Back in the days when you flew a 'real' plane
 

I had the opportunity to look through a refurbished DC-3 Dak that's flying over in Africa and was absolutely amazed at the aircraft, all the knobs and dials a completely different to todays glass EFIS cockpits.

So, I ask the question: What was your favorite 'real' plane and why?

Mine goes to the HS748, a true rugged aircraft that you could throw anything to and it would happily purrr through the sky.

Twin Otter.

*Unbreakable
*Two moving parts
*Does everything it says on the box
*Heaps of fun (esp with only 2 pilots on board :E)

:ok: Aye Ess

Back in the days?
I still get to fly the Twotter :) Only screen in it is the GPS. No autopilot (except my coey). Flies like a dream.

Well said, that man!
The HS748, and the Huey.

"Real" aeroplanes, lotsa knobs, dials & character:

Fokker Friendship
Chipmunk
Winjeel
Boeing 747 (the "Classic")

Otter hands down, its an ugly duckling but if flown correctly it will do anything you ask.

I also have a sweet spot for the old c207 :E

The good old DC-9 -10 I retired off of it 1 month ago !!

For me it didn't get much realer than the DHA3 MkII.

Knobs and switches of every antique type scattered all over the place, many almost impossible to see and some even difficult to reach, big fuel selector levers, hydraulic hand pump and selector, big brass vac pump selector and primer selector, a rudder 'bar', a big trim wheel, bias handbrake, huge old gyros, bakelite cockpit lights and rheostats, pathetic tiny windscreen wipers (for the only 'glass' in the cockpit), a CV window you could stick your head out of, a traditional X shaded control wheel, a castoring tail wheel, and it really had that ubiquitous 'old plane' smell that only those who know will know.

Along with the Beaver and Chippie, these were the most evocative 'real' planes that I have been fortunate enough to experience. I have flown bigger noisier and faster ones, but the Drover had a real 'steampunk' feel.

Ahhh memeories, not all of them good, but good to have.

HD

With you "Gooneydog" DC9 was a real aeroplane, best of all the heavies.
Also; Chipmunk, poor man's Spitfire.
Cessna 170A, father of the 180.
Super Cub
No such thing as a bad aeroplane, but some are better than others.

The Pawnee with the 235hp engine as a glider tug. And after the Waikerie GC re-engined theirs with a 250 it was even better!:ok:

To me the Piper Cub was the most fun I've had flying. Never went anywhere fast and had the wheels in the proper places..

Another vote for the Twin Otter.

The designers must have missed the ergonomics lecture but overall a fantastic aircraft and provided me with by far the best flying days of my career.

If I can remember how to hand fly again I might even retire back onto one.

Pilots love it, it does everything you asked of it and more, and its still leads the field in tough rugged bush design.

Sounds great, looks great on wheels or ski's or as I like it on floats, feels like a proper plane.

Those who have been blessed to fly this machine as I have know it is the best.

Come on what is it, its not hard.:ok:

The mighty Riley DH114 Heron, ergonomic nightmare in the cockpit especially for the first officer but heaps of fun and in some cases hard bloody hard work.

Double King Island through the guts of a cold front on a winters day, load and unload a thousand kilos of freight and baggage, refuelling at King Island in pouring rain and roaring gale force wind, passenger brief's etc.
Survived all that with no GPS, no autopilot, no ASIC card, no mobile phone and no reflective safety vest!

Wirraway. Bitch of a wing-dropping, flick roll, noisy, and smelly hydraulic oil in the cockpit, aircraft. After flying those, the first solo ( no choice) in a Mustang was a walk-over (well, almost:E)

Once again the recurrence of the DeHavilland brand seems to come to the fore, though mainly DHC and DHA products, and I am glad to see, No steenkin Tigers on the list so far.

Classics like the DC9 and the Twotter are surely deserving the appellation of 'Real Planes",

but Pawnee (hawk...spit) NFW! a puss barge only exceeded by the appalling IMCO Callair A9. pedestrian work horses surely. The old cessna 170/180's were a mile ahead as far as being a 'real plane' and they were in no way the equal of the Beaver. Pinky, you really must get out a bit more, you will not be disappointed.

I'm just waiting for someone to quote the Cherokee 140, or perhaps that overweight and underpowered slug the C150 'Aerobat'. oops!, Now I've prolly gone a upset someone.

HD

Don't want a session of aerobatics in my IFR aerobat C150, Harley?

No Thanks mate,

I am sure you would humiliate me. I am well aware of the fact that there are fewer aero training aircraft better than the 150, as Frank Fry demonstrated so well years ago. The main reason for that is that EVERYTHING else has a superior excess power margin which clumsy oafs like myself find quite endearing as an aircraft characteristic.

e.g.
single seat Pitts = easy,

wornout old 150 (not hot rod 152) on hot day = hard work.

HD

Yep the song is awful but entertaining.

Frank Fry

What's Frank up to these days ? - must be 25-30 years since our paths have crossed back in AN/TN days. And Billly Waterton - he was into the aeros with Frank back then as I recall ?