Your Favorite Aircraft?

[fxrs]

I thought one was going to land on us once. We were at a bar just outside the base there in Corpus Christi looking out the picture windows, when a C-5 flying impossibly slow flew over the bar. It absolutely seemed like it should be falling out of the sky, it was flying so slowly!

Did the fact that you may have been indulging in libations
have ant effect on how fast you thought the plane was flying???
:neener:

 

[fxrs]

Back in 1985 I was going through a divorce and recovering
from a work related injury I started taking flying lessons
in one of these. I realized that on a machinist pay that my
dream of getting a pilots licenses was probably not going
to happen. I envy those of you who are pilots!

 

[H_Rocket]

For sheer utility, flexibility, and service life I present the C130

It does almost everything


Can take off from almost anywhere,

And can land anywhere...seriously, anywhere

And you really don't want to make it (or anything else that can fire a 105mm howitzer from above) mad

 

[shrox]

I love all of the 1930's racers but my favorite has got to be....

Gee Bee R-1

I made a game model of that for a Reno Air Race game, I got to inspect it pretty closely, and also saw it fly.

 

[shrox]

Did the fact that you may have been indulging in libations
have ant effect on how fast you thought the plane was flying???
:neener:

No, we had just sat down. I was sure we were going to see a disaster unfold right in front of us.

 

[RocketT.Coyote]

WW2: Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
Korea: Convair B-36 Peacemaker
Post-Korea: Martin P6M Seamaster
Vietnam era: Lockheed YF-12A or Convair F-106
Post Vietnam: F-16 Viper
Experimental: X-24B
Air-Breathing Missile: CIM-10 Bomarc

 

[rdmmdr]

piper pa12

decent range, decent power, no flaps, and a tail wheel. what else do you need. you have to love some of those old school trainers.

beach 18
round motors and a tail wheel can go wrong there.

i was ferrying one with a delta captain once. lost an engine about thirty minutes out. i did not realize that he was not a tail wheel pilot, and he did not realize that i was not twin certified. it gets time to land i say it's his aircraft. he tells me he's not a tail wheel pilot, i tell him i am not a twin pilot. his response, i will never forget " heck son, this thing stopped being a twin engine aircraft thirty minutes ago, but it still got a tail wheel."

 

[jadebox]

I thought one was going to land on us once. We were at a bar just outside the base there in Corpus Christi looking out the picture windows, when a C-5 flying impossibly slow flew over the bar. It absolutely seemed like it should be falling out of the sky, it was flying so slowly!

That's an illusion caused by it being so large. Your mind assumes it's much closer to you than it really is so it also looks like it's barely moving. It is really an impressive aircraft.

I always thought the C5 also had a unique sound. I'd hear that whine and look up to see a C5 in the skies near Eglin where I grew up.

-- Roger

 

[user 13]

Yup nothing sounds like a C-5, except a squadron of A-10's!

The TF-39 has a very distinct buzzing sound.

Jadebox is correct, the size is deceiving. Once while flying it in the Dover area we spotted traffic, a small single GA plane about 5 miles from us at our altitude. He was pointed away but turning towards us. You could tell when he first saw us, he dove for his life thinking we were about to hit him. We were still miles away!

The capabilities of the Galaxy are incredible! At Dover we had Special opps/airdrop crews.

 

[brianc]

gotta love those inverted wings.

Speaking of gull wing influences-

The McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom!

I also like the Jim Bede BD-5 and
Burt Rutan's canard birds- like the VariViggen.


But I'm still waiting on the flying car that I've been promised since
the mid-1960's...

 

[sj_h1]

piper pa12

decent range, decent power, no flaps, and a tail wheel. what else do you need. you have to love some of those old school trainers.

beach 18
round motors and a tail wheel can go wrong there.

i was ferrying one with a delta captain once. lost an engine about thirty minutes out. i did not realize that he was not a tail wheel pilot, and he did not realize that i was not twin certified. it gets time to land i say it's his aircraft. he tells me he's not a tail wheel pilot, i tell him i am not a twin pilot. his response, i will never forget " heck son, this thing stopped being a twin engine aircraft thirty minutes ago, but it still got a tail wheel."

I just loved this one! :roll:

 

[GuyNoir]

beach 18
round motors and a tail wheel can go wrong there.

The aircraft can be protected from harm with the right paint job.

 

[GuyNoir]

Vietnam era:

I'll take the F105 Thud, thank you. . .

 

[shrox]

That's an illusion caused by it being so large. Your mind assumes it's much closer to you than it really is so it also looks like it's barely moving...

-- Roger

I know, just visually it at first looked very odd. Within a second it was obvious it was fine, but on the first glimpse out the window I thought it was stalling.

