What is your favorite aircraft of all time?

[Rathdown]

Has to be the Beech 17S....

 

[Harp]

Memories.

 

[harty]

P-51, P-38, and Lockheed Constellation

 

[MisterCairo]

The CF-105 Avro Arrow. Behold........

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Japanese Jet Aircraft
[video=youtube;33TQNnEArBg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33TQNnEArBg[/video]

 

[Warden]

My son bought a model kit of the MIG 15 yesterday, I was never a fan of these jets in my youth, but looking at the model it kinda bought back happy memories of my model making days in the 1970's.

More info here

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Was it an Airfix kit?

 

[Chas]

The Sopwith Camel.

[video=youtube;j6PnKUEFX8g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6PnKUEFX8g&feature=related[/video]

 

[Stearmen]

Happy Times

Fantastic video, two of my favorites. I remember as a teenager building the large Revell Camel and the big Airfix Spitfire, happy times!

 

[Norumbega]

Based on a family friend, who was a WWII & Korean War Marine Corps aviator, the Colonel swore by the Corsair. He said it could take a pounding, and anyone who understands Marine Corps close air support.......well, that's good enough for me.

 

[Stearmen]

Out Of Luck

Based on a family friend, who was a WWII & Korean War Marine Corps aviator, the Colonel swore by the Corsair. He said it could take a pounding, and anyone who understands Marine Corps close air support.......well, that's good enough for me.

The Marines used to have a saying, "when your out of Corsairs, your out of luck!" Sadly, their all out of Corsairs now.

 

[Corky]

New favorite: The YF-23

My new favorite: the YF-23.

 

[Bugguy]

Lockheed Constellation - I flew Ecuatoriana de Aviación to Quito, Ecuador in 1965 in this queen of aircraft. There will never be anything like this again. Someday when I've been around this site long enough, maybe I can post a picture through the window of flying over Cuba; well after the Bay of Pigs fiasco.

 

[Bugguy]

WACO CG-4 Glider (WWII) - Gotta love them cause they were my father's ride to France after D-Day. They were made of cloth and plywood and towed behind a C-47.

Per Gen. Westmoreland:
"The intrepid pilots who flew the gliders were as unique as their motorless flying machines. Never before in history had any nation produced aviators whose duty it was deliberately to crash land, and then go on to fight as combat infantrymen. They were no ordinary fighters. Their battlefields were behind enemy lines."

"Every landing was a genuine do-or-die situation for the glider pilots. It was their awesome responsibility to repeatedly risk their lives by landing heavily laden aircraft containing combat soldiers and equipment in unfamiliar fields deep within enemy-held territory, often in total darkness. They were the only aviators during World War II who had no motors, no parachutes, and no second chances."
General William C. Westmoreland, U.S. Army, Retired

Think about it... one way trip, no open field? SOL, plywood and cloth didn't stop bullets too well, either. There's one in Dayton, OH at the Wright-Patterson Airforce Museum. Definitely worth the trip to see the warbirds.

 

[coalman]

Hi Everyone,
Loved reading this thread with so many different types talked about, I am very much like the rest of my generation who grew up on comic stories in air ace and victor comics about our heroes of the air flying in always in spitfires and lancasters with the occasional hurricane and wellington thrown in.
I am now in my 50's and been very lucky to have been associatedin a ground crew capacity only with many aircraft both piston engined and jets so asking me what my favourite aircraft would be is a very hard one as each has its own special qualities which appeals to me..sadly never piloted them
I can be accused of spitfire snobbery as most of the german aircrews who always wanted to say they had ben shot down by only a spitfire where in truth it was a hurricane! but in all its not my number one choice.
So which is my favourite?

Got to be the workhorse of near enough every air force in the world and was good enough to be copied by both the russian and chinese airforces..yes you guessed it

C47 Dak or best known as the DC3 to all.

 

[Steven180]

So which is my favourite?
Got to be the workhorse of near enough every air force in the world and was good enough to be copied by both the russian and chinese airforces..yes you guessed it
C47 Dak or best known as the DC3 to all.

Good to see not everyone love the hollywood starlet, some still go for Rosie the Riveter. Good observation. I am partial to your Westland Lysander and the flying boats as well.

M.

 

[Stearmen]

Galloping Ghost

I thought it might be appropriator to show a few images of Galloping Ghost during her long race career. She has the longest race career of any plane in history. First at Cleveland in the 40s, then at Reno from the 60s to the present.

 

[coalman]

Good to see not everyone love the hollywood starlet, some still go for Rosie the Riveter. Good observation. I am partial to your Westland Lysander and the flying boats as well.

M.

Hi, yes the lysander was very much underated and forgotten by most..as like most of westland aircraft sadly....to me I will always have a soft spot for the walrus flying boat followed by the sunderland.

 

[Worf]

I'm sure it's been done but... The "prettiest" plane of WWII?

I'm sure this topics been done before, I should search but I'm beat from a looooong road trip today, but what do you think is the "prettiest" plane of WWII. I'm sure we'll get "the usual subjects" Mustang and Spits, but my vote goes for the P-40 Warhawk. Thick, muscular with a .50 cal punch to back it up.

Dang it! Thought I had a photo up on the bucket. I'll post one tomorrow... my bad.

Worf

 

[dhermann1]

Of course, the Spit, but the Mosquito could also claim that distinction.