What's your favourite plane?

[dudduddud]

Vote now in the unofficial pprune poll to find your favourite plane!

Post your favourite type and a reason too if you like.

Votes via P.M. will be accepted.

Results updated from time to time on this thread.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Do we vote here? Anyway, for me it's the DC-4. Nothing, but nothing compares with it (not even a Starliner!), but don't ask me exactly why. Maybe it's because when I was a kid (1950s) the unmistakable sound of a DC4 heading off Epsom for London Airport usually heralded the sight of a severely interesting cop. I'm still in love with the DC-4 and during my last years as a Heathrow ATCO I had the pleasure of working that immaculate SAA DC-4 as it headed for Fairford.. I also worked with several out in Africa. For me its really is the Star ship.

Close second would have to be the Beech 18... but jets feature absolutely nowhere.

[flybywire]

The Boeing 777-200.
Absolutely the best to fly on as a passenger and to work on as a cabin crew. :ok:

[Inverted81]

Dehavilland Mosquito....
need i say more than two roaring merlins?!!!!!!! :ok:
C

[G-Foxtrot Oscar 69]

Avro Vulcan - Makes the earth move and at altitude can out perform even modern fighters.

Oh yes and the English Electric Lightning.

Also every single part made in the UK.

I so want to fly one but due to our great CAA never will in the UK it seems.

On the civ side DC 9 / MD80, so good they coppied it!

Must go to Thunder City ASAP:ok:

[catchup]

727, what else.....?

Also checked out A300, A320, A340.

regards

[Frankfurt_Cowboy]

My personal favourite:-

Top plane (http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/product/product.jsp?CATID=62617&entryFlag=false&PRODID=28706&maxBullets=999)

[Capt. J]

My favourite plane is "The Queen of the Skies" :)

The Boeing 747-400ER :ok:

Reason: Four lovely engines, the size of it, double decker, I love the cockpit design and she just naturally looks VERY BEAUTIFUL to me. I'm aiming to fly it one day :D

Capt. J

[YVRKid]

Why the A319 of course...small, good looking

[Smokie]

Excellent Question with so many variables......

For me, Professionally and no doubt about it, the DC-3.

I would have loved to have flown other aircraft from the same era:- A26, B25, P51, PBY's, Sunderland, and of course the Lanc and Spit.

All retirerd now though, some still flogggin the Fire Circuit: a few TBM Avengers stiill operational if I'm not mistaken.......

Must up date my CV............



Anyone with any info?.

[Terror_is_firmer]

Has to be the VC10. Just look at that tail and show me a better looking one. Then there is the noise of 4 RR Conways.................Ahh bliss

Click for pic (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/517100/L/)

[amanoffewwords]

The Lancaster. 'cause the sound of its’ engines is unmistakable – and I remember my Mum telling me about how she used to sit in the loft of her house in Bolton during WWII watching them leave their bases on their way to a bombing run – when she should have been in the shelter like everyone else. I recently met someone who flew one of them – when he told me about it my reaction was “wow, that amazing!”. His reply: “not really”.

For commercials, as a pax I like the A319/320/321 family.

[rotornut]

DHC-2 Beaver. How could it be anything else if you're Canadian!

[PPRuNe Pop]

This subject has been on PPRuNe several times before. You can do a search to see them. Repeats become boring and we need to avoid that.

However, I will leave it to see how much interest it gets. Otherwise it will join the others!

[Buster Hyman]

Have to agree Pop, but the interesting part for me is that I can never remember what my last reply was!:confused: So, my answer will probably be different everytime!Anyway, for this quiz, I'll say the CAC Mustang (CA-15). American design & Aussie Know-how combined to make a great fighter even better!!!:ok:

[Jet Dragon]

EE Lightning F6

[Charley B]

For me ---definately the 747-400.just love the shape ,size have yet to fly on one though!

[tired-flyboy]

does nobody love the first airplane they flew

gotta be the humble C-152.

lovely!

:ok:

[rotornut]

About as much as I loved my first bicycle. ;) But they keep going and going.

[sharpshot]

Hey T_i_F,

Don't you mean "Super VC.10";)

[dudduddud]

How could i forget?! There's probably about as many different types of favourite plane as there are users on pprune!

