The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Airframe materials · register of October 5, 2026

Built of steel tube and aluminium

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

15 of the model families on this list are built this way, 12,797 aircraft on the register between them; the largest is the Mooney M-20 with 6,247, then the Robinson R44 (1,933).

Biggest model families aircraft on the register

Mooney M-206,247Robinson R441,933Robinson R22817Air Tractor Inc AT-802683Air Tractor Inc AT-502502Bell 47477Robinson R66421Schweizer SGS 2 gliders (2-33 and 2-32)275Air Tractor Inc AT-602246Ayres Corporation S-2244Hiller UH-12217Schweizer 269 300 series helicopters212

All 15 families with notes where the construction changed

6,247Mooney M-20 · The first M20 and M20A (1955 to 1960) had wooden wings and tails; all later ones are metal.
1,933Robinson 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.
683Air 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.
477Bell 47 · An open welded steel-tube frame with a plexiglass bubble.
421Robinson 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.
246Air Tractor Inc AT-602 · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
244Ayres 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.

Connections how this material links to the rest of the register

Model families
  • Mooney M-20 6,247 registered · The first M20 and M20A (1955 to 1960) had wooden wings and tails; all later ones are metal.
  • Robinson R44 1,933 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-802 683 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 47 477 registered · An open welded steel-tube frame with a plexiglass bubble.
  • Robinson R66 421 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-602 246 registered · A crop sprayer: welded steel-tube fuselage under aluminium skins, aluminium wings.
  • Ayres Corporation S-2 244 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

These connections as data: /graph/material/steel-aluminium.json · about the eFlight graph.

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.