What is your favorite aircraft of all time?

[Stearmen]

Bear Games

Tupelov Tu-95 Bear

Love the Bears! I have meant over the years a number of pilots who had to intercept then escort Bears down the East Coast. They all said they would develop bad headaches from the tremendous noise. On a side note, part of the job of the Bear flights was to see how long our fighters stayed with them, to try and gage the maximum range of allied fighters. I wonder if our guys were messing back with them by lengthenings and shorting flight duration?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

[video=youtube;JiX26JkbtLk&NR=1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiX26JkbtLk&NR=1&feature=fvwp[/video]

[video=youtube;0kQkVbOikzQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kQkVbOikzQ&feature=related[/video]

[video=youtube;MPn1gj7fgYk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPn1gj7fgYk&feature=related[/video]

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Douglas F3D Skyknight

Lakewood, CA
May 29, 2011

 

[Hopalong]

After getting a ride in a P-51 Mustang last September 2010 and then just getting a ride in a P-38 Lightning a week ago, the P-38 Lightning is still my favorite Plane.
Mike

 

[HepKitty]

The Skyknight is so cute!!!

And the Bear is quite the beast, isn't it? I agree that the Airacude is a bit um different. But not different in a bad way though

Hopalong you have no idea how jealous I am... I think I'd take the P-51 over the P-38 if I had to choose

 

[Diamondback]

Due to some fiction I'm writing involving one whose computers get so upgraded it achieves self-awareness and true human-level AI (to the point that it tells its pilot that it's Going Hunting whether he comes along or not when a woman they both love is apparently killed), I'm starting to develop a major geekout on these beasts...

I believe the AI would say, "When Airwolf has nightmares, it's dreaming about me." LOL

 

[Saint-Just]

As this is "of all time"...
To start with a war bird

Then a war bird turned civilian
I probably flew in that plane... I remember one had seats alongside the fuselage, but the others had normal forward-facing seats.

And finally the 2 most beautiful -to me- civilian aircrafts:

And the precursor of the 727...

 

[Philip A.]

Waco YMF

And they still produce it... http://www.wacoclassic.com/

One of the things on my "One day I'll have one" list.

 

[HepKitty]

Ok so I hate to admit that I have only 5 official hours now. Weather was not helpful this spring and now it could be money since my job got outsourced. Still waiting on an insurance settlement and at least get severance pay and unemployment, so I'm not giving up just yet. But on the upside I've had fun in the few hours that I have, including a couple of soft field landings and a surprise hangar tour at Rainbow Ranch:

 

[HepKitty]

Pattern work and 5 landings in the Zodiac this a m, and I didn't leave immediately and chatted with the pilot of this plane that has been converted to crop duster (criminal, isn't it?):




And ended up flying co-pilot as he cleaned the system with isopropyl alcohol

 

[jbmilart]

There is nothing like learning to fly...Hepkitty! I took my lessons in 2000 and loved every minute of it...but believe me there is nothing compared to taking your first SOLO flight! I can remember it like it was yesterday! Let us know how you're doing, kiddo! Remember, after the solo comes the three cross country flights and the night flying...study those navigation parts in your study guide real good. Also you might get the King's Private Pilot flying guides on dvd, they helped me a lot...comes with a test after each chapter and a final test that will help you on your FAA written test. It's kinda expensive...but you get a lot a bang for your bucks.

Happy Landings...Jim

Oh by the way, my favorite aircraft would be the P-47 Thunderbolt, B-24 Liberator, B-36 Peacemaker, P-39 Airacobra, B-26 Maurader.

 

[Diamondback]

Also, check out ASA's various offerings--they do good stuff too, and I've found their staff (including one lady CFI of some repute) both courteous and helpful in dealing with questions.

 

[Stearmen]

Ok so I hate to admit that I have only 5 official hours now. Weather was not helpful this spring and now it could be money since my job got outsourced. Still waiting on an insurance settlement and at least get severance pay and unemployment, so I'm not giving up just yet. But on the upside I've had fun in the few hours that I have, including a couple of soft field landings and a surprise hangar tour at Rainbow Ranch:

I remember my first solo from all those years ago! My instructor was a big guy, 6'5" and probably one side or the other of 300lbs. So I took off, not thinking about all the weight I had lost with him standing back on the ramp. As I was flying down wind, totally in the moment I hear over the radio, "05 Tango, you are going to land at our air port?" I suddenly realized I was way over pattern altitude, I'm sure they all had a good laugh. My last two patterns were spot on. Enjoy HepKitty!

 

[Steven180]

Military? The Vought F4U Corsair. How can the unique design and classic lines not combine to impress you in both performance and quality? Distinctive, yes. Unusual, yes. A performer, yes. Perfect, no...a pain to land as I understand. But the total package in engineering, capability and imagination, and symbolic of the era.

And let's not forget the utility of the Westland Lysander. A humble and capable aircraft who did more than her fair share in observation, but most impressively in clandestine operations. Highly recommend the work "We Landed By Moonlight" by Hugh Verity for an insightful, experienced, and personal perspective. A valuable book that puts you right there.

Experimental? Agree with the Hughes H2 as well. Nice. Performance, engineering, design, and uniquely of the era.

And my personal favorite...the seaplane or flying boat. A key ingredient in the U.S.’s realization that we are not bound by two oceans from the rest of the world. It moved us. The nostalgic Clipper and the conspicuous Catalina.

M.

 

[The Private Eye]

Latecoere 631. That's what I call "a plane" !

 

[Flipped Lid]

I have a bit of a soft spot for the DeHavilland Beaver and Otter float planes because that's what I've flown into Canadian wilderness lakes a few times. I also think the old flying boats like the Grumman Albatross are very cool.

 

[ButteMT61]

DC-3 and B-36. Mom was a stewardess for Western, and Dad in the Air Force.
But the B-17 has to be there. So, three for me

 

[Bix B.]

The Arado 234 B Blitz, clean and beautiful lines:

Mark

 

[Rats Riley]

Not my favorite bird. But my favorite sound!

My barracks was right across the street from the airfield and every morning I would be woken to the whine and slowly growing thumps as the hueys came to life. Though it meant it was time to get up for PT, I loved the sound!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

MiG-25 Foxbat
Looks like an F-15 on steroids!

MiG-25UB (trainer version)
[video=youtube;N-JqgrHuQaw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-JqgrHuQaw&feature=related[/video]