ZBBYLW From Canada, joined Nov 2006, 1923 posts, RR: 7 Reply 3, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 4868 times:
Personally I would have to say the FW190's, ME109's, Spitfires, P-51's and the Yak-9s have to be right up there. I do not believe you can compare modern day aircraft to these in terms of how much of an advancement they where for their time. Plus they are all much sexier then the new a/c like the F-22 and F-35 which IMO look horrid.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11710 posts, RR: 52 Reply 9, posted (5 years 10 months 4 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 4694 times:
Quoting Sovietjet (Reply 6): There's too many to list, and this list can never be completely fair
I agree.
Why hasn't anyone mentioned the?
Hurricane
AM6 Zero
P-40
B-25
Mosceto
F-105
Mig-17
Mig-21
There are many, many others that deserve to be mentioned.
Deskflier From Sweden, joined Jan 2007, 537 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 4630 times:
OK, here's my list, more or less chronologically:
Fokker D VII (The only plane ever to be specifically singled out in a peace treaty)
Bristol Fighter (Began life as a 2-seat fighter/trench-strafer, serviced until 1939 as a colonial aircraft)
Yakovlev Yak-3 (Gave poorly trained Soviet pilots a reasonable chance against German expert fighter pilots)
Douglas Dauntless (Sank more enemy shipping than any other weapon system in WW2)
Messerschmitt Me262 (Kept Luftwaffe flying in the face of petrol shortage as they ran on diesel)
SAAB 29 Tunnan (Flying Barrel) (Same generation and performance as F-86 and MiG-15, but with far better serviceability)
Lockheed AC-130H Spectre (No aircraft ever built has had more conventional firepower)
SAAB JA37 Viggen (Multi-role, and capable of head-on gun engagement with four years older software than the F-15C would require)
Sukhoi Su-35 (No explanation should be required)
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor (You get what You pay for)
And as a bonus, the greatest combat aircraft that NEVER flew:
Saunders-Roe SR 177 (Only bribes could stop it from becoming the standard NATO interceptor)
Footnote to the comment to the Flying Barrel: In Congo the serviceability rate for the J29s was around 97% most months. Ethiopian F-86s also used by the UN had a serviceability rate of some 82%. Indian Canberras fared even worse.
How can anyone not fly, when we live at a time when we can fly?
MCIGuy From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 1936 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 4565 times:
Why, the F-16 Viper, or course.
That's my heart talking but I know the F-22 is the more capable weapon.
KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11710 posts, RR: 52 Reply 13, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 4491 times:
Quoting Deskflier (Reply 11): And as a bonus, the greatest combat aircraft that NEVER flew:
Saunders-Roe SR 177 (Only bribes could stop it from becoming the standard NATO interceptor)
Or the best fighter that never entered service, the F-20?
You might say I favour American aircraft, I just think that they were the most developed, most effective, were produced in large numbers and maybe it was the pilots, but they sure won a lot more than they lost.
Navion From United States of America, joined May 1999, 981 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 4411 times:
Without a doubt, the F-86 Sabre is one of the worlds most successful fighters ever. It's use over many years by many airforces the world over clearly qualifies it as one of the most universally accepted and successful fighters ever. I've spoken to many men who flew the Sabrejet and they all said it was either their favorite or one of their top 3 favorite aircraft they ever flew. I'm truly shocked it doesn't make everyones list.
PGNCS From United States of America, joined Apr 2007, 2516 posts, RR: 45 Reply 16, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 4394 times:
For piston driven aircraft, I have to go with the F4U; for jets I give two big thumbs up to the F-105.
PC12Fan From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 2239 posts, RR: 5 Reply 18, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 11 hours ago) and read 4342 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 13): Or the best fighter that never entered service, the F-20?
Damned straight!!
Pound for pound, I'd have to say the P-51.
Just when I think you've said the stupidest thing ever, you keep talkin'!
DEVILFISH From Philippines, joined Jan 2006, 4429 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 5 days 10 hours ago) and read 4334 times:
Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 13): Quoting Deskflier (Reply 11):
And as a bonus, the greatest combat aircraft that NEVER flew:
Saunders-Roe SR 177 (Only bribes could stop it from becoming the standard NATO interceptor)
Or the best fighter that never entered service, the F-20?
Let's take a look at both fighters that never were. Couldn't find a photo of the SR.177, but the caption on one of the pics says that two prototypes were built which were based on the SR.53. Curious combination of jet engine and rocket for the propulsion system.
