World's ugliest airplanes?
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Ugly
Don't forget the Maxim Gorki (Tupolev ANT-20)
And whilst we're at it no one (certainly not sober, I hope) ever accused the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II of being a beauty. And let's not forget the Blackburn Beverley.
The much maligned Deux Ponts had a certain "je ne sais quoi" in comparison.
We may have a winner with the Lysander P.12 . It was apparently designed to repel any German invaders in WW2 - I am sure it would have done!
The last one comes from a site I just found which is full of inspiration - Paul's Ugly Aircraft Shrine.
And whilst we're at it no one (certainly not sober, I hope) ever accused the Douglas C-124 Globemaster II of being a beauty. And let's not forget the Blackburn Beverley.
The much maligned Deux Ponts had a certain "je ne sais quoi" in comparison.
We may have a winner with the Lysander P.12 . It was apparently designed to repel any German invaders in WW2 - I am sure it would have done!
The last one comes from a site I just found which is full of inspiration - Paul's Ugly Aircraft Shrine.
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And let's not forget the Blackburn Beverley.
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We may have a winner with the Lysander P.12 . It was apparently designed to repel any German invaders in WW2 - I am sure it would have done!
The unfortunate but excellent Optica may be taking to the skies again:
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SharkSandwich - are you sure?
Excellent? Have you ever flown one? Just about the most complicated system of trim compensation via removable weights I have ever seen. Maybe that has changed now.
A classic example of a design idea leading to a truly complicated solution. At Farnborough the prototype used nearly the entire runway to take off - in front of thousands of potential buyers! Why are there not many ducted fan designs in use? They are not very efficient. Servicing the engine is not exactly easy - buried inside the ducted fan shroud. Even with the bigger engine Old Sarum airfield seemed rather short two up and no other payload.
Ask Derek Piggott about flying the Optica. I think he called it the Flying Lightbulb.
Excellent? Have you ever flown one? Just about the most complicated system of trim compensation via removable weights I have ever seen. Maybe that has changed now.
A classic example of a design idea leading to a truly complicated solution. At Farnborough the prototype used nearly the entire runway to take off - in front of thousands of potential buyers! Why are there not many ducted fan designs in use? They are not very efficient. Servicing the engine is not exactly easy - buried inside the ducted fan shroud. Even with the bigger engine Old Sarum airfield seemed rather short two up and no other payload.
Ask Derek Piggott about flying the Optica. I think he called it the Flying Lightbulb.
When I flew the prototype Optica at Farnborough with Angus McVitie, we used about the same amount of runway for takeoff that something like a C150 would ie not much; certainly we were able to get to 500ft and turn south well before the end of the runway. Angus did the actual takeoff then handed over to me when we had positive rate of climb and we floated down towards Sands at a leisurely 80kt ias. In the vicinity of Waverley Abbey, Angus lowered the flaps and invited me to shut the throttle; there was enough residual thrust from the fan to maintain about 40-45kt ias, and the handling was reminiscent of a T21 but I do recall any change of thrust meant re-trimming too. On return to Farnborough, Angus let me land it - once again similar to a C150 - and we vacated at the 'arrestor' runway (taxiway C nowadays) after I put it on the runway 25 (24 nowadays) numbers.
short flights long nights
Yet one more vote for the A380
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REALLY ugly duckling ...
For a really complicated back end, what about the Percival Prentice? (Sorry, I haven't a photo, but perhaps the experts might find shots of the prototype and then the production model, specially from 3/4 rear) ...
From a neat "Proctor-ish" fin and rudder to a large squarish thing, then anti-spin strakes and huge lumps out of the elevators, and the upturned wing-tips, all to cope with the airflow from the huge glass-house, which was meant to house a "listening and learning" u/t pilot - a system which never caught on (I wonder why !!!).
Watching Prentices taxi in a cross-wind, waddling round in circles hissing like geese as the pneumatic brakes failed to hold the weather-cocking is just one of many hilarious moments. But the most hilarious was seeing another Prenthawk in loose formation inverted during a barrel roll. Its lurching way of entering a spin was a fascination too ...
Laugh a minute, it was, though you still had to learn to drive properly ... Flying the Pattern B instrument test was most enlightening, with all that power (I jest) the de Haviiland Gipsy Queen could put out was toilsome - but very instructive ...and then, the Harvard ... a young driver's dream ...
From a neat "Proctor-ish" fin and rudder to a large squarish thing, then anti-spin strakes and huge lumps out of the elevators, and the upturned wing-tips, all to cope with the airflow from the huge glass-house, which was meant to house a "listening and learning" u/t pilot - a system which never caught on (I wonder why !!!).
Watching Prentices taxi in a cross-wind, waddling round in circles hissing like geese as the pneumatic brakes failed to hold the weather-cocking is just one of many hilarious moments. But the most hilarious was seeing another Prenthawk in loose formation inverted during a barrel roll. Its lurching way of entering a spin was a fascination too ...
Laugh a minute, it was, though you still had to learn to drive properly ... Flying the Pattern B instrument test was most enlightening, with all that power (I jest) the de Haviiland Gipsy Queen could put out was toilsome - but very instructive ...and then, the Harvard ... a young driver's dream ...
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Sorry,the I-15 aint ugly...
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Well it ain't pretty
It put on a very spritely performance at Duxford a couple of years running, with some rather alarming shrieks from the airframe as it pulled out of loops. Hope they bring it back over sometime...
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I really thought the Airspeed Fleet Shadower had it, but was beaten to it.
I knew relatives of the Test Aircrew on the thing, who saw after all their efforts it's main use was fanning the flames at fire rescue training dumps !
I knew relatives of the Test Aircrew on the thing, who saw after all their efforts it's main use was fanning the flames at fire rescue training dumps !
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I agree with the Blohm und Voss BV-141 - the designers had clearly spent too many nights on the strong stuff down Gneisenaustrasse.
I've always loved this ugly bird though - never seen one airborne mind - every one I've seen has been in bits with a confused disgruntled owner attacking it with a spanner in one hand and a woodbine in the other.
The Flying Flea
I've always loved this ugly bird though - never seen one airborne mind - every one I've seen has been in bits with a confused disgruntled owner attacking it with a spanner in one hand and a woodbine in the other.
The Flying Flea
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I kinda like the B&V 141, am intrigued by the asymmetrical design.
Here's my short list (it'll probably get longer the more I think about it)
Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair
Vickers Viscount (and other similar airplanes with a hump right above the cockpit).
F117
C130
Here's my short list (it'll probably get longer the more I think about it)
Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair
Vickers Viscount (and other similar airplanes with a hump right above the cockpit).
F117
C130