English language question

[VJ]

Hello,

Minor discussion regarding a sentence in my phd-text.

"... the airforce is using unmanned aircraft to patrol the coast ..."

My promoter asks if it should not be "aircrafts".

Searching on Google, both are used, but I have the impression that this is the explanation: the word aircraft can be used to indicated both the concept of a flying machine (in which case it has no plural -s), but also an object that flies (in which case it has a plural -s).

What do you guys make of it?
(I'm writing in Oxford English)


Jörg

[schmosef]

I would write it as "aircraft", but I'm not an expert.

[Jessterw]

It's "aircraft".

[lowlifecat]

you need to smack your promoter with a stupid stick

aircraft is plural (no S required.)

Example: Enemy aircraft have been sighted.

[Wombat]

It's "aircraft."

[Jammrock]

Aircraft is one of those tricky words. I can be the singular or plural form and has no 's'.

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/aircraft

Main Entry: air·craft
Pronunciation: 'er-"kraft
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural aircraft
Usage: often attributive
: a vehicle (as an airplane or balloon) for traveling through the air

There are others in the English language as well. It's one of those things you just learn by speaking the language and I don't think there is any set rule for it.

Jammrock

[cjolley]

You could say:
"... the airforce isn't not using unmanned aircrafts to patrol the coast ..."

Thus placing both a double negative and a double plural in the same sentence.

PS Come to think of it isn't this the same person who wanted you to use a double integral?

[Gurm]

"Aircrafts" is only a word if you are speaking Engrish.

In our native language of English, the plural of aircraft is ... aircraft.

Much like Moose.

[VJ]

cjolley: Euhm.... was I?


Gurm: Nah, I doubt the airforce is using moose...



Thanks guys, helpfull as ever!


Jörg

[Sasq]

and there i thought the plural of moose was meece

[VJ]

Isn't that the plural of "mousse" ?


Jorg

[lowlifecat]

meece is the plural of mice

meeses is the plural of moose.

the singular of dice is die

ok, only the last one is true.