Most exported military aircraft in history.

[con-pilot]

A thread in the military forum raised a question to me that I've not the answer to. So I decided to come here where the real experts are and ask this question.

What was the most exported military aircraft in history? From any country, Russia, France, UK, US, etc.

For transport aircraft I'd guess the C-47 followed by the C-130.

Now what would the fighter, bomber and/or trainer aircraft?

What do you think?


(Oh, I did a quick search, but recieved no results, so if there was a thread on this subject I could not find it.)

[billynospares]

Dunno for sure but how about hawk , hunter or canberra ?

[P6 Driver]

I would go for the Hunter. Not sure where reliable stats might be found though.

[MrBernoulli]

Fighters/bombers - surely it must be one of the early Mig fighters?

Trainer - Harvard/T6?

[Herod]

How about the Mig15?

[Dr Jekyll]

Vampire possibly?

[Kieron Kirk]

Hunters.

New build/Licence built.

F.4 Belgium/Netherlands 208
F.6 Belgium/Netherlands 237
T.7 Netherlands 20
F.50 Sweden 120
F.51 Denmark 30
T.53 Denmark 2
F.56 India 160
F.58 Switzerland 100
T.66 India 22
T.66.B Jordan 2

Total 901.

Including all conversions and PV adds about another 400 to the total.

Ciarain.

[chevvron]

I'd say a toss up between Mig 15 and P51.

[MrBernoulli]

Rhodesian Air Force had a squadron of Hunters - where are they in your list?

[Icare9]

Tomahawk, Warhawk, Kittyhawk, most exported to Russia and China, in service with RAF etc etc in WW2.....

[irishair2001]

North American T-6 Texan Over 10000 built

North American F-86B Sabre 8907 built

[Noyade]

What was the most exported military aircraft in history?

Do you mean "most" as in numbers exported or the number of countries that used it, or both?
In terms of widespread use then possibly the MiG-21 for a fighter and the C-130 for a transport?

[Tiger_mate]

Helicopter:

No 1: Bell UH1 Huey.
No 2: Mil Mi-8/17 family.

.....until the CH47 Chinook takes the lead which it may one day.

[Noyade]

bomber

Ilyushin Il-28?
I've just read one source calling the Ilyushin Il-28 "the world's most widely produced jet bomber" and it was utilised by 21 countries.

[18-Wheeler]

Antonov AN-2?
Yes I know it was also use a lot in civil ops, but it was also used in the military and there were about 1.7 billion of them made.

[Dan Winterland]

Rhodesian Air Force had a squadron of Hunters - where are they in your list?

The Lebanese air force are still flying theirs.

[innuendo]

As far as fighter types go, I thought that the Luftwaffe had about 700 F-104s over their time, not to mention the other NATO countries that flew it, Canada, Denmark etc.

[Romulus]

~7200 P-39s

HyperWar: Lend-Lease Shipments, World War II (Army Air Forces)

[dixi188]

Mr Bernoulli,

I think KK was refering to new build Hunters.

The Oman Air Force had ex Jordanian ones, and in about 1978 six of these were supplied to Rhodesia under some sort of arms embargo beating deal, IIRC.

[Ridge Runner]

I was beginning to lose the will to live and then Innuendo came in with the '104! Yes, the Germans had way in excess of 700. It was operated by the US (of course, but they didn't like it!), Germany, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, Jordan, Japan, Taiwan, Pakistan, Canada and Italy. It may not have been the most numerous but it was the most exhilerating and was widely used, and together with the wonderful Lightning, was the mainstay of defence in Europe for many years! RR All gone now...... R.I.P.