Following recent correspondence with a celeb, I wondered who else here loves aircraft, particularly older aircraft, both prop driven and jets.

To start it off, I have lots of candidates, but I love the Hawker Hunter of the 50's (one of the most elegant 'planes ever produced), the brutish EE Lightning of the 60's and Lockheed SR71 Blackbird as the most impressive aircraft that I have ever seen.
Piston-engined aircraft? Has anthing ever been prettier than the DH dragon Rapide, or despite the beauty of early Spitfires, as awe-inspiring as Hawker Tempest?

At one stage I was a big Biggles reader - dreamed of Sopwith Camels and SE5as. Actually got to see the real thing at the Aust. War Memorial. Amazing that anyone went up in them. The Lancaster seemed so small. Planes since then just seem so ...mechanical.

The Munich Museum has a repro Fokker DR1 (The famous Triplane of Baron von Richthofen). It looks shorter that a mini!

I love every aircraft that lands at Schoenefeld Airport instead of Tegel, so I don't have to hear it. (Incidentally, I hate the helis from the government's air service, especially when they are spinning between the Chancellor's office and their base at Tegel.)

Oh well, I admit, I was a good patriotic citizen and was there when the C47 Skytrain from the Berlin airlift was mounted on top of the German Museum of Technology.

ah i too was a Biggles reader :-)

Prop driven (or more technically an airscrew :-) got to be the dehavilland mosquito,
jets, skids you're right, the EE lightning is amazing!
Vulcan is now doing the airshows again, and there's a regular replica SE5a. Once saw an actual Russian airforce su-27 and that had to be the most elegant aircraft I've ever seen flying.

Just before I finished at Airbus, we had the Vulcan pay a visit. It did a couple of fly-pasts and was a delight to see. I also have to say that the A380 was impressive.

I agree that the Mosquito is a thing of beauty,

How about the GeeBee R1 or the Polikarpov I-15 biplane (especially the ram-jet-equiped special) as truly bonkers designs?

I agree about the Mosquito, but my favourite is the Me 262 which is really elegant.

The Spitfire is a wonderful aircraft but I have a soft spot for the Fat Albert

Both the 737 & the C130T were called "Fat Albert" do I guess at the transport?

I have tp say that the ME262 is beautiful and as a warplane worked so well, but I prefer the 163 and of course the Gloucester Meteor was prettier!

I don't know about the two you said Mr Skids but it's the local name for Hercules unless that's the techincal name for them, being a girl I've no idea, show me a cat and I can wax lyrical for ages

Lancasters for me. PA474 City of Lincoln to be exact. It's the last flying Lanc in the world as as I was born in the capital of Bomber County (Lincoln, Lincolnshire), it has a special place in my heart. My dream is to fly in it but that will never happen. Whenever she flies over the city, people stop their cars to have a look.

I did get to see R for Robert at the weekend - The World War II Wellington bomber N2980, R for Robert, had completed fourteen missions when she was transferred to training duties at No. 20 O.T.U. at Lossiemouth. On New Year's Eve 1940, she took off in the late afternoon.

While flying along the Great Glen at a height of 8000ft. they encountered a snowstorm and the starboard engine cut out. Losing height, they bailed out. Eight were on board, seven survived. She was ditched in Loch Ness and remained there until she was found in 1976. She was raised on 20th September 1985 and now resides at Brooklands Museum. A beautiful plane, she's one of only two Wellington bombers that still exist - the other is at Hendon.

As this thread goes, I am now waiting for someone to name the Enola Gay as their favorite aircraft.

Liked the song though. :-)

Lycanthra Pod Wrote:
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> I don't know about the two you said Mr Skids but
> it's the local name for Hercules unless that's the
> techincal name for them, being a girl I've no
> idea, show me a cat and I can wax lyrical for ages

The Hercules is the C130T. The Boeing 737 also had the nickname, along with quite a few others, but particularly the 737 support aircraft for The Blue Angels display team was referred to as Fat Albert.

Certainly, PH, the B29 was impressive, but somehow, at least for me, it lacked grace. I suppose it is inevitable that warplanes dominate this sort of thread, if only because of the sheer variety. Lets face it, Once you have mentioned the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380 you have covered most of the interest in commercial aircraft!

The most elegant commercial aircraft was, without doubt, the Lockheed Super Constellation.

Concorde?

Fancy buying your very own Super Constellation?

edited to add link



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/17/2010 08:59AM by SkidMarks.

Concorde is nice but not really elegant - I find it a bit pugnacious.

Gay Deceiver.

Fictional?

I am another Biggles reader. My brother was trying to acquire a complete set before his death, but I don't think he made it.

I would agree with the Super Constellation being extremely elegant, but I still remember the big flying boats - the Sandringhams and Catalinas.

Hawker Hunters are still the best looking jet aircraft, and I have the sound of an Avro Vulcan on a file somewhere. Fed through the hifi speakers it is a glorious sound.

When the first F111 flew over Kanbra in the early 70s it gave the impression of being as aerodynamic as a brick, but since then it has been the workhorse of many air forces. I have spoken with F111 pilots and they say it a a dream to fly.

The B52 is an enthralling sight when flying, but on the ground it looks like its about to have its wings fall off.

If I could buy an aircraft tomorrow I would try to get a Hawker Hurricane.


Now the favourite aircraft sound has toi be the Merlin engine, and it is a delight to hear the RAF Victory flight go over - Lancaster with 4, Spitfire and Hurricane one each. 6 Merlins on full thrust - I want the sound track accompanying me when I depart this vale.

But ity's the 'favourite' thing again - what is ythe favourite overall or what is the favourite in each category.