Favorite aircraft?

[Random Axe]

While shopping in the craft store yesterday I wandered past the model kits and was reminded how much I was into building model planes as a child. I was big into aircraft and could name all of them from WW2 to the 80's. These are my all-time favs.

F-4 Phantom - This was a flying tank that could take a bruising and carried a huge payload.
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc282/Therandomaxe/Nellis_07_F-4_Phantom_II_22-A.jpg


Harrier - What cooler than a vertical take-off? I'll answer for you...nothing.
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc282/Therandomaxe/5-harrier-jet.jpg


B-25 Mitchell - I loved building bomber models because of all the detail inside and all the gun turretts. The B-17 is cool, but I like the stylings of this one.
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc282/Therandomaxe/north-american-b25-bomber.jpg

[Tyme2tyme]

F4-U Corsair (think "Black Sheep Squadron"). I've loved the looks of that airplane as long as I can remember. I got to see two of them flying at an air show here in Jacksonville last year. I almost forgot to keep breathing, I was sooo in awe! JOHN

[Mikey]

Supermarine Spitfire ... the most beautiful airplane ever made
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Ray_Flying_Legends_2005-1.jpg


m

[piecemaker]

I like alot of them,but this is my favorite. http://piecemaker.smugmug.com/Other/piecemaker-photos/i-SW26KPV/0/XL/BlueAngelsSolosbyDracoart-XL.jpg

[wilbs518]

F-22 Raptor.

[kingdom warrior]

Gee Bee model Z racer- Cliff Secords's plane :grin:

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q290/MrAtomicThunder/001xqww4.jpg

[torgospizza]

F4-U Corsair (think "Black Sheep Squadron"). I've loved the looks of that airplane as long as I can remember.
I'll also go with the F4U Corsair or the P-51 Mustang.

[4NDR01D]

I grew up in a city called Trenton, Ontario here in Canada. It's one of, if not the biggest Air Force base in Canada. Had a lot of "base brats" for friends but never got much into the airplanes.
One however, sticks out in my mind-The Hornet! Awesome tiny little jet with a "stinger" on the front. They had a few mounted on concrete stands outside headquarters. I could only imagine how cool it would be to fly one of those.

[4NDR01D]

darn, maybe it wasnt called the hornet. it had a picture of a hornet and a long "stinger" on the front of the plane. it was really tiny. I dont know what else it would be called, i called it the hornet my whole life

[Hector]

I also love the Phantom, Spitfire, and Mustang.

I also dig the F-15 Eagle, the F-18 Hornet, the Harrier...and the Mig-31 Foxhound (the Mikoyan MiG-35 is supposed to be even more baddass).

The F-22 Raptor as well of course.

But growing up...I'd say my all time favorite is the small one-seater F-16 Falcon...that has been the Air Force workhorse for decades...and now armed with today's latest technology...it's still one bad little sucker...great dogfighter...

http://schema-root.org/military/weapons/aircraft/fighters/f-16/f-16.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_z8MOWj8BjbY/TMZuCzMIbZI/AAAAAAAAAAM/ynyJ8iiRGkU/s1600/800px-F-16_June_2008.jpg


Although Falcon is its official designated name...it's also known to its pilots as the "Viper", due to it resembling a viper snake and after the Battlestar Galactica Colonial Viper starfighter...and I love its frameless bubble canopy.

Check out the Falcon and the Mustang side by side...awesome...

http://ginacobb.typepad.com/gina_cobb/images/2008/07/12/p51mustang_f16falcon.jpg

Yes...my all-time favorite fighter...


:smiley13: :cool_y:


P.S. I used to build planes all the time as a kid...still have a bunch of them in my basement...lol.

[Rallygirl]

I imagine things would change if hubby had more money and time to spend, but he currently favors small, vintage, fabric, tail draggers. He currently has a 1946 Aeronca 7AC (Champ), a 1947 Piper J3C-65 (Cub) and a homebuilt, experimental, 1998 Tiger Cub. We have also had a couple of power parachutes come and go. I hate to even think about it, but Ed is getting itchy for a four-seater and has been shopping for a Cessna 152. For the record, I am terrified of single engine planes and NEVER go up.


