Embraer Unveils First Saab F-39E Gripen Assembled in Brazil

> making the single-seat fighter also the first supersonic aircraft manufactured in Latin America

Would the Ariane rockets also qualify as "supersonic aircraft manufactured in Latin America" in some overly pedantic way?

I mean, personally I wouldn't consider it as manufactured there (as it's only final assembly), whether French Guiana actually belongs to Latin America is also up for debate and even designating a rocket as an aircraft would be a stretch in my opinion, but I would be interested to know how it can be objectively dismissed.

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dmitrygr a day ago | parent | next [-]

*AIR*craft are craft that need & use air. Rockets not only do not need air, they prefer a lack of air. So they are not aircraft. They are spacecraft (they are designed for and prefer space)

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snypher a day ago | parent [-]

To clarify they use air to generate lift and hence the ability to travel in the Z-axis, not that they need air to make the propulsion system work.

Edit: if you strapped a Raptor engine to a 747 it would still be an aircraft.

	▲	dmitrygr 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		You outpedanted me, nicely done, sir.

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mopsi a day ago | parent | prev [-]

Aircraft depend on the air for lift and/or propulsion. Rockets do not; they are not aircraft because they can operate outside of the atmosphere.