My 2 cents worth, the F104 Starfighter, looks like it's going super even on the ground.
P.S. The Mirage 111 is not far behind.

It's got to be the TSR 2, saw it at Cosford. WOW!!!

It just yearns to fly.

Sorry, I breezed through this thread...did anyone mention the Fulcrum? Even though it is a maintenance hog, the thing is beautiful in flight. Check out the vids at the GAF 1 Sqn, 73 Fighter Wing site www.fabulousfulcrums.de and you will have to admit this bird looks good in flight. I particularly love the Slovak two-seater tiger-striped paint job ...

http://www.paulnann.com/images/pn_w2197.jpg

Cheers! M2

Best looking - but what about the noise?!
 

All very well talking about the best-looking aircraft, but we shouldn't ignore another important aspect - the noise!

For jets, the Vulcan has (had) to be tops (and as my girlfriend said at one airshow "Oh! Doesn't it make your chest throb?" - needless to say, I married her). The rest of the jets just sound alike, apart from the distinctive 'whistling' of the F104 perhaps.

But its the piston props that get my vote everytime - who can ignore the unmistakable sound of a Merlin (or preferably 4 flying in close formation). Also, most aircraft with a radial engine make the ears prick up in appreciation....

Is this a personal perversion, or are there any other aircraft 'noise spotters' out there?!

The F8F Bearcat and the Sea Fury take the Prop honours in my book for sheer 'engine with wings' loveliness. And for the jets the Lightning (seems to be a theme developing here - 1:1 trouser to mouth).

"Santa is always happy because he knows where all the bad girls live":)

Make mine a tigercat
 

How much more beautiful do you want it?
 

http://warbirds.mega.com.pl/zdjecia/spit_xix.jpg

and one of Gary Parsons excellent studies , from the F4 Website

http://www.f4aviation.co.uk/airshow0...e/spitfire.jpg

So much for best looking a/c - how about the ugliest?!?
 

Sure there are some sexy ones out there, but if we were voting for the "Most Abnormal Beast", my 2 votes would go to :

1st. Shorts Skyvan - Makes me laugh every time I see a pic of one!

Check her out at: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/324766/M/ & http://www.airliners.net/open.file/341033/M/

AND

2nd. XB-70 Valkyrie - It's like a super-quick girraffe.

Check her out at: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/322713/M/

I know it's completely irrelavant to the topic - just had to chuck in some humour. :p

Cheers,

Souls.

Before I sign out for the evening,

The mighty F-111 (Yeah, I'm an Aussie!) still looks darn' awesome to me.

Swing wings, Mach 2.5, 30 years old and still capable of movin' a hell-of-a-lotta mud. :D

Call me old fashioned if you will, but the Pig has to be one of the meanest, sexiest and sleekest looking craft around today. Sure the B-1 lovers will back me up... The Pig and the Bone are almost like brothers!

Sure this will convince a few - http://www.airliners.net/open.file/347536/M/

Cheers,

Souls.

P.S - Think she is one of very few around capable of LEGALLY releasing a 90ft candle from her backside too! :p

Good stuff
 

Soulman,

I already brought up the topic of ugliest, but will reiterate my vote for the Jet Provost Mk3. Uglier than a dockyard oyster. Louder than a Lightning. Less nimble than a pregnant duck.

And, since this thread has been viewed by > 5,000, what does it need to get greater than a 1 star vote? Just interested :O

Souls

Concur on the 'Vark, used to watch them do this at dusk in Idaho when I was at Mountain Home AFB. By the way, the Aussie 1st Sqn came by to visit when I was there in the mid-80s.

Cheers! M2

Talking of the ugliest, perhaps not too many people have seen the roll-out pictures of the Nimrod MRA4 yet, but it makes the Nimrod AEW look beautiful.

You have been warned .... when a picture of the MRA4 is posted here.

Spit Mk.XII
Sea Fury
Tempest II
Mossie (all marks)
Corsair
Typhoon
Swordfish

and loads of others!!!!!

V-bombers
 

1st place - the Victor, especially a clean mk2 in anti-flash white with the pale roundels. My personal favourite is SR2 XL161 (cos I visited that one in 1972)

2nd place - the Valiant, a very clean & tidy aircraft. Shame about the wing spars...

3rd - the Vulcan, totally impressive presence, but not really a truly aesthetic aircraft.

The most beautiful aeroplanes
 

D.H. 87B Hornet Moth
D.H. 82A Tiger Moth
D.H. ? Mossie
Spitfire Mk. I
Spitfire Mk. XIV Tear - drop canopy, and clipped wings
Republik P-47D Thunderbolt
Colditz P.O.W. escape glider






The least favourite: Bf- 109E and The Maule

Hawker Tempest
Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Fury
Gloster Gladiator
Avro 504
Me 262

Ugliest - Bachem Natter (which reminds me of a girl I once went out with :) )

Arc

Howzabout

The one that takes you home.

Ugliest - Southbound TriStar at 2300 when you've got a few weeks in the South Atlantic winter to look forward to.

Prettiest - Northbound TriStar at any time when you've just escaped from the Islas Malvinas back to Blighty!

But now it's by A330. As Britmiddishlandnationalbmi or whatever their stupid yoof-speak new title is proudly advertises being a member of the Star Allaince, are their lucky Malvinas-bound punters claiming Miles-and-More points? If not, why not. Discuss...

Uh-oh. That grunt will accuse me of thread creep again...

Call me old fashioned if you like, but most beautiful ever has to be the Spitfire, probably the PRXIX, especially in blue.

If it's limited to jets, then in spite of the first post, Hunter F6.

WW1 - Albatros DVa in lozenge camo.

Edwardian - Blackburn 1912

Modern Military- Rafale

Modern Civil - Concorde, with the B757 a close second

I concur - PR XIX it is!

Or Hunter F6.

Best noises:

Bristol Fighter at a fair speed
Hunter F6 blue note
F-104 "Ah -HOOOOOOOOO-waaaaaaah" weird afterburner noise
Vulcan on 2-eng overshoot using more power than the QFIs liked. Described by my old captain as the 'rutting dinosaur' sound.

But none have the Merlin magic! The best there is.