I was wonder what or your favorite type of military plane. I am a bomber fan my self, because they are large, Fast and the sound of there engines is hard to beat. From what I been told a B-1b and B-52H are both unforgettable at take off. Bombers are also heavy around the weight of a L-1011-1 and DC-10-10. Cargo transport may be giant and Fighter maybe fast but bomber at a lesser scale has a mixer of both. So what is your favorite?

Talking of B-52 takeoff, I was at RAF Fairford Air Tattoo some years ago and had the pleasure of seeing a B-52 Display.

Its finishing piece was a straight run down the runway, gear up at about 250feet. It then went into a max. power climb....and I was dumbstruck!

Its rate/angle of climb was incredible, ive never seen 100tes climb so fast. - I was truly humbled that such a large hulk of an aircraft could manoeuvre like this and it definetely earned my lifelong respect for being an absolute showstopper.

Quoting 747400sp (Thread starter): Bombers are also heavy around the weight of a L-1011-1 and DC-10-10.

The max gross T/O weight of the B-52E/F/G/H is 488,000lbs.

The max gross T/O weight of the B-1B is 450,000lbs.

BTW, my favorite airplane is the Boeing KC-135A/Q/E. I have many flying hours in all of them.

Mine would have to be the C-5. Of course working on them daily, kinda limits my life with other planes, but knowing the ins and out of the C-5 Galaxy, seeing the modernization projects going on, and listening to the TF-39s scream at 2 in the morning, just tickles me inside. It may have its bad days, but when it does have a good day, it is a beautiful aircraft. The best feeling in the world is sitting on the bullet of the T-Tail. You look down and you see the plane below you not realizing that its the same plane you are sitting on!
I also admire the C-141, C-17 and KC-10. The B-1B is my favorite bomber, and I'll miss the F-14 as my favorite fighter, although the F-22 has gotten my attention after the joint services open house at Andrews AFB in mid May. Civillan wise, I like 747s and 777-300s(that GE-90 is an awesome engine). Airbuses A-380 is quite a sight as well, and something else I like. I guess I just like big chunks of metal in the air....

I think the old Vulcan is (or at least was) as much a show stopper as anything else out there. Especially as it banked so that you could see it's wing profile from above.

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Photo © Michael J Freer

There are so many to choose from and to pick a favorite is difficult at best: The F22A and the soon to be put into production F35A-B-C with there 40,000 pound engines are to be respected for there performances and sheer beauty, but the plane I would pick as my favorite would have to be the P47 Thunderbolt. Its a Brute in the air and it looks like a brute when it flys, even in an air show display. The F4E is another one that looks like a brute and is a brute and when it puts on a show you really know it.

Has to be the Chinook!

how does the saying go "it stays flying cos its so ugly the earth repels it"

Fantastic Piece of Kit!

I must say every time I see the F-16 Viper fly, i get shivers down my spine. I have never seen something maneuver so well in my life. The speed and agility out preforms any aircraft I have ever seen.

I also ADORE the A-10 Warthog. I think it is up there alongside the P-51 for being one of the best aircraft even designed on a military basis. SAMs have hit it.... RPGs have hit it,(must be because it flies so damn close to the ground), and it still returns. The pilot is basically flying an Armored Vehicle with a 30mm GAU-8/A on its nose. Must be the best ride in town....If Canada has the privilege of owning these... I would defiantly go for it 

Bomber wise i must say the B-1B Lancer, when I see that thing fly, it just makes me realize how far we have come today in technology. It is not stealth technology, but it still has the ability to enter enemy zones detected at EXTREMELY low altitudes, drop its ordinance, and jam any SAM devices, radar signals, everything!. An aircraft that has the ability to enter enemy zones, accomplish its mission and return without a scratch is high hostile territory.. is simply amazing.

Anything with a US flag and no red star!

Seriously though I like them allthough I lean towards ones that do carrier takeoffs and landings...

F/A-18
F-4
F-14

but my favorite of all time is the F4U Corsair from WWII. Those gull wings kicked butt!

I have several;

As a fan of British aviation (hence my nick) my favourites tend to be aircraft from the Isles. Anyway, here is my "top of the pops":

BEST piston fighter: Spitfire

BEST land jet fighter: Hawker Hunter

BEST fighter/ bomber: PANAVIA Tornado

BEST seaborne fighter: F-4 Phantom (yes, the K versions flew for the FAA)

Well, here my alltime favourites. Anymay if I would have to choose
one it would be the Hawker Hunter.

cheers,

Britmex

Too many...but I'll narrow it down to two. Stealth technology continues to fascinate me and the secret and mysterious past of the F-117A amazes me even more so.


