The most beautiful jet fighter ever made

[dr wogz]

CF-105 Arrow anyone?

 

[Initiator001]

Convair F-106A Delta Dart.

Still holds world single-engine jet speed record.

Designed and built in San Diego, California.

 

[Onebadhawk]

Wow,,
What a cool thread..
I am always impressed when I find the people I type to all the time have done such seriously cool jobs in our military...
Thank you all from the bottom of my free heart for your service...
May I please enter my 3 fav's,,


The F 14,, always since I was a kid...

The F 15 or 16,, totally different, I know but my #2 fav...

And the Yf 22,, I know you traditionalists may not like so new,, sleek and different then the older fighters...

Teddy

 

[krislhull]

SU 27 or is it a Su 35? Hard to tell as the 35 was an update of the 27. Good looking and very capable fighter right there.

The Sukhoi in the photo is a Su-30SM. I was blown away by the demo the pilots put it through... It was followed by a VVS Su-35 display that was equally impressive.

the Su-30SM:


Su-35:

 

[krislhull]

There's a number of variants of the SU27, some with side by side seating, others with the more traditional "in line" seating arrangement.

The only variant with side by side seating is the Su-34, which evolved from the Su-27IB. The first illustration you posted further up erroneously label it a Su-27KUB, which is what it was incorrectly designated by NATO when the type was first unveiled in late 1990, early 1991. Keeping track of variants of Soviet origin aircraft can be hard, as they loved to reuse designations. The Su-35 is a prime example. The original Su-35 resembled what we now know as the Su-30SM, and the current Su-35 is a highly modernized Su-27. I have always had a very strange fascination with Soviet aviation, and I have a vast library at home on the topic, including volumes on pretty much every frontline soviet fighter and their variants.

 

[Daddyisabar]

GI beans, GI gravy, gee I wished I'd joined the Navy! Maybe not, look at this this beauty:



Most ugly Jet fighter of all time? Or is it the SAAB Barrel or Yak 15?



The F-104 is hard to beat, but here are a few more old school beauties for the pageant:





The F-16 could be a contender if they would just not hang all that crap on the wings!

 

[gna]

F-86 or F-106

 

[rms]

I think the Saab JAS-39 Gripen is a contender. Just something about those forward canards.:wink:

Greg

 

[krislhull]

I think the Saab JAS-39 Gripen is a contender. Just something about those forward canards.:wink:

Greg

Ooooooh! Yes! The Gripen! That is one sleek, sexy piece of metal!

 

[Mugs914]

I find a lot to agree with in this thread, but I must admit that when I saw "The most beautiful jet fighter ever made" the first thing that popped into my mind was the same as Hornet driver:


I always thought the Hawker Hunter was also a pretty airplane.

 

[Scott_650]

ME-262 Schwalbe is hard to beat aesthetically but I'd have to pick the F-104 Starfighter for its pure elegance. Or maybe the F-9F-6 Cougar. As far as favorite fighter jet - the F-4 Phantom II is my favorite. I was lucky enough to see the Thunderbirds the last year before the switch to the T-38. What an awesome show they put on with those big brutes!

 

[Viperfixr]

After a career in aviation and around fighter jets, I am partial to the XF-85 Goblin.

 

[hornet driver]

All of the Grumman cats were great looking birds! especially the F11F; it looked fast just sitting there, even more so the F11F-1F Super Tiger with the J79.

Ya know, I have to admit the F-11F was a good lookin' plane.------- I remember seeing the Angels fly them as a kid! The F-11F-1F with the J-79 just came along a bit too late for the Navy with the F-8 and F-4 already in use and thoughts about a fleet defense fighter (F-14) on the horizon. I'm still partial to the F-8, got a little stick time in an RF before they were gone. The Hornet will always be my love but the Crusader was the hooker I used to dream about!

 

[Winston]

I disagree (politely)

I love that one too and I think I even started a thread here about it.

 

[Winston]

Respectfully, you all have it wrong. Do not feel bad- the Air Force might have gotten it wrong too.