"The Piper Cub is the safest airplane in the world; it is so slow, it can just barely kill you." Attributed to Max Stanley (Northrop test pilot)

[The Bat]

AWESOME! When I saw the title of this thread...my first thought was of the the F4 Phantom!:hokay: It was always my favorite as a kid and I've built more than one Model of it. Ya know it's funny...lately I've been think of trying to find one.



F-4 Phantom
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc282/Therandomaxe/Nellis_07_F-4_Phantom_II_22-A.jpg

[Bruce Banner]

I've always had a love for the aircraft of the WW2 era. Beautifully designed craft like the Spitfire, the Hurricane, the Bf-109, the P51 Mustang, etc.

Take the Spitfire for example. The beautiful lines, the roar of the RR Merlin engine, the rattle of the Browning cannons as it tore into the enemy. Man, now that was a plane.

[sprytel]

Great list... agree with most of these.

But I need to add the SR-71 to the list. As a kid, I was fascinated with that plane... it seemed like it was something from the future.

http://www.compilots.com/downloads/data/media/27/SR-71A_04.jpg

[Mikey]

I don't know their names but I always liked 50's and 60's USA fighters.

They made appearences on everything from I Dream of Jeanie to Star Trek.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

The GEE Bee racer is awesome! It's an engine with a seat strapped to it!

Some other faves of mine:

McDonnell XF-85 (http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/MCDONNELL%20XF-85%20GOBLIN%20PAGE.htm)
Messerschmitt ME-163 Komet (http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/ME-163%20PAGE.htm)
Martin X-24A (1969) (http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/X-24aPage.htm)
de Havilland Vampire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Vampire)

Don C.

[starhunter]

My fav.'s are the Avro Lancaster, SR-71 Blackbird, F4-U Corsair,and of cousre the Avro Arrow

[J.B.]

My two favorites go back to a TV show and a movie that I watched over and over in my youth.

Northrop M2-F2 Lifting Body Infamous for its crash landing in the opening sequence of The Six Million Dollar Man.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/SkullLeader1/Mego/m2f2.jpg


Bell UH-1 (Iroquois) Huey Col. Kilgore's ride of choice in Apocalypse Now.


Death From Above, Baby!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/SkullLeader1/Skullbrain%20Pics/huey8.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v224/SkullLeader1/huey2.jpg

[Hector]

Great list... agree with most of these.

But I need to add the SR-71 to the list. As a kid, I was fascinated with that plane... it seemed like it was something from the future.

http://www.compilots.com/downloads/data/media/27/SR-71A_04.jpg

Can't believe I didn't mention that one... :wall:

While we are on the subject of reconnaissance aircrafts...how about the Lockheed U-2 (Dragon Lady)...

http://media.defenseindustrydaily.com/images/AIR_U-2_lg.jpg

It's almost like a powered-glider on steroids...

:yes: :cool_y:

[Hector]

I also like the chopped-nose Soviet MIG's from the 50's and 60s...like the MIG-19...

http://www.marchfield.org/mig19.jpg

:biggrin:

[Hector]

The Apache copter is pretty baddass too...

http://www.imagebookers.com/gallery/d/1964-2/im_AH64ApacheHelicopter.jpg


But the one that takes the cake is the Comanche...it screams sci-fi...

http://www.olive-drab.com/images/id_ah66comanche_01_700.jpg

:cool_y:

[Jordiway]

The C-5 Galaxy

http://www.fas.org/man//dod-101/sys/ac/c-5-dfst8210036.jpg

read all about it here

Federation of American Scientists :: C-5A/B Galaxy (http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/man/uswpns/air/cargo/c5galaxy.html)

http://www.fas.org/man//dod-101/sys/ac/c-5-9.jpg

[babycyclops]

One of my faves, not as extreme as the Bee Gee, but in a similar style is the Polikarpov I-16.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3127/2542532376_a45be9b522.jpg

For coolness, P-38 Lightning.
http://ih3.redbubble.net/work.4375448.1.flat,550x550,075,f.lockheed-p-38-lightning.jpg

Love the ME 163, but also the graceful lines of the ME 262, the first operational jet fighter.
http://www.militaryaircraft.de/pictures/military/aircraft/Me-262/Me-262_2007-09-WTD61_0136_800.jpg

One more... For pure manace, the Hind gunship.
http://www.leiden3e.com/ward20m/mil24HindD.jpg