So far in the latest greatest unofficial pprune whats-your-favourite-type poll, tied neck and neck for first place on 2 votes each are the:

Boeing 747-400 series

Airbus A319 from the Airbus S.A. family

Normal votes cast: 20

Special votes cast: 0
----------------------------
Votes Counted: 20

Polling is still open so get those votes in!

[magpienja]

DC-3 1st/DC-4 2nd/conni 3rd.

Nick.

[lokione]

C-130 - nothing hornier!!

:cool:

[Synthetic]

Overall - Vulcan. No other plane has had, or will have the presence in the air. (also this plane just might be the reason that Britain is not a Soviet Socialist Republic)

Civil - Pitts. It looks small enough to go in the boot of your car. It's a biplane. It's cudly. And the things it can do in the air are breath-takng.

Classics - Typhoon, Tempest and (Sea) Fury - the hard men.

[AfricanSkies]

...anything that takes me out of Lagos :E

:ok:

[dudduddud]

So far in the latest greatest unofficial pprune whats-your-favourite-type poll, we have a 4-way tie.
On four votes a piece and in no particular order:

Boeing 747-400 series

Airbus A319 from the Airbus S.A. family

Avro Vulcan

and of course: the venerable Douglas DC-3

Normal votes cast: 23

Special votes cast: 0
----------------------------
Votes Counted: 23

Polling is open until it closes so get those votes in!

ps: here's another cracker of a pic. (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/234022/M)

[machonepointone]

From personal experience my vote would be split between the Canberra (good looks and handling, except when on one engine) and the Hawk (great fun and all but unbreakable). I have only had a couple of rides in them, but I am surprised that nobody has mentioned the Hunter. On the civil side my favourites are the VC10 among the "older" generation and the Airbus A340 for the modern types.

[robroy]

For me, Gods Gift to Pilots, was the, L188 ELECTRA, closely followed by anything Boeing.

Forget the Chainsaws.

Cheers Robroy.

[rej]

rotornut, you're right, you can't beat a "beaver", but seriously

I have to agree with machonepointone, it can only be the mighty 'berra; the queen of the skies will live for ever!

[Joe Curry]

It's got to be the A319! (http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=332772)

[HotDog]

My favourite is still the Convair 880M. It was built like a brick sh!thouse, trailing black smoke from the CJ805 engines. VMO/MMO 394K/M.884. You could drop the main gear as speedbrake at 374K/M.884. Had two Freon packs for aircon, great in the tropics.

[uy707]

# 1 - The 707
Fellow Members of my top ten are
the 720 / DC.8 especially the 62 / 727 especially the 200 / Electra / DC 6 / DC 4 / VC 10 / Twin Otter / DC 3 / DC.10
Otherwise, to some rare exception, I like all types.
Alain

[Davaar]

Why Heathrow Director! We have not met, and I am not in the business, so this may not offend any rule against sordid commerce; the fact is, if you want a DC-4, I can get one for you, not to mention the original wind-tunnel model used back in 1934 or so. The DC-4 (1940 model, as I recall) was flown on Sundays only by a little old lady, and is in flying condition, subject to routine pre-flight tests.

[AntiCrash]

Here is my Favourite Airplane:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/358776/M/

[Avman]

HEATHROW DIRECTOR , do I perhaps know you? Were you at PATCC 1969-1971 era?

Last flew on a DC-4 in 1983 when I did a YYZ-ROC-POU (VFR) return trip on a Millardair example. Exceptional experience.

[wingzakimbo]

Any plane will do me, as long as i can sit in one of the nice comfy seats at the front where you get the good food and champagne.

:D

[maninblack]

1) Vulcan....having spent a childhood looking up shouting "What the f.....k as they roared over a few feet above rooftops.

2) Spent 3 years of my life on EFA it has to rate.

3) Spitfire.......the ultimate streamline modernist plane. Sometimes things just look right...and they are.

4) Mosquito....because.....no comment, it doesn't need one.

[madtrap]

Vulcans, Spitfires, Mosquitoes, any of the later Hawker family, DC-4s...all delightful machines to see. Pity I never had a chance at them.
I have flown the B747-400ER a few times, however, so concur with earlier posts. Incredible flying machine regardless, let alone its amazing dimensions. (Real airplane too; not fly-by-wire).

