441,948
Robinson R22817
Air Tractor Inc AT-802687
Air Tractor Inc AT-502502
Bell 47478
Robinson R66423
Schweizer SGS 2 gliders (2-33 and 2-32)275
Air Tractor Inc AT-602245
Ayres Corporation S-2243
Hiller UH-12217
Schweizer 269 300 series helicopters212

All 58 families with notes where the construction changed

6,245Mooney M-20 · The first M20 and M20A (1955 to 1960) had wooden wings and tails; all later ones are metal.
1,948Robinson R44 · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins; metal rotor blades.
817Robinson R22 · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins; metal rotor blades.
687Air Tractor Inc AT-802 · A crop sprayer and fire bomber: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins.
502Air Tractor Inc AT-502 · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
478Bell 47 · An open welded steel-tube frame with a plexiglass bubble.
423Robinson R66 · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins; metal rotor blades.
275Schweizer SGS 2 gliders (2-33 and 2-32) · The 2-33 trainer: steel-tube fuselage under fabric, aluminium wings.
245Air Tractor Inc AT-602 · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
243Ayres Corporation S-2 · The Thrush crop sprayer.
217Hiller UH-12
212Schweizer 269 300 series helicopters · An open steel-tube frame.
207Hughes 269 300 series helicopters · An open steel-tube frame.
160Air Tractor Inc AT-402 · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
156Extra Flugzeugbau Gmbh EA-300 · A welded steel-tube fuselage with composite wings; aerobatic.
147Enstrom F-28 · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins.
102Thrush Aircraft Inc S-2 · The Thrush crop sprayer: steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins.
98Rockwell International S-2 · The Thrush crop sprayer: steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins.
83Air Tractor Inc AT-301 · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
74Schweizer SGU 2 · Steel-tube fuselage under fabric, aluminium wings.
73Enstrom Helicopter Corp 480 · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins.
73Extra Flugzeugproduktions-Und EA 300 · A welded steel-tube fuselage with composite wings; aerobatic.
68Air Tractor Inc AT-401 · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
65Enstrom 280 Shark · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins.
63Extra Flugzeugproduktions EA 300 · A welded steel-tube fuselage with composite wings; aerobatic.
63Enstrom Helicopter Corp 280 · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins.
60Aero Commander S2 · The Snow S-2 crop sprayer, later the Thrush.
56Aero Commander 200 · The Meyers 200: a steel-tube cabin frame under aluminium skins.
53Brantly B-2
52Thrush Aircraft Llc S2 · The Thrush crop sprayer: steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins.
49Air Tractor Inc AT-400 · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
28Meyers Industries Inc 200 · The Meyers 200: a steel-tube cabin frame under aluminium skins.
23Aerostar Acft Corp Of Texas M20 · A Mooney M20 built under the Aerostar name in the 1970s: steel-tube cabin frame under aluminium skins.
23Marsh Aviation S-2
22Aerospatiale SA315 · The Lama: an open steel-tube frame and lattice tail boom.
20Schweizer SGU-1 · Steel-tube fuselage under fabric, aluminium wings.
19Bell TH-13 · An open welded steel-tube frame with a plexiglass bubble.
15Hiller OH-23
15Estumkeda Ltd Dba Micco Acft MAC-145 · The Micco SP20 and SP26, a revival of the Meyers 145: a steel-tube cabin frame under aluminium skins.
14Meyers MAC-145 · The Meyers 145: a steel-tube cabin frame under aluminium skins.
14Texas Helicopter Corp OH-13
13Extra Flugzeugbau EA 300 · A welded steel-tube fuselage with composite wings; aerobatic.
12Snow S2 · The original Snow crop sprayer, later the Thrush.
11Continental Copters Inc TOMCAT MK5A
9Air Tractor Inc AT-504 · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
8Bell H-13 · An open welded steel-tube frame with a plexiglass bubble.
8Hiller H-23
7S N I A S SE 3130 · The Alouette II: an open steel-tube frame and lattice tail boom.
7Snow 600 · The original Snow crop sprayer, later the Thrush.
6Dayton A Dabbs MAGNI M-16 · A gyroplane: an open steel-tube frame.
6Mcculloch Aircraft Corp. J-2 · A gyroplane: an open steel-tube frame.
6Schweizer(Hughes)Aircraft Corp TH55 · An open steel-tube frame.
6Extra Flugzeugbau Gmbh 300 · A welded steel-tube fuselage with composite wings; aerobatic.
5Sud Aviation SA 318 · The Alouette II: an open steel-tube frame and lattice tail boom.
5Bell-Carson 47 · An open welded steel-tube frame with a plexiglass bubble.
5Bensen B-8 · A gyroplane: an open steel-tube frame.
5Cape Copters Llc M16 · A gyroplane: an open steel-tube frame.
5Schweizer Rsg Llc 269 · An open steel-tube frame.

Connections how this material links to the rest of the register

Model families
  • Mooney M-20 6,245 registered · The first M20 and M20A (1955 to 1960) had wooden wings and tails; all later ones are metal.
  • Robinson R44 1,948 registered · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins; metal rotor blades.
  • Robinson R22 817 registered · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins; metal rotor blades.
  • Air Tractor Inc AT-802 687 registered · A crop sprayer and fire bomber: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins.
  • Air Tractor Inc AT-502 502 registered · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
  • Bell 47 478 registered · An open welded steel-tube frame with a plexiglass bubble.
  • Robinson R66 423 registered · A welded steel-tube frame under aluminium and fibreglass skins; metal rotor blades.
  • Schweizer SGS 2 gliders (2-33 and 2-32) 275 registered · The 2-33 trainer: steel-tube fuselage under fabric, aluminium wings.
  • Air Tractor Inc AT-602 245 registered · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
  • Ayres Corporation S-2 243 registered · The Thrush crop sprayer.
  • Hiller UH-12 217 registered
  • Schweizer 269 300 series helicopters 212 registered · An open steel-tube frame.
Makers
Other materials

The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/material/steel-aluminium.json.

The FAA's register does not record construction; this list is written by hand from the makers' descriptions and the type certificate data sheets, which remain the authority for any one model. Connections as data: /graph/material/steel-aluminium.json.