What is your favorite aircraft of all time?

[Aristaeus]

The Martin M-130:eusa_clap

 

[Stearmen]

This one is not really my all time favorite but a very historic aircraft that not many people know about. It was the USA's first fighter jet that was secretly being tested during WWII. The war ended before it actually saw combat. It is the Bell P59 Ariacomet. After this came the Lockheed P80 Shooting Star which was a much better aircraft.

The story I heard about the testing at Maroc now Edwards, was pilots reporting seeing airplanes on fire with no propeller. One of the test pilots decided to give the unsuspecting pilots something to really talk about! Seems he had a friend that worked at MGM, so he got a gorilla mask, derby hat and a cigar. The base Psychiatrist received reports of this strange propelerless airplane with it's simian pilot!

 

[Landman]

Stearmen,

I actually knew two of the men who flew these P59's at Muroc. I worked for them in the oil and gas business when I first got out of college. I spent a lot of time with them on wells and became very close to them. They were both fighter pilots in the Pacific Theater before flying the P59 in 1944. They had a lot of great stories about the P59. One of them wrote a brief memo about flying the P59 for a guy who was writing a book about the plane. I'll get it out and post it here if anybody is interested.

One story I remember along the lines of your story was about a P51 pilot seeing them. The P51 pilot had accidentally flown into classified airspace where they were flying the P59. He flew right up along side one of the P59's and got a good look at it. When he landed he kept telling everybody about seeing a plane with no prop. They said nobody believed him so their secrecy wasn't compromised!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

[video=youtube;l58ul3HijtI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l58ul3HijtI[/video]

 

[Warden]

I do hope this happens. 20 Spitfires 'lost' in Burma could fly again


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/spitfires-lost-in-burma-could-fly-again-7645574.html

 

[ButteMT61]

I do hope this happens. 20 Spitfires 'lost' in Burma could fly again http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/spitfires-lost-in-burma-could-fly-again-7645574.html

Yeah, but the eBay fees on one of those will be insane lol

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Yeah, but the eBay fees on one of those will be insane lol

Many years ago I remember that someone in the Ukraine had listed a German PzIII tank on eBay that had apparently come from a museum though I have no idea whether it sold or not.

 

[Warden]

I do hope this happens. 20 Spitfires 'lost' in Burma could fly again

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/wo...n-7645574.html

Thought I might pop my name down, could do with a winter project

 

[Corky]

Getting Back to The Favorite Aircraft Topic...

It's difficult for for me to decide between the Grumman XF5F Skyrocket:

and the Grumman XP-50:

 

[Otter]

Yeah, but the eBay fees on one of those will be insane lol

Buyer collects!

 

[Buggnkat]

I hear ya guys, Household 06 (wife) would drop a brick if she saw one of these in the garage.......

 

[Stearmen]

Dream Do Come True

Well, you could always put one of these in your garage! It's an F6D Mustang, found in a garage in Ballwin,Missouri 1983. Yes it is flying now. There must be more out there, think how many garages there are. Sounds like a job for American Pickers!

 

[Landman]

My Dad who was in the Army Air Corp in WWII said that at one time (probably late 50's) the military sold off surplus P51's that were still in the crate for around $1,500.00. He always said he was glad he didn't have the money then to buy one because he probably would have killed himself in it. I sure would like to have a few of those crates now!

 

[Buggnkat]

I remember that! It wasnt but 10 miles from my house in STL. I always wondered if they got it flyable again! There was also a P39 that was found in a barn south of STL. A fellow in Colorado Springs bought it at the auction when the owner passed away. Wonder if it is flying?

Oh you think Wife would allow THAT?! I would stand a better chance of hitting the lottery, flying with the Blue Angels, and being struck by lighting all on the same day....... But it would be SWEET!

 

[Stearmen]

I remember that! It wasnt but 10 miles from my house in STL. I always wondered if they got it flyable again! There was also a P39 that was found in a barn south of STL. A fellow in Colorado Springs bought it at the auction when the owner passed away. Wonder if it is flying?

The Mustang is flying, it was one of the first restorations to go full military, no jump seat etc! I don't know about the P-39, it may have been at West Pac, they did restore one. It is definitely not based in Colorado Springs.

 

[Buggnkat]

Yeah I know, but the fellow that bought was from CS. I always wondered what happened to that plane. It had been kept in a machine shed till the farmer passed. He was going to use it as a crop duster. The wings and fuselage were stored next to a 14T JD bailer both had an old tarp thrown over them. Other than the canvas surfaces being eatten away, the plan was pretty much complete.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

PZL 37 Los (Poland)

[video=youtube;l9JtAFOt9Uc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9JtAFOt9Uc[/video]

 

[bulldog1935]

Grumann F5 Skyrocket

and especially the plane that developed from it, the F7F Tigercat

 

[bulldog1935]

In Jr. High, I built a really nice control-line model of the BV-141b dive bomber - it flew extremely well.

all in all, Lockheed Vega must be the prettiest that ever flew

 

[this one guy]

I'm not talking about performance, or guns, or anything like that.

What I'm talking about is a plane that makes you drool. A plane that stimulates pure speechlessness...

Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" - From military training to post WWI barnstorming, the "plane that taught America to fly".

In the WWII category - SBD Dauntless.