Planes That Changed the World
 

For those in the USA, Smithsonian Channel has a new series "Planes That Changed the World" - the first episode is about the SR-71. At least to me, appears to be well done, lots of interviews with "real people" including design engineers and actual SR-71 pilots (including Bill Weaver, who miraculously survived when the aircraft broke up at Mach 3 after an engine failure). Lots of interesting design details, a few I didn't know about (although they neglected my favorite bit - that they used the exhaust from another jet engine to create the proper inlet conditions for the J58 engines at Mach 3 :ok:)

Next week appears to be the DC-3/C-47.

Not sure about you folks on the other side of the pond (or the lake to the west). I watched the credits and it appears to be a Smithsonian production (unlike programs such as Air Disasters (which is 'Mayday' rebranded) so I don't know if or when it'll show up elsewhere. Even in the USA, Smithsonian channel is considered a premium channel.

Sounds interesting. It may pop up on one of the various satellite channels.

Of course, with a title like that, you're making problems for yourselves. DC-3 definitely, SR-71... maybe.

For what it's worth, my list would include, among others:

DC-3 (and Ju 52)
C-130
Boeing 707 (and Comet)
Boeing 747
B-29
Spitfire (and Hurricane)
U-2
Piper Cub
T-6/Harvard
Fokker Eindecker

What would others put there?

Vickers Vimy - transatlantic flight
Stuka. - dive bomber definitive C AS ac
B47. - As with V Force but in large numbers
B52 definitely
Canberra. - definitive high altitude long range jet bomber
Harrier. - definitive STOL aircraft for 50 years
Mig15. - cheap cheerful and leading fighter

Me262
Vickers Viscount
Harrier
Concorde
Learjet
Piper Cub

Any list would be more interesting if posters said why certain aircraft actually changed the world

For my money I would say the B52 and the V-Bombers for perhaps, keeping the 'cold war' cold.
For air travel I would nominate the Comet, Boeing 707 and 747 for bringing faster and cheaper air travel to the masses.

Sikorsky R4 first mass produced helicopter

Bell X-1 first supersonic ac

Planes That Changed the World
 

Surely the plane that changed the world the most was the wright brothers, after all, it's what started the ball rolling :)

Gloster Whittle E28/39

Fokker Eindecker - first synchronised forward firing machine gun
Boeing 247 - the first "modern" airliner.
Gloster Meteor/Me262 - first practical jet fighters
Arado Ar234 - first practical jet bomber
DH Comet - the first practical jet airliner
Boeing 747 - the first "jumbo" jet

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/pr...O=w474-h310-nc

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pr...E=w400-h325-nc

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/pr...0=w450-h327-nc

:ok:

DC3-first real airliner where you stood a good chance of getting to your destination alive, brought the notion of air travel to the world. Plus it did a bit in the war etc. I remember the last RAF DC 3 retiring, it would have been around 1968.

P51- the best fighter of WWII. Took the escort task all the way to Berlin and was a game changer.

Gloster E28/39-I know the Germans got there first but this was the real start of the jet era, leading to the

Comet-world beater; if only they had thought about those square windows a little more.

C-130-Ford Transit of the air.

747-mass world transport, still going strong 45 years later.

Cessna 172-more 172's have been built than any other aircraft, some 43,000 to date since 1956. What most pilots including me would have learned to fly in. Apart from the 182 probably the best all round light aircraft ever built.

B-29? Enola Gay, Bockscar.

The Flying Boats

Pan Am Clipper Flying Boats

Before WW II, international air travel in the flying boats was a huge step in opening up what was possible for flying passengers. (Granted, only for those with a bit of money). Sikorsky S-40, S-42, and VS-44 A as well as the Boeing B-314 opened the era of intercontinental air travel. (Hmm, Martin M-130 China clipper as well).

You can see the VS-44A Excambian in the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, CT. The story of how that plane got there (once owned by actress Maureen O'Hara and her husband) and was restored is pretty neat.

Tahengurt, just about to type that! I concur, there are more impressive and exciting 'planes' but none had such a world changing effect :\

+1 for Thing on the C152/172. No other single aircraft has made making one's own acts of aviation more accessible to the great unwashed ;)

After Comet - which must be there, I'd go for the Short Empire - it opened up far more long distance travel than any other flying boat.
Then there's the Handley-Page HP42/45 which was specifically intended for the London - Australia, London- South Africa routes. Not as modern as the DC3, but nonetheless in many ways a world-changer

Still small voice: Before the DC3 was the DC1 and DC2......

.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...uglas_DC-1.jpg


Here it is.

Danny.

Last RAF DC3
 

Sorry but the last RAF DC3 has not yet retired

We had a DC3 at Farnborough in 1983 and of course that aircraft is now serving with the BofB memorial flight