The other mighty beast that hasn't been mentioned, because there aren't a lot of us about I reckon, is the CP-107 Argus, a patrol airplane built by Canadair in the late '50s, and based on the Britannia.
http://gmam.ednet.ns.ca/argus.htm
http://www.rcafmuseum.on.ca/ac_argus.htm

The RCAF/CAF used them as front line ASW machines until their replacement by the CP140 Aurora, the Canadian version of the ubiquitous P-3, in 1981. That was a good machine too, all credit to the Electra vote, but whacking great radials were an experience that few are privileged to have any more.
The Argus had four R3350s that cranked out 3700 horses each with Anti-Detonant Injection (water, alcohol and something nasty-tasting to keep folks from adding it to the punch).
The free-floating controls made crosswind landings challenging, but if it was easy they'd let anybody do it.
At manoeuvring speed of 170KIAS, you could fling the thing around an active buoy pattern or madtrap (q.v.) over the oggin at 200' and never lose more than ten feet.
We flew them over the North Atlantic, IMC, in the dark, at 300'. It did wonders for one's basic IF skills.
The endurance was ridiculously long, but that was part of the lesson. Pace yourself laddie, it's going to be a long patrol. I'm really glad I flew it; it taught me a lot about big airplanes. I'm equally glad I didn't fly it for a long time; my hearing loss is still sort of manageable.
Per Ardua Ad Astra

[kd_nub]

i dont really have an ultimate favorite,
i hav mny,
including
piper mirage
A320
and of corse the 777
i prefer aany aircraft that does its intended job the best

[henry crun]

madtrap, I too have memories of the Argus.

One threw an engine in New Zealand many moons ago, and in the two or three weeks it took to get a replacement out to it we entertained the crew by allowing them to relieve us of our money at poker. :)

[wandrinabout]

An aircraft is an aircraft. All this talk of the best jet airliner etc is just more of the same - its what you can DO with the machine that matters, and if it looks the part, then all the better.

This is my fave...C208 (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/433149/L/)

[POL.777]

MD80 B727 B757 no doubt!!!!

[gizmo71]

Gotta be the Vulcan.

Closely followed by the EE Lightning, Concorde, and the Lancaster.

[dudduddud]

Thanks for your replies and stories.

There are now 5 catagories to vote in:

1. Overall Favourite

2. Military Favourite

3. Civil Airline Favourite (More than 19 seats)

4. Civil Other Favourite

5. Helicopter Favourite

You dont have to vote in all catagories.

Results so far:

Overall Favourite
Avro Vulcan (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/603554/M)

Military Favourite
Avro Vulcan (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/077014/M)

Civil Airline Favourite
Airbus A320 Family (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/640890/M/)

Civil Other Favourite
No clear favourite

Helicopter Favoutire
No clear favourite

[MkVIII]

OK, picking the SEXIEST damned aeroplane ever created, it goes to the DeHavilland DH103 Hornet.

http://www.vflintham.demon.co.uk/aircraft/hornet/horncov.jpg

Using your template:

Overall: DH103 Hornet
Military: Dh103 Hornet
Civilian Airliner: 757
Civilian other: DH-60 Gypsy Moth
Helicopter: huh? Do helicopters EVER count? No such thing as a good looking helicopter. Sheesh. NO VOTE!

:p

[airborne_artist]

FW: Mosquito - two Merlins = sound of freedom

RW: HH53 - ugly, but effective

[spitfires rule]

Boeing 707,DC-3,spitfire,A330,F4-phantom the list goes on.Just to many that I like.

[spacecowbhoy]

civil - B747-400

mil- EE Lightning the climber to beat , pity about the fuel tank capacity

Helicopter - MD explorer - like a biz jet to fly in http://www.airliners.net/info/stats.main?id=116

[Milt]

The Avro Vulcan rapidly became an extension of your nervous system and you merged as one. No 1 by a long stretch.

Keep one flying.

Of the 3 Vs, the Valiant was a good bomb truck and the Victor felt as though it was bendy and would break too easily

After Vulcan comes F-111 for that feeling of brute power and capability all wrapped up then P51 Mustang for the best prop driven and out of 100 types I still have a soft spot for the old Gooney Bird.

[bluebird121]

:) my favourite plane is a spitfire or should i say my mums..she was in the ack/ack during the war on the guns as a plotter..she has told me many times how proud she felt seeing the spitfires flying overhead..of course there were other planes but they seemed to stick in her mind..the nearest i get to one is flying a spitfire on my pc..or is that really sad..:ok:

[Phileas Fogg]

The one I go on holiday in, providing it stays serviceable!

