Favorite Plane of all time?

[Prince Valiant]

Building on Brett's thread about best plane...I want to know your favorite plane.

It can be anything for any reason...

I started thinking about it...and though I had said the A-10 is my favorite, it is of the current planes. But of all time, it's something else...

This plane, in the end, turned out to be comletely unfeasable. It never ran a mission...and never really served a purpose other than scaring the Ruskie's for a short while. It was expensive to develop, build and maintain, it was unsafe and impratical; but man, it was good looking!

Predecessor to the other favorites like the F-111 and the B-1B...The B-58 Hustler:

http://brewcitymuscle.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6406&stc=1&d=1248975254

Originally intended to run high altitude at supersonic speeds, it purpose changed due to russian surface to air missiles essentially obsoleted it in that role...when the air force wanted to run them low-altitude/subsonic, it was found it wasn't very good at that job due to high fuel consumption.

Performance is still remarkable to this day...with no payload, a B-58 could climb at 46,000ft/min! That's about the same as an f-14, and greater than it's contemporaries like the f-4 and f-8's.

With a top speed over mach 2, very few planes could keep up in it's day (f-104, f-4, f-106 all could...)

Other favorites of mine include:
f-111
B-1B
SR-71
F-104
F-106

[PureSound15]

Mine would be the B-2 Stealth Bomber

Why? Because it looks badass (no really, that's my reasoning).

http://aparejodefortuna.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/b2spirit_4.jpg


The kid that lived across the street from me while growing up flies one now (After being a B-52 pilot for a long time) and can't say enough about it. Pretty incredible.

[Doc Brown]

I'm a fan of any VTOL craft.

The Harrier is probably the most famous, but I really like experimental VTOLs, because really, if mass-produced flying cars is ever going to happen it will be one of them or will use similar technology.

[Car Guy]

I'm with Ryan on this one and for the same reason......:headbang

[TheRX7Project]

The P-38 Lightning
http://www.btinternet.com/~lee_mail/P-38-1.jpg

It was an awesome machine for it's time... and oddball to boot.

[Waver]

P-38 and the f-14 tomcat........cant beat them.....well that and the sr-71

[USMARINE1108]

It's so hard to pick. It will be interesting to see if anyone likes a non-military aircraft.

[Rocket Power]

SR-71
http://retrothing.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/12/21/sr71blackbird.jpg

[nismodave]

B17

Helped make sure the whole world didnt have to speak German.

http://www.warbirdalley.com/images/b17.jpg

[WhiteZCamaro]

I really like F-14's.... Agian...

[BOSS LX]

No question for me! B-17!!!:headbang
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/8452/b17at10oclock.jpg (http://img353.imageshack.us/i/b17at10oclock.jpg/)

[lordairgtar]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TU-4-MONIN0.jpg
This Russian plane was a direct copy of the B-29.

[HITMAN]

My favorite plane(s) of all time would be the SR-71, for planes that actually made it into production. For those that did not, ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the XB-70 Valkyrie. The sexiest machine ever built that was limited to flight in the atmosphere. I remember the first time I laid eyes on a picture of this thing, I wasn't even 10 years old and I was immediately enthralled by it's looks and performance. IMO, this jet makes everything else with wings look like a dried up old dog turd by comparison.

http://www.murdoconline.net/2008/xb-70_stbd.jpg

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 185 ft 10 in (56.6 m)
Wingspan: 105 ft 0 in (32 m)
Height: 30 ft 9 in (9.4 m)
Wing area: 6,296 ft² (585 m²)
Airfoil: Hexagonal; 0.30 Hex modified root, 0.70 Hex modified tip
Empty weight: 210,000 lb (93,000 kg)
Loaded weight: 534,700 lb (242,500 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 550,000 lb (250,000 kg)
Powerplant: 6× General Electric YJ93-GE-3 afterburning turbojet
Dry thrust: 19,900 lbf[67] (84 kN) each
Thrust with afterburner: 28,800 lbf[68] (128 kN) each
Performance

Maximum speed: Mach 3.1 (2,056 mph, 3,309 km/h)
Cruise speed: Mach 3.0 (2,000 mph, 3,200 km/h)

Range: 3,725 nmi (4,288 mi, 6,900 km) combat
Service ceiling: 77,350 ft (23,600 m)
Wing loading: 84.93 lb/ft² (414.7 kg/m²)
lift-to-drag: about 6 at Mach 2[89]
Thrust/weight: 0.314

[HITMAN]

The P-38 Lightning
http://www.btinternet.com/~lee_mail/P-38-1.jpg

It was an awesome machine for it's time... and oddball to boot.

"Der Gabelschwanz Teufel" aka "Fork Tailed Devil":thumbsup:thumbsup:thumbsup

Between this and the P-51 Mustang, my favorite piston engined airplanes, with the P-38 getting the nod by being more unusual. I remember the first time I saw one of them at the air show they used to have at Mitchell Field back in the 60's/early 70s. I was surprised at how quiet it was when idling on the tarmac (my initial, unknown introduction to turbocharging :thumbsup) and the shriek it made during full-throttle flight demonstrations. This particular specimen was unpainted with a polished aluminum skin. :shades A very capable aircraft, it was the plane used by Richard Bong (from WI, of all places...), America's leading Ace in WWII (40 kills).