OBNB, I think that the phrase that you were searching for was:
"there's whuisky, and there's guid whiusky, but there's nae bad whuisky"
As far as aeroplanes, there are plenty of bad ones, however this thread was actually about -
Back in the day when................
and I thought it was perhaps about aircraft from a bygone(ish) era, the age of aircraft vaguely reminiscent of an ANT18 link trainer, twotter, DC3 -DC9, things like drovers, beavers, stinsons SR9 and even as sleek and modern as the C195.. mebbe.
No doubt the Pa 28-140 was a marvel of it's time, especially compared to cold smelly, old chippie, but it is cold porridge compared to the eggs benedict 'realness' of some of the aircraft that have been cited,
especially the chippie in this instance, i think it to be possibly the best trainer ever built, so that at least should meet your criteria as being good for what it was intended.
I went solo in about 6 hours in a Victa 100, fond memories yes, fun yes, enjoyable to fly yes, good for its job of a trainer yes, but for all that the Victa does not bubble to the top of my list. the Drover had the smells and atmosphere hat evoked an older, perhaps more 'real' way of aviating, like a mittiesque lancaster or dak or something like that.
This thread is not about the 'best' plane you may have ever experienced, and I am very sad if the 140 was the pinnacle of a career, though I suspect this is certainly not the case, but, does it fall into the skydrol, leather and wrinkle black 'realness' that this is thread is all about? perhaps in your opinion yes, but in mine:.
DHC-1
Cherokee 140
HD