[ETOPS773]

Well its got to be the one and only...A340-600 :8

[Air-Geko]

A B29 followed by one of the OLD Boeing b314 flying boats of the 1930s... I was lucky enough to watch "Fifi" take flight out of Akron Muni following this past year's airshow. That sight will be with me for some time.

Yet to be back in the day when the 314 would fly to Pearl Harbor's Middle Loch and come to dock... That must have been quite something to watch as well.

Air-Geko

[Boeing737]

#1.as my user name suggests, the 737.small and slick, although the a319/320/321 are nice, they do not do it for me.the 737 is a classic.

#2.The a310 was always a favourite and i was lucky to undertake a jump seat ride in one a few years back.sadly you dont see too many of them these days.

#3.727

#4.Trident (what an absolute beauty!)

p.s i think the boeing 7E7 is the most disgustingly ugly thing i have ever seen and i will certainly not be one looking up when it flys over.Brute not beaut.

[GAZIN]

My favourite is the Handley Page Hermes 4. I didn't ever see one, except for the fuselage of G-ALDG. It wasn't a great aeroplane, but it looked good especially in flight.

[Caseaday]

Happily live close to Warplane Heritage Museum and the sound of the Harvard IV is unmistakeable. The beauty of the Lancaster Bomber in flight is breathtaking!

On a more recent note, I love the 747 and the Antonov An-225

Case

[Go Smoke]

There can be only one.

They Dont Get Better Than This (http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=566402&WxsIERv=Rm91cm5pZXIgUkYtNEQ%3D&WdsYXMg=VW50aXRsZWQ%3D&QtODMg=QnJlaWdodG9u&ERDLTkt=VUsgLSBFbmdsYW5k&ktODMp=QXByaWwgMjQsIDIwMDQ%3D&BP=0&WNEb25u=TWFsY29sbSBDbGFya2U%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=Ry1CWExO&MgTUQtODMgKE=QXQgdGhlIEJyaXRpc2ggQWVyb2JhdGljcyBBc3NvY2lhdGl vbiBKb2huIE1jQ2xlYW4gVHJvcGh5IGNvbXBldGl0aW9uLiAoQ2Fub24gUG9 3ZXJTaG90IFBybyAxKQ%3D%3D&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=NzM%3D&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwNC0wNS0wMQ%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=NDAyMg%3D%3D&static=yes)

[eglm]

For me it has to be the Phabulously Phantasmic Phantom.

First time I saw one for real was as a spotty 14 year old. Damn thing woke me one summers morning - low enough over the house to read the reg on the wing. What a sound - and sight.

Now in my early forties and been in love with the F4 ever since...

[Hilico]

Spacecowbhoy, the MD900 looks like a box on a spit. Of course all helicopters are wonderful, but looks aren't the strong point of every one. The MD500E (520 tail is too thick) and the A109 are fairly swoopy, but the winner in every category has to be the Bell 206 JetRanger. (Alright, for FW it could be the Frightning. But best overall must be the JetBox. At least I've actually flown one of those.)

[reynoldsno1]

Mosquito... no..... Beaufighter....no,no... Mosquito ... no,no, Beaufighter ..nah... Mosquito, or maybe Beaufighter....

I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure.....

[Jerricho]

Another vote for the F4 Phantom. As a RAAF-brat in Darwin when I was very young, I remember my old man taking us out to see a couple up close that were down visiting from Guam. As a 5 year old it was the coolest thing ever, and now as a 31 year old, I still think it's pretty damn cool. (My bro and I also played soccer in the back of a C141 back then as well. I'll bet he doesn't remember that!)

[foxile]

Overall: VC10 - do not have time to say everything I want to...

Military: F4 - Noise, smoke and speed. Ah bliss, those were the days!

Civil +19: VC10

Civil: Gulfstream 4 - Xmas is coming, I've already written to Santa!

