Most Beautiful Aircraft Ever Built

[SVSUSteve]

But if you want to see the military version it's still just as gorgeous.

Military Corsairs are absolutely beautiful. To this day, the only art contest I have won involved a drawing of a Corsair and I contend that it was the subject matter and not my "skill" as an artist that won me the award.

Agreed, but if we're talking jet fighters, the early F-86 beats all.

Hands down, although I have always had a particular fondness for F-4 Phantoms. This is simply due to the squadron of them that used to fly over my childhood home. I have two things I regularly blame for my addiction to aircraft. The first is Burt Rutan (and I have told him this) and the second is the cadre of F-4 pilots from the 181st Tactical Fighter Squadron from the mid-1980s. The fact that Rutan had a lot to do with working the bugs out of the F-4 does not escape me either.

 

[SVSUSteve]

View attachment 17872

Probably not the most beautiful airplane, but then again there is probably no word that describes the Gee Bee racer.
It killed it's original pilot, but Del Mar Benjamin, built this exact replica, and flew it at airshows around the country.
It almost killed him once, when a wingtip suddenly stalled durring landing. He slammed the plane onto the runway, before it could flip over.
It burned up its first set up brakes on the first landing. He installed brakes from a learjet, and solved that problem.
If ever you saw it fly, inlcluding inverted and knife edge passes, you walk away away thinking that somehow it is kind of beautiful!

Anyone who doesn't argue that it's beautiful in that big radial engine sort of way, deserves to be kicked squarely in the nuts.

 

[SVSUSteve]

I must give honorable mention to Aero Commander!


View attachment 17866

They have the national maintenance center for those at the airport just down the street from my house. They are a sight to see. The last time I drove past there there were nine of them lined up on the apron.

 

[SVSUSteve]

OK, it isn't pretty, or sleek, or even a flashy color but it is the most beatiful plane you can ride in.
It can fly with one engine, half a wing, one rudder and half the horizontal stabilizer missing.
And it can take out tanks at 5000 yards with a short burst from THE GUN.View attachment 17860

It remains the only aircraft I've ever seen my fiancee (not an airplane geek) almost lose control of the car watching a pair of them maneuver. She loves Warthogs.

 

[delta]

I've always thought the B-58 was kinda purdy... http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/bomber/b58/b58_schem_01.gif . The sfc of the smaller turbines may someday allow a scaled version to rear it's beautiful head.

LiveLeak.com - Jimmy Stewart presents the B58 Hustler

 

[autoreply]

It seems that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder (or not) judging by some of the candidates (wasn't the A 10 christened "Warthog"? --the F111 got "Aardvark" and the Dornier Do335 "Anteater" -- are there any other worse put downs for fugly aircraft?

"Modder Fokker". Modder=mud in Dutch, before you accuse me of name-calling


Ow and I like this design a lot too. Despite 9 (!) flying surfaces it looks fairly "clean" and aerodynamic:
Photos: CC-02 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

And of course the aircraft with the most appropriate name in the history of aviation:

 

[Himat]

Ow and I like this design a lot too. Despite 9 (!) flying surfaces it looks fairly "clean" and aerodynamic:
Photos: CC-02 Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

Do you have any other information on this plane?

 

[bmcj]

I've always thought the B-58 was kinda purdy....

I'll agree with that!

 

[Detego]

Aero Commander

They have the national maintenance center for those at the airport just down the street from my house.
They are a sight to see. The last time I drove past there there were nine of them lined up on the apron.

I've always wanted to do a scaled down version of the "Aero Commander" in Composites; and switch to the Pusher configuration. It would also be a great candidate for twin boom configuration.

 

[SVSUSteve]

are there any other worse put downs for fugly aircraft?

I've always thought the nicknames for the F-16 (which I have never thought was a particularly attractive aircraft) "Lawn Dart" and "The Disposable Jet" were pretty apt and insulting.

I've always wanted to do a scaled down version of the "Aero Commander" in Composites; and switch to the Pusher configuration. It would also be a great candidate for twin boom configuration.

Why screw with the tail when it works so beautifully? It's one of the best features of that line of aircraft.

Not to get off topic, but I love when people say "I want to do a scaled version of _______!" and then suggest completely changing the design (such as going from tractor to pusher and adding a twin boom design). It just seems to be one of the big non sequiturs of homebuilding.

 

[Detego]

And of course the aircraft with the most appropriate name in the history of aviation:

Check out what John Roncz had to say about Canards and his Airfoils @ Airventure 2011:

see 15:24

[video=youtube;E9eEwyVrAps]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9eEwyVrAps&feature=plcp[/video]

 

[Dan Thomas]

They have the national maintenance center for those at the airport just down the street from my house. They are a sight to see. The last time I drove past there there were nine of them lined up on the apron.

I have a few weeks experience working on those Twin Commanders. Very un-fun. All the stuff an airliner has but jammed into a very small airframe. The fuel tanks are rubber bladders: 22 of them! Lots of places to leak. And getting at anything usually results in bruises, scratches, and bad language.

Dan

 

[Dan Thomas]

The prettiest airplane is the Spitfire. And it makes the prettiest engine music: http://www.flyingmachinestv.co.uk/SpitPL965.wmv

Dan

 

[Battson]

Oops, my Staggerwing or Blackbird pics wouldn't attach to the earlier post.

View attachment 17803

+1 for the staggerwing - I saw one first hand some years back, red, got inside and looked around, WOW.
It was maintained here in NZ by an old American guy. He sure took care of that bird.

 

[Detego]

The prettiest airplane is the Spitfire. And it makes the prettiest engine music: http://www.flyingmachinestv.co.uk/SpitPL965.wmv

Dan

My guess is; if someone wanted to Replicate Spitfires, they could sale everyone they make.

[h=2]20 SPITFIRES DISCOVERED IN BURMA[/h]The British Spitfire is practically perfect in every way. With the discovery of 20 additional aircraft, the number of flying examples may soon rise to 55! (Photo: Thundersprint)

 

[steveair2]

I'm planning to visit this place soon. www.supermarineaircraft.com I just wish I could afford one.

 

[SVSUSteve]

I have a few weeks experience working on those Twin Commanders. Very un-fun. All the stuff an airliner has but jammed into a very small airframe.

So I guess asking you to come help with my turboprop build is out of the question then? LOL

 

[Detego]

The Caproni C-22J is an Italian twin-engine two-seat jet designed by Carlo Ferrarin in the late seventies; with its roots in gliders. The fuselage was designed for laminar flow; the airfoil was a Wortmann FX-67K-170.

Caproni C22J

 

[clanon]

What about "Best Aircraft" ever built...
Will all of this eye candy be there...

 

[Lucrum]

I always considered this racer to be exceptionally attractive.