Free airplane SVG files

Side, top or head on

An aeroplane changes shape completely with the view, so pick the view first. From the side it is a long thin shape, two to three times as wide as it is tall, which suits a banner, a mug or the top of a card. From above it is nearly square and fills a circle or a coaster well. Head on it is very wide and low, good above a name on a bedroom door.

The cabin windows on the airliner are about 2 mm wide when the plane is 100 mm long. They cut cleanly in vinyl at that size but are slow to weed, and they close up in wood. The airplane silhouette and the plane from above have no windows at all and work at any size, down to a 25 mm sticker.

Trails that hold together

A plane with a trail behind it is a favourite for travel themes, but a dotted trail is a row of loose dashes. The airplane drawing a heart and the airplane flying round the world use an unbroken line welded to the plane, so each lifts as one piece. The dashed trail is here too for those who want it: cut it in vinyl and move it with transfer tape so the dashes keep their places.

How to open the files

• Cricut Design Space: choose Upload, pick the SVG, and add it to the canvas. Set the width you want; the shape is already welded.
• Silhouette Studio: Designer Edition and above open the SVG. The free Basic Edition does not, so open the DXF instead.
• LightBurn, xTool Creative Space and Glowforge: import the SVG, then set the layer to cut, score or engrave.
• Inkscape, Illustrator and Affinity: open the SVG. It is a plain filled path, so you can recolour it, add a stroke or combine it with your own work.
• Printing or sublimation: use the PNG, which has a transparent background.

Each design page lists the file’s narrowest part at seven sizes, so you can tell whether it will survive at the size you plan to cut.

Questions