Heli: A109

[ontrackfor]

Thanks for your replies and stories. It's interesting to learn why people like a certain type. This time we've had ties in the Overall Favourite and Military Favourite catagories. We also have a couple of catagories where there is no clear favourite. I heard the following types are looking hot for the Civil Favourite: C152, C182, Piper Mirage, DH Gypsy Moth and the Gulfstream G4. In the Helicopter Department, the Bell 206 and Augusta A109 are looking strong also.
So keep them coming. If you have interesting stories to share on your chosen type, I'm sure they would be most appreciated.

Overall Favourite
Boeing 747-400 (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/635903/M/)
Vickers VC-10 (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/014411/M/)

Military Favourite
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/260781/M/)
And again:
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/486195/M/)
Avro Vulcan (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/274758/M/)

Civil Airline Favourite
Boeing 747-400 (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/385938/M/)
Vickers VC-10 (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/227378/M/)

Civil Favourite
No clear favourite.

Helicopter Favourite
No clear favourite.

Don't forget, there are 5 catagories you can vote in:

1. Overall Favourite

2. Military Favourite

3. Civil Airline Favourite (More than 19 seats)

4. Civil Other Favourite

5. Helicopter Favourite

[AVIACO]

1. Boeing 757 (British Airways in particular)
2. Boeing 737-200 (Britannia and GB Airways)
3. A300-600R (Qatar Airways)
4. A330 (Qatar Airways)
5. Boeing 727 (Qatar Airways)

I list the airline's names in parenthesis, as those particular carriers had (have) the best internal layouts and comfort of the particular type, IMO.


BA's transatlantic 757's with Club World cradle seats were just superb.

[rotornut]

DHC Beaver (on floats, of course!)

Hughes 300 - I learned to fly in one and later bought one. Not perfect, but lots of character.

DC-3 - What more can I say.

[FlightDetent]

I accept everyone's opinions, however my favourite is one I never saw airborne. She's not a ship, she's a bird. The Concorde. Not mentioned above, strange.

FD.

[Phileas Fogg]

1. Fairey Swordfish

2. Fairey Swordfish

3. Douglas DC10

4. Airbus A310

5. None


http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=139350&WxsIERv=RmFpcmV5IFN3b3JkZmlzaCBJVg%3D%3D&WdsYXMg=VW50aXRsZWQ%3D&QtODMg=RHV4Zm9yZCAoUUZPIC8gRUdTVSk%3D&ERDLTkt=VUsgLSBFbmdsYW5k&ktODMp=SnVseSAyMDAw&BP=0&WNEb25u=Q29saW4gSy4gV29yayAtIEFpclRlYW1JbWFnZXM%3D&xsIERvdWdsY=Ry1BSlZI&MgTUQtODMgKE=&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=NzIy&NEb25uZWxs=MjAwMS0wMi0wMQ%3D%3D&ODJ9dvCE=&O89Dcjdg=&static=yes&size=L

[Starscream]

Far more beautiful than Concorde and I love the conspiracy theories that go with this plane.

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/103936/L/

[Flying Fokker]

Well my fav aircraft would have to be BN2 Trislander now for the laughs :p

[topunicyclist]

Twin Otter, but probably because of the places it goes to rather than the plane itself! Plus it's also the closest thing to a flying mountain bike.

[RomeoTangoFoxtrotMike]

The most beautiful airliner in the world. RIP :(

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/501907/L/

[Flip Flop Flyer]

1. Overall Favourite
DeHavilland Mosquito

2. Military Favourite
DeHavilland Mosquito

3. Civil Airline Favourite (More than 19 seats)
Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde (what else? comparing a Conc to a 747 is like comparing Helena Christensen to Dame Edna!)

4. Civil Other Favourite
Gulfstream G-V

5. Helicopter Favourite
Agusta A109

[BeauMan]

As my name would suggest, I have a bit of a thing about Beaufighters... ;)

But my all-time favourites would have to include Chipmunk, Cub, Spitfire and Concorde. Two I've flown, one I never will now, and one... well maybe one day... ;)

[Loki]

Different roles offer separate favourites.

Airliner: Tu154 (solid and fast!)

fighter (jet): Lightning

bomber (jet) Vulcan

Helicopter (mil) Hind

fighter (piston) Typhoon

Bomber (piston) Lancaster

etc etc

I think I see a pattern emerging; a somewhat rugged and "industrial" feel.

[tall and tasty]

Mine is the old time classic

Lancaster Bomber (piston)

Have some modern favs but that does things from an era gone by

TnT

[Inverted81]

Mossie everytime