Which aircraft looks most like a warplane?

[noflynomore]

No, not the Valkyrie.

The problem there was it never looked warlike at all, it was just too damn beautiful to exist on this grubby, fallible earth...

[West Coast]

The Buff. It has no purpose other than death.

[Ogre]

I guess you could split it into those aircraft which are built to fight other aircraft, and those that are built to drop bombs. The former is anything with lots of missiles visible, and the second is anything with lots of bombs visible.

I hate to say it but the only thing that looks mean in both guises to me was the Phantom, but only when in RAF livery of course.....

[Avionker]

The JU-87 Stuka has to be a contender. Designed and built with only one purpose in mind, and spreading sweetness and light was not the intention.

[JG54]

The JU-87 Stuka has to be a contender. Designed and built with only one purpose in mind, and spreading sweetness and light was not the intention.

Indeed. Designed also to capitalise psychologically with the pant - shattingly shrill 'Jericho Trumpets' (although their effectiveness, given sundry, other battlefield cacophony has been questioned, and they were later removed).

Pure evil...

Yet very effective indeed (G model) as a 'Panzerknacker' in the east.

[SASless]

Big Radial Engine...folding Wings...Tail Wheel....Bombs, Rockets, Guns, Napalm, Nuke Capable, and the Squadron Toilet do in the Enemy with! You cannot beat that combination!

[megan]

Can't be that mean SAS, it says "Paper Tiger". Wonder what drag index they used for the toilet when crunching the numbers.

[Stanwell]

The Ju87 Stuka..
My old man once confided in me that, when under direct attack by those, it had caused him to 'soil his underpants'.
It would therefore seem that the siren was capable of having the desired effect.

[juliet]

How has no one said AC-130? It's got a freakin howitzer bolted to the side!!

[Chesty Morgan]

Originally Posted by West Coast

The Buff. It has no purpose other than death.

Except that it's mainly been used as a deterrent.

[tartare]

The `toom - no question.
Angular, pointy, weapons truck extraordinaire - and the size of a locomotive.

[A_Van]

Modern stealth-oriented planes do not look so fierce as the most of the armament is hidden inside. Therefore, IMHO, nobody would supersede B-52
http://www.howitflies.com/files/phot...ay_arms_06.jpg

[Pontius Navigator]

Chesty, for post-war tonnage of bombs dropped it were a fine deterrent

[airborne_artist]

[msbbarratt]

A sign of things to come?

For me, the F117 looked pretty mean and business-like.

[John Eacott]

Originally Posted by AtomKraft

Some aircraft look evil, like the AH-64 for example- but we'll not count helos

Why? "Aircraft" definition includes helicopters, and I'll wager that most of the current crop of attack helicopters will meet the thread title

Opening with the Hind

[noflynomore]

The Buff. It has no purpose other than death.

You'll be forgetting the vast amount of work the B52 has done as a carrier platform for aerospace research, think X15 onwards.

No purpose but death???

[Expatrick]

I reckon in its day the Sopwith Camel looked pretty mean & purposeful!

[SASless]

Megan,

I wonder what drag index they used for the toilet when crunching the numbers.

Like the Toilet added much drag compared to the airplane even if it were clean (the airplane....much less the Toilet)!

[Heathrow Harry]

In no particular order

Hind
Stuka
Typhoon (the original!)
Phantom
A-10
MiG-19
Skyraider

for sheer ugliness you have to go for the Hind and the A10 I think