 

[fxrs]

piper pa12

decent range, decent power, no flaps, and a tail wheel. what else do you need. you have to love some of those old school trainers.

beach 18
round motors and a tail wheel can go wrong there.

i was ferrying one with a delta captain once. lost an engine about thirty minutes out. i did not realize that he was not a tail wheel pilot, and he did not realize that i was not twin certified. it gets time to land i say it's his aircraft. he tells me he's not a tail wheel pilot, i tell him i am not a twin pilot. his response, i will never forget " heck son, this thing stopped being a twin engine aircraft thirty minutes ago, but it still got a tail wheel."

I love stories like this one.
My current wife and I were flying back from Puerto Rico from our
honey moon cruse and were sitting next to an Air Force major.
I am probably wrong on his rank. Anyway we got to talking airplanes
and flying. Some where during our talk he says, You know
landing is nothing more that a controlled crash!!

 

[dr wogz]

Early FW-190 (A-8)
(short nosed rotary, none of them long nosed later jobs..)

 

[Micromeister]

F100 Super Saber. It just looks fast.

 

[Viperfixr]

I took this just a few months ago.

AF asked this airplane to do just about everything in the tactical AF repertoire, and it delivered+. If you saw how hard these jets are flown each and every day, you would be amazed.

Of course, after having worked many USAF airplanes, I think the "my favorite" title goes out to this one...

Now retired, sniff, sniff...

 

[TheRocketNerd]

The SR-71 Blackbird, hands down. I have a signed copy of Sled Driver by Brian Shul that I love.

 

[gpoehlein]

Although I love the B-70, SR-71, F-4, F-15 and F-16, I gotta say that my all time favorite airplane is the T-38 Talon (and the F-5 fighter version). There's just something about that wasp-waist.

 

[Fred22]

I like the CF100 Canuck
CF101 Voodoo Nuclear tipped rockets
Cheers
fred

 

[flygrimm]

Here is mine. The Lockheed 1049 Connie. Doesn't hurt that my dad flew them for a while out of Otis in the late 60's.

 

[shrox]

A plane I like the looks of, but not is maintenance record, the F-22. 30 hours of service and repair for ever hour flow. According to an NPR story anyway.

 

[shrox]

Although I love the B-70, SR-71, F-4, F-15 and F-16, I gotta say that my all time favorite airplane is the T-38 Talon (and the F-5 fighter version). There's just something about that wasp-waist.

The Talon has always been a favorite of mine too.

 

[AKPilot]

I've looked at this thread for the past couple of days, thinking of my own response.

I don't see how anyone can pick a "favorite". Most are a thing of beauty, and each serves a different purpose.

It's like children, you can't pick a favorite.

 

[luke strawwalker]

Hands down HAS to be the B-58 Hustler... just the coolest looking multi-seat plane EVER! WAY ahead of its time. The thing just LOOKS fast sitting still, graceful, clean lines, powerful, fast, and could hit like a jackhammer, and ingenious as well... (putting a hydrogen bomb in a drop tank; I don't care who ya are that's just a cool idea!)

Besides, it won a FISTFUL of speed trophies and though sadly shortlived, there hasn't been anything quite like it since.

OL JR

 

[Mikus]

No one mention the B1-B Lancer?? Its second to the SR-71,still tops in my book. Honorable mention is the F4-Phantom and the XB-70,pulling up the rear is the Tomcat.

All favorites of mine as well. Throw in the F-104, the X-15, the BD-5J and the F-111 and that about covers it. Ooh don't forget the Saab 35 Draken and the Hawker Harrier.

 

[Mikus]

And it was a cool model when I was a kid.

Hands down HAS to be the B-58 Hustler... just the coolest looking multi-seat plane EVER! WAY ahead of its time. The thing just LOOKS fast sitting still, graceful, clean lines, powerful, fast, and could hit like a jackhammer, and ingenious as well... (putting a hydrogen bomb in a drop tank; I don't care who ya are that's just a cool idea!)

Besides, it won a FISTFUL of speed trophies and though sadly shortlived, there hasn't been anything quite like it since.

OL JR

 

[sandman]

Hands down HAS to be the B-58 Hustler... just the coolest looking multi-seat plane EVER! WAY ahead of its time. The thing just LOOKS fast sitting still, graceful, clean lines, powerful, fast, and could hit like a jackhammer, and ingenious as well... (putting a hydrogen bomb in a drop tank; I don't care who ya are that's just a cool idea!)

Besides, it won a FISTFUL of speed trophies and though sadly shortlived, there hasn't been anything quite like it since.

OL JR

I really liked the B-58 but not my Mom's favorite!

They use to fly out of Selfridge AFB (Now Selfridge ANG) and practice low altitude +mach flight over my house.

Saw then do a few knife edge turns over Lake Huron...way cool!

My mon had a few choice words for then! They broke a few windows.

 

[dr wogz]

What about the oddest favorite?

Blohm & Voss 141 anyone?!



And I'm suprised no one has mentined a Russian plane.. The SU 27 is a nice looking plane, with it's smooth lines & transitions.. and those strakes!!