Then there's Russian design. The SU-30 is a beautiful airplane and every time I see video of its maneuvering capability, I am speechless. I need to see one in real life someday.

The North American XB-70 Valkyrie.

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.

The Grumman F-14 Tomcat.


Those are my top 3 of all time.


Honorable mentions...

F-4 Phantom
Bell Huey
C-5 Galaxy
Su-37

P-51 Mustang (Prop)
F-14 Tomcat (Jet)
F-22 Raptor (Future Jet)

Nothing beats this thing in my book:

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I still think the Super Tomcat is the hottest looking a/c:

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followed closely by the Dassault F-1:

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Favourite Military Type.......HMMMMM

Has to be Helicopters

WrenchBender

It is horribly ugly and makes an obnoxious sound. But to the thousands of people around the world whose lives it is directly responsible of saving for over 40 years, it is probably the most beautiful and best sounding aircraft in the world.

The Huey (Bell 204).

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Photo © Chad Thomas - Jetwash Images

Although it didn't have the chance to prove its worth, my favorite is the long defunct F-20 Tigershark.   

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Photo © AirNikon

Quoting DEVILFISH (Reply 21): Although it didn't have the chance to prove its worth, my favorite is the long defunct F-20 Tigershark.

Did it have any worth? And what the hell was it designed to do in the first place? (Apart from being a film star!)
By the way devil, please note that I am just having a wee giggle, and not slating your aircraft. I'm just genuinely at a loss as to what role this aircraft wat supposed to fill. Please feel free to educate!

Regards,
ZE701

Quoting ZE701 (Reply 22): Did it have any worth? And what the hell was it designed to do in the first place? (Apart from being a film star!) By the way devil, please note that I am just having a wee giggle, and not slating your aircraft. I'm just genuinely at a loss as to what role this aircraft wat supposed to fill. Please feel free to educate!

It was supposed to be an exportable lightweight fighter, and it was a damn fine plane. Chuck Yeager loved it saying something along the lines of "best airplane he ever flew". It had a wicked scramble time to altitude and could hold its own against the F-16 in most performance categories. Unfortunately the USAF wasn't fond of Northrop, the export of the F-16 was finally allowed (and they were going for the same market) and add in a couple of air demo crashes and the program faultered and died. Very impressive airplane though, I'd love to have one and it failed thru no fault of its own.

The most popular aircraft ever built, the C-47. It ain't pretty, it ain't powerful, but it flies forever.

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Photo © Charles Frank

Quoting ZE701 (Reply 22): Did it have any worth?

I should think so, and I would pick it over your Jaguars anytime.

Quoting ZE701 (Reply 22): And what the hell was it designed to do in the first place? (Apart from being a film star!)

Please have a look at this..... http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/f-20.htm

Quoting HaveBlue (Reply 23): Please feel free to educate!

I'm sorry my dear chap, but that is a rather tall order - coming from a member of the RAF to a casual observer of aviation.

Cheers,
DF

[Edited 2006-06-10 10:30:52]

Steady!

As I said, I wasn't having a go, I just genuinely don't know anything about that particular aircraft. Thanks for the link, very interesting.

And just because I'm in the Air Force doesn't necessarilly mean I'm any sort of expert on every aircraft type! Far from it.

Regards.

My absolute favorite is the Boeing B-17, but in general I prefer fighters to bombers.

Quoting ZE701 (Reply 26): Steady! As I said, I wasn't having a go, I just genuinely don't know anything about that particular aircraft. Thanks for the link, very interesting.

No problem. If you want a little more background on the F-20, there are some snippets in an article by Jon Lake on F-5s in the May 2006 issue of Air Forces Monthly. You can also try searching the MilAv threads on the Tigershark.

DF

Quoting DEVILFISH (Reply 25): Quoting HaveBlue (Reply 23): Please feel free to educate!

You took his words and put it as a quote from me. Please fix that.

Quoting Filton (Reply 30): An aircraft that, together with its crew, had a big hand in changing the course of history.

And most important is a fantasticly beautifly aircraft.

No doubt about it, the F8F Bearcat.

Quoting HaveBlue (Reply 29): You took his words and put it as a quote from me. Please fix that.

Sorry about that. Tried to, but it didn't work. So to everyone, I was quoting ZE701 in the last part of my post in Reply 25 and not HaveBlue. How's that?

Perfect Devilfish, thank you.  

if its a work horse i like it
C 130
c 141
c 5
these are the planes i crewed for twenty years

C-47,Hurricane,Spitfire, L-16