Helicopter: A utility vehicle providing lift by rotating the wings

Lighter-Than-Air (LTA): A balloon or dirigible providing lift through lighter-than-air gasses contained within a large envelope.

Jet: A fixed-wing airplane powered by a jet engine.

Scramjet: A supersonic combustion ramjet

Skycrane: Utility lifting and landing platform suspended by jets or rockets.

Tilt-Rotor: Propeller-driven airplane able to “tilt” or reposition the propellers and provide direct lift for takeoff and then pivot them to provide forward motion

▲ Chronology