What is your favorite aircraft of all time?

[Fletch]

There are a lot of great planes listed here, but the one closest to my heart will always be the old flying boats, particularly the M-130.

You'll like this YouTube then. It's a film of FDR taking a tour of the M-130 Hawaii Clipper, which exploded in midair in 1938.

 

[KeyGrip]

The B25 Mitchell and B26 Marauder, there is just something about those light bombers. There's also something about the bird in my avatar, but that's common knowledge. There was also this biplane I saw a picture of that was especially stunning for some reason I can't quite place. I like the biplane look, but this one just stood out.

 

[Hopalong]

My favorite plane was the P-38 which was voted the most romantic plane of WW II and also my dad was a magnito specialist on P-38's and later a crew chief on them in the 5th Air Force in WW II. Just the sound of a P-38 puts me in seventh heaven and I have all kinds of movie and documentry tapes so I can listen to the sounds of a P-38 anytime I want.

 

[Airshowgal]

My Favorite(s) Are...

Absolute all-time favorite...B17 Flying Fortress. Others would be the P47 Thunderbolt, P61 Black Widow, B26 Martin Marauder & Hawker Hurricane (in that order).

 

[SKIDS]

Well first choice has to be the Hurricane, without a doubt (EVERY time I see one it sends shivers down my spine).

But you cant overlook the Mosquito (2 Merlins in a plane of sheer elegance).

DC-3 (Class plane and had a ride in one when I was 12, awesome!!).

and the Tigercat, (Managed to see it at Duxford before they sold it.......DAMN SHAME).

 

[mannySpaghetti]

I'm gonna steer off the vintage road here and say the C5 Galaxy and the CH-47 Chinook, because during my time in the Army(Infantry, HOOYAH!)me and my buddies grew VERY familiar with these craft. Besides that, the C5 was the only military aircraft where we didn't sit facing the rear of the plane or have a bunch of troops projectile vomiting 'cause we were swinging on cargo nets half way around the globe! The Chinook, that's just one hell of a bird and crazy fast. Ahh those sure bring back some great memories of my youth.

 

[Bill Briton]

My favorites ;

The Short Empire class flyig boat.

The Lancaster

The Tiger-Moth, the only one of these three I've actually flown. But I loved it!

 

[SKIDS]

Well if we go modern then 2 planes spring to mind

1 English Electric Lightning (may have to go to South Africa to see this bird fly or even stump up the cash to take a flight OH I WISH!)

2 Avro Vulcan (so good to see her in the air again after so long, speechless)

 

[N2S3]

badly missed: Boeing Stearman

Good Part of Pilots had to learn riding a plane in an old biplane. Army Air Force and Navy using very similar Boeing Stearman with minor differences. Powerplant, instruments and details in the paint scheme. More than 8.000 were built, some of them last...

 

[Mr. John Smith]

Sopwith Camel Pup
P-38 Lightning
B-24 Liberator
and number one...

the B-25 Mitchell! Built right here in Kansas City, MO at the old Fairfax plant. We usually have two show up at the annual airshow. :eusa_clap

 

[David Conwill]

The Boeing Stearman

The Army PT-17 model, because it's got a Continental R-670, made right here in Muskegon in a factory that used to stand where my office now is. Stearmans (Stearmen?) remain remarkably affordable aircraft to this day, which definitely adds to the appeal.

I also really like both the P-36 Hawk and the P-38 Lightning.

-Dave

 

[N2S3]

Sopwith

The Camel is not the same as the Pup. Camel looks like that deer, front hump gives the name to that airplane. The Pup is real cute, the name really hits the nail...
Both, Camel and Pup, were propelled by a rotary engine, so one turn is easy, the other nearly impossible cause of torque. The Pup's engine only produced 80 HP.
Shuttleworth Collection in Old Warden shows a Pup in Air Displays. A Sopwith Triplane too.

 

[N2S3]

Stearman

PT17 is a real beauty, 220 HP and travelling with 95-100mph, burning 12 Gal/h.

Just came back from a short flight to Aachen-Merzbrueck (EDKA), a little field in Germany, where two Stearman live, both with PW 985 Radial engine. 450HP, burning 22-25 Gallon LL100/h.

There are many other Radial engines for Stearman, including Lyc 680 with 220 HP and Shaky Jaky (Jacobs) with 275 HP.

Many still walking today, 1 Gallon 100LL in Germany is 7,50 EUR...

 

[Vince]

The Mosquito

I know that may not sound very "patriotic", but truth is the Mosie was the only plane that could come close to catching up with the Jerry Me-262 jet fighter-pretty bloody good when considering the jet was capable of almost 4-500 Miles per hour. Yeah I know I am gonna be called a traitor! Who cares!

Cheers!

Vince the Yank

 

[bonnieprince]

You said drool factor. This is the most sinister looking plane ever built. Pure drool factor. I would have butterflies just sitting in preflight.

 

[Pip]

You said drool factor. This is the most sinister looking plane ever built. Pure drool factor. I would have butterflies just sitting in preflight.

I'd have to agree, the SR71 is quite something!

Also a big fan of the De Havilland Rapide, such a lovely aircraft to be a passenger in. Although the headroom is limited to say the least haha.

 

[Jerekson]

You said drool factor. This is the most sinister looking plane ever built. Pure drool factor. I would have butterflies just sitting in preflight.

I would kill to be able to take a picture like that.

Or BE killed, considering the angle.

 

[N2S3]

You probably know this little story:
One day, high above Arizona, we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us.
First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. 'Ninety knots,' ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. 'One-twenty on the ground,' was the reply.
To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was 'Dusty 52, we show you at 525 on the ground,' ATC responded. The situation was too ripe.
I heard the click of Walter's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, 'Aspen 20, I show you at 1,742 knots on the ground.' We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.

 

[Chas]

It's a 3-way tie for me.

F6F Hellcat. Most successful fighter in history; when you look at it's kill=loss ratio (11-1)

The Spit. It was just so darn nice to look at, as well as being a racehorse to fly.

Sopwith Camel; the mount of George Barker, VC.

 

[St.Ignatz]

F3F Tigercat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLXjU8wJqYA

2 P&W R-2800-22W , Max speed 435 mph 4 0.5 brownings, 4 20mm cannon 6 pylons