View attachment 322935

I like the winner of that competition better ... but I still prefer the F-16 over even it. It looks like it's at mach even when sitting still.

 

[Winston]

After a career in aviation and around fighter jets, I am partial to the XF-85 Goblin.

Surely, you jest [I'm serious and don't call me Shirley].

 

[Woody's Workshop]

After a career in aviation and around fighter jets, I am partial to the XF-85 Goblin.

Surely, a flying egg is not the prettiest thing in the air, is it?:fly:

 

[jazzviper1]

Ummmm mm, no! F4 Phantom, F14 Tomcat. Nuff said.

Throw the Gloster Meteor in there and you have a deal!

 

[hornet driver]

Being an old guy, all of the century series birds were sexy to me but this one just had that look--RF-101C---

 

[TangoJuliet]

Surely, a flying egg is not the prettiest thing in the air, is it?:fly:

It is if it's winning Egg Loft Altitude/Duration events. :wink:

 

[Micromeister]

I disagree (politely)

Sexiest Aircraft ever make Lockheed F-104g. Could not agree more. Followed only by the F-15e Eagle.

 

[Screaminhelo]

F-86D has to be my favorite, an absolutely gorgeous plane! Close behind it would be the F-101 in a bare metal finish. For modern jets, I'll go with the F-15E.

 

[MClark]

Sea Dart.
I like how it looks so scifi .

 

[KarlS]

Simple beauty: F-86 (not the bull nose D model either).
As for modern jets I like the SAAB Gripen.

 

[GlenP]

Off-topic: Chris, do you have a system for cutting scoop tubes to mount at an angle like that? As in, how to generate the cutting template?

Estes Lynx and Scorpion sci-fi kits are a good example of that. I would take half of a sine wave curve, scale the bottom width of it to match the portion of the circumference of the scoop, and scale the amplitude peak to the length, if that makes sense. Almost like cutting a tube at an angle as described in this Apogee newsletter:

https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter121.pdf

Maybe not as beautiful as the later generations, but in the historically significant department, the Bell P-59 was the trailblazer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_P-59_Airacomet

 

[K'Tesh]

I like the winner of that competition better ... but I still prefer the F-16 over even it. It looks like it's at mach even when standing still.

Damn! I hated painted shelter floors. When those were wet, and you had any hydraulic fluid leaked from the jet, they were slippery as all $@**! I don't know a jammer driver who liked them at all.

 

[SS/EA 6BBL 71 Cuda]

ME-262 Schwalbe is hard to beat aesthetically...

View attachment 323141

You beat me to it- Die Schwalbe (Swallow) is a very sexy design. Most I've seen in person look quite hammered out though. Like there was a rush to get them out of the factory. I "vunder vhy"?

 

[SDramstad]

They are all pretty ugly when they sneak up behind you! :wink:

 

[Leo]

View attachment 323141

You beat me to it- Die Schwalbe (Swallow) is a very sexy design. Most I've seen in person look quite hammered out though. Like there was a rush to get them out of the factory. I "vunder vhy"?

I live 45min away from a small airport/museum where they have a flying ME 262. I saw one in the air while driving on the Autobahn passing the airport. Couldn't believe my eyes when I first saw it.
They have a website. Check out the videos.

https://www.flugmuseum-messerschmitt.de/

For me it's the F-104 all the way.

 

[TangoJuliet]

Damn! I hated painted shelter floors. When those were wet, and you had any hydraulic fluid leaked from the jet, they were slippery as all $@**! I don't know a jammer driver who liked them at all.

When I was assigned to the B-2 we had a brand new Phase Maintenance hangar that had the white epoxy-coated floors, which was very helpful in reflecting light back up underneath the aircraft - even though we still had additional lights we would plug in under it. But damn! If we removed and replaced an Aircraft Mounted Accessory Drive (AMAD), there would be hydraulic fluid everywhere and it was like walking on ice! SLIPPERY! Even the floors that had grit added to the finish weren't much better, but it sure did look good when it was clean.