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Posted by Enaril (U1839051) on Wednesday, 30th November 2005
I have a short list of three,
Biplane- Hawker Fury
Monoplane- Hawker Tempest II/Sea Fury
Jet- Hawker Hunter
I'm not saying that these were the most effective, arguments can certainly be made for P-51D, FW 190D, Gloster Gladiator, and F-100 Super Sabre in the three categories outlined above, but which machines do people think had the most soul.
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by Trident_MKII (U1823460) on Wednesday, 30th November 2005
supermarine spitfire
and i have always had a soft spot for the F-111
if not just because it was the main fighter-bomber used on libya in operation el dorado canyon
its not purely a fighter, does it count ?
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
Not at all, i picked fighter aircraft as they tend to be the most "glamourous," knights of the air, that sort of thing. but certainly the f-111 does possess a sleekness when its wings are fully swept back.
Dedicated Bombers do have a harder time of it as function can overcome form. although the B-29 acheived a grace that none of its contemporaries acheived, in the jet age we have the Vickers Valiant, and the BAE Buccaneer.
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
, in reply to message 3.
Posted by Trident_MKII (U1823460) on Wednesday, 30th November 2005
ok then, lets see
from the front the f4 phantom looks super cool with its wings and fins all over the place
now will you let me have these ones ?
F-104 starfighter, basically a manned rocket
hawker hunter, its british and it also had a bit of trouble bombing stricken oil tankers
the buccanear isn't bad, we used to have carries with those on, what now ?
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
F 86
Sopwith Camel
F 16
Tie between MIG 15 and Hawker Hunter
Honourable mention to a non fighter just because it gave the best bang for the buck in the European theater, Torpedo "bomber" section, (and my all time favorite) The Fairey Swordfish... remember Taranto, Bismarck!!
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
From a modern perspective, the SU 27!
It is a beautiful looking thing!
I'd have to put a vote in for the Spitfire for WW2 though.
I realise this post is on fighters but I must say that the B29 and the Lancaster are seriously good looking aircraft!
Cheers
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
sorry trident misread the last line of your reply.F4 not bad, of the various versions the f4k employed by the fleet air arm as the larger nose cone gave it a cleaner line forward of the cockpit.
What now for the FAA, if those big new carriers ever get built and not sacrificed on the altar of some future defence review then its going to be the JSF isn't it? or will it be the f-22 ?
Not sure of the Mig 15 looked a bit too tubby with a gaping mouth, it took until the mig 19 for that design to grow into itself. My vote for the best looking mig would have to be the fulcrum.
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
For bombers I thought the Lancaster and Vulcan were amazing looking things.
Also thought the Sunderland "flying hedgehog" flying boat looked the business
Also the Spit and the Me 262
The TSR 2? looked amazing
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
Spitfire for me, but the DH Mosquito has to get a mention. Beautiful plane.
For WW1, I'd go for the Albatros D3.
Jet fighters - Hunter and Mirage.
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
Since my Airfix kit building days I've always thought the Germans were top for aesthetic design. I think my favourites are the Focke Wulf 190 (especially the later, sleeker model produced in very small numbers near the end of the war) and of course the Me 262.
For WW1 I'd nominate the underrated Pfalz D III - maybe not as good as the Albatros series but for me, much better looking
For the other side, the Spads were pretty neat. WW2 - Mosquito, I guess
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
, in reply to message 10.
Posted by DANNY-FRANKS (U2186615) on Wednesday, 30th November 2005
For me the Mosquito, & ME 262
df
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
Triplanes - Sopwith for sure, much nicer look than Fokker's take.
Biplanes - Gladiator, much cleaner lined than any of the others, Hon. Men. for Fury/Nimrod
Monoplane single piston - Sea Fury, honourable mention for Sea Fang
Monoplane twin piston - Sea Hornet, h.m. for Mossie & Whirlwind
Mono quad piston - FW Condor
Jet single - Sea Hawk or Scimitar, not sure which.
Jet multi - Tomcat.
Flying boat / amphibian - Shared between Sunderland and Saro Lerwick
Note - there are plenty of better lookers amongst the civil stuff such as both versions of Comet, in fact I rate the DH88 as the best looker of the lot.
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
, in reply to message 12.
Posted by Alaric the Goth (U1826823) on Thursday, 1st December 2005
I agree with the Albatross D3 for biplanes, and think the Mosquito was a lovely twin-engined monoplane. But so was the Mitsubishi 'Dinah', and no one has mentioned that!
My father flew (as Observer) in Lancasters, so I'm biased when it comes to piston-engined heavy bombers! Lovely planes, 'Lancs' are.
I like the Dornier Do217E, a good-looking German medium bomber.
Spitfires are undoubtedly nice-looking for a monoplane fighter.
What about high-winged monoplanes? The Fokker D.VIII from WW1? Or the Henschel Hs126 (I think) from WW2?
I also like the look of Phantoms, when it comes to jets.
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
Which sort of Phantoms? F4 Phantom II or XFH Phantom 1?
There's a pic somewhere (might have been the relevant Warbirds) that shows an experimental Phantom II with powered canard foreplanes - the reckoning was that that would have been a better bet at the time than Tomcats or Eagles
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
On the ground, the T S R 2 was an ugly loking thing, but once its wheels were up, and yes, I did see her fly, once. But what about the best all round aircraft of the Second World War. The Mossie. (D/H Mosquito) If the British had scrapped building the Lanc, and just built Mossies, their losses would have gone done. Mossie losses where less than I believe 1%
Fred
Oh, the new Typhoon looks right to. She takes off and flys over my home, from Warton.
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
German equivqlent to Mossie - JU88 - equally has a claim to being the kmost elegant. However, from the recesses of my memory I've dragged up another contender on the looks front - the Petlyakov Pe-2. When operating with RAF Hurrricanes, they were so fast that the Hurris had trouble hanging on to them as escorts - but the Russian pilots were very appreciative, since no Russian fighters of that period could stay with them at all.
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
, in reply to message 1.
Posted by marduk-slayer of tiamat (U2258525) on Saturday, 10th December 2005
the lancaster, mossie and spitfire
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
So what has to be the ugliest aircraft. The A 10 Warthog springs to mind, and Concorde on the ground.
Fred
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
The Bumpus designs like the Blackburn Bison & Blackburn Blackburn are the ugliest, with the Pemberton-Billing O2 close behind
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
Will look them up in my big book.
Fred
Link to this forum: What do you consider the most aesthetically pleasing fighter aircraft ?
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