The means of transport Humans have been a necessity since ancient times: moving faster, over more difficult terrain, or carrying heavy loads. That is why he domesticated animals, invented the wheel and eventually combustion engines. But among the means of human transport, those that seem to allow it to conquer difficult and dangerous habitats, such as air and water, stand out. We are talking, of course, about transport aerial and maritime. For instance: helicopter, plane, submarine, sailboat.
These means of transport, although they can be a source of accidents and tragic episodes, or often contribute to the pollution and deterioration of the world, are those that allow the fastest movement and the overcoming of the greatest terrestrial distances that exist.
Examples of air transport
- Helicopter. Suspended in the air by its powerful rotating blades, the helicopter is one of the most sophisticated flight devices invented by man, endowed with vertical take-off and landing and relative load and maneuvering capacity.
- Airplane. Airplanes are one of the greatest prides of human engineering, since they allow the massive transport of people and cargo over enormous distances and long flight times, at great altitudes, pushed by one or more engines, propeller or jet.
- Plane. Also known as light aircraft, it is any winged aircraft whose takeoff weight does not exceed 5,670 kilograms. They allow the transfer of personnel and cargo smaller than an airplane and over shorter distances.
- Hot air balloon. It consists of a manned cabin that suspends a mass of gas in the air, the heating or cooling of which allows it to handle the desired altitude, but which moves from the action of the winds, since it lacks propellants.
- Airship or Zeppelin. Unlike the balloon, this ship is suspended in the air through a set of gases less dense than the atmosphere, but controls its direction from a set of propellers similar to those of the helicopter. It was the first flying artifact to undertake a long-term journey in the early 20th century.
- Paragliding. A lightweight glider with capacity for one or two people, which does not have an engine and moves from the wind currents, using a flexible wing. The traction of a motor vehicle is often used to get it off the ground, and a certain height is required to fly it.
- Paramotor. Powered cousin of the paraglider, it has a propeller motor and a flexible wing, with which to take off and stay in mid-flight. It is a kind of motorized paraglider.
- Cableway. Although it does not fly freely, the cable car is a system of cabins that move through the air, attached to a series of cables that are responsible for moving them through various stations. In this way you can fly over mountains, schisms or entire cities, but never outside the route established in advance.
- Ultralight or ultralight. Lightweight and fuel-efficient sports aircraft, equipped with a one-seater or two-seater open cabin and usually without a fuselage or fairing. It has a unique engine with which it is sustained and a being of wheels to take off on the run.
- Rocket. The rocket is the only one of these means of air transport that can overcome the atmosphere and leave planet Earth. Its combustion engine gets the thrust of the violent expulsion of gases.
Examples of maritime transport
- Canoe. Employed by indigenous peoples since time immemorial, they are small boats, pointed at the ends and open upwards, traditionally made of wood. In them, a small number of people can stay afloat, advancing on the water thanks to paddles or manual oars.
- Kayak. Like the canoe, it is a pirogue, that is, a boat moved by paddles or manual paddles not fixed on its structure. The kayak is long and narrow, allowing a crew of one or two passengers to row in sync to advance. It is a recreational boat.
- Boat. Small sailing, motor and / or rowing boat, used for fishing and transport, as well as small-scale military actions. They usually have a small motor, or even an outboard.
- Ferry or Ferry. This type of medium-sized vessels carry out the work of transport between various points of a specific route, even becoming part of the urban transport of coastal cities. Its design varies according to the distances to be covered.
- Vessel. A motorized boat, with a deck, equipped with the size and solidity necessary for important maritime voyages, whether for commercial purposes (merchant ships) or military (warships). It is the most varied type of boat that exists.
- Transatlantic. Gigantic ships capable of crossing oceans in a single trip. For many years they consisted of the only way to go to another continent by sea. Today they are used as tourist cruises.
- Submarine. This is the name given to any vessel capable of moving under the water instead of on its surface. They are used in scientific and military missions, more than anything else, and can reach considerable depths on the seabed.
- Sailboat. Small boat propelled mainly by the action of the wind on its sails, closely linked to tourist and leisure trips, although its origins date back to Egyptian antiquity.
- Jet ski. Light vehicle equivalent in driving system to the motorcycle, but that moves from the propulsion of water with a turbine. They are used for tourist purposes, above all.
- Tank. It is a type of vessel specialized in the transport of raw materials of any kind: oil, gas, mineral, timber, etc. They are usually huge and manned only by the shipping company’s maritime workers.