Mechatnew From United States of America, joined May 2005, 82 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 4242 times:
What about AD/A-1 Skyraider lots of combat in Korea, Southeast Asia, Africa or A-4 Skyhawk Southeast Asia, Falklands, Mid East, and still in service.
Mechatnew From United States of America, joined May 2005, 82 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 4237 times:
What about thye A-4 Skyhawk, lots of combat in Southeast Asia, Mid East, Falklands, and still in service.
Boston92 From United States of America, joined Aug 2006, 3390 posts, RR: 7 Reply 22, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 4 days 11 hours ago) and read 4227 times:
My Grandfather flew P-38's in WW2 so I will choose that. He loved that a/c, one of the fastest of the time too.
"Why does a slight tax increase cost you $200 and a substantial tax cut save you 30 cents?"
DL021 From United States of America, joined May 2004, 11433 posts, RR: 81 Reply 23, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 19 hours ago) and read 4172 times:
The Douglas DC-3.
the greatest combat aircraft period..... transport, gunship, reconnaissance, ambulance, paratroop dropper......been flying in regular service for close to 70 years. Hell, the USAF uses one.
L410Turbolet From Czech Republic, joined May 2004, 5394 posts, RR: 19 Reply 24, posted (5 years 10 months 3 weeks 3 days 15 hours ago) and read 4138 times:
26 Olle: Regarding the JA37 Viggen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=431BxPYZDrk&mode=related&search= In the start you see the road aibases. A way to incease the
27 CO787EWR: No particular order Harrier P-51 Spitfire Mosquito Tu-95 B-52 B-1B F-15 F-16 F-4 Mig-29 Su-30MKI
28 RTFM: But if you could only have one aircraft.... Then: Mosquito - could (and did) serve as day & night fighter, bomber, pathfinder, recce, transport (and p
29 Deskflier: No, it's just not multi-role enough. And most B-52 fans voted for it on the "best Bomber ever"-thread.
30 StealthZ: Might have looked like this..... http://www.spaceuk.org/sr53/177/sr177.htm Hardly two or three decades.... The F-20 is only a refinement of the F-5 (
31 DEVILFISH: The Tigershark first flew in August 1982. Although a descendant of the F-5, the avionics, radar and other systems were a whole generation or two late
32 ZBBYLW: With all due respect, some of you are saying this and that aircraft are the best aircraft that never really took off. How about the Avro Arrow the air
33 StealthZ: Ah but with all due respect your original post called attention to the difference two or three decades made to the Aerodynamic lines not the systems.
34 AirSpare: Of course it was! How many times was it shot at? Sounds like combat to me. Recon may be a red headed bastard step child (right before the USAF CAS mi
35 DEVILFISH: Oh, sorry for that and the F prefix for the J85. My bad - I got carried away. The base SR.53 indeed had its origins in 1951. And I will have the same
36 SlamClick: Okay, mixed signals here. The thread title says "aircraft" but the o/p says "airplane" which excludes helicopters, airships and balloons. Going with t
37 RayChuang: I'm surprised nobody mentioned the de Havilland DH. 98 Mosquito. Not only was it a very fast bomber (very few fighters could keep up with it during it
38 AirSpare: As a recon platform it also exceled. The Mistubishi Zero stood the States on it's ear. It was the true begining of the era of modern fighters. It's p
39 Blackbird: I'd say the F-15. Here's why... it combines blistering speed with remarkable low-speed and high-speed maneuverability, a superb thrust to weight ratio
40 Arrow: Not to diminish the attributes of this aircraft, but I think that's a little overblown. Fighter development in Europe (eg ME-109, Spitfire) shifted t
41 SlamClick: With, perhaps, the two exceptions below, I don't believe any airplane design in WW II actually shifted any paradigms. They were all merely incrementa
42 Fairchild24: The greatest combat aircraft is the one who get the job done and bring the crew back. There has been numbers of aircraft around who probable would mad
43 RTFM: Errr.... I did....: Still, nice to see I'm not alone!
44 Arrow: Technically, I see your point. But what about the 30s (I think) conversion from wood and fabric strut and string braced biplanes to aluminum monoplan
45 Baroque: Not to mention having a version armed with a 57mm cannon. Quite an unpleasant surprise for the U-boats. The Neverhawks (as the rather late P40s were
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