DC-3/C-47, Boeing 727/737 series, Airbus A320 series and the Cessna -172.
These are the top five produced aircraft in the civil realm, the Douglas DC-3 was introduced in 1935 and over 20,000 were built as the C-47 between 1939-45 and under license in Russia and China were up to another twenty-thousand where also built?
This mostly wooden transport was used widely after 1945 up to the 1990's by some world air forces for parachute training and counter measures as in South-Africa and Israel respectively.
With the advent of the Jet age Boeing has held the market with the 7 series fleet, but only the 727 and 737 were the most ever built of any of their types, today possibly the 777-787 may catch up. Domestic flying was popular in the U.S. between 1960 and 1980 so both types met the need 1700 to 23,000 have been built, with many 727-200 today still flying as private jets!
The Airbus A320/218/19 and the new neo versions are now taking the market off Boeing for the 21st Century, these types have a wide range of seating to distance and they are being purchased at a tremendous rate by up and coming nations.
Last the Cessna-172 4 seat light aircraft has held its ground in the aviation world since it was introduced in 1947. Used in the liaison role it has succeeded where many similar types have failed, it is used both as a civil and military supply, postal, and air ambulance as well as missionary work in Africa and Indonesia!
