Airplane With The Nicest Handling
 

I haven’t flown a lot of types in my life, but was curious as to what folks here think is the best handling aircraft they’ve flown.

I have only flown GA types and learnt on a combination of typical American trainers like the 152, 172, PA28 and similar. The first time I flew a Bonanza it was a complete revelation in how much fun throwing an aircraft around the sky could be. The brisk and positive control responses were comparatively miles ahead.

Later on I had the opportunity to fly a Chippie and that was incredible. It still remains my favourite in terms of pure fun.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, I found the TB20 Trinidad a dog. Great for going long distances at speed when I ignored the flying school’s 23 squared power recommendations and followed the book values, but an absolute dog when manoeuvring.

I appreciate there is a lot of experience here that eclipses my own, so would be interested to hear others thoughts.

Flyer

Without doubt, a DHC Chipmunk. You won't get much better than that.

King Air.

Hands down.

close thread!


(followed by the bongo :})

You will go a long time trying to find something that flies nicer than a Chipmunk, its my personal favourite.
Vans RVs are nice, 400 and 500 series Cessnas are beautiful on the controls too. Someone mentioned Kingairs.
I personally like the feel of the (much) older SE Cessnas and Pipers too, maybe it was because they were generally lighter?
Another interesting list might be planes people don't enjoy flying..

As far as gliders go, of all the 22 types I flew the Olympia 463 was the best. The worst was the Slingsby Capstan two seater.

Quite liked the Shrike Aerocommander.

Olympia463, I totally agree. For light aircraft, if you don't want aerobatics, the Condor is nicer than the Chipmunk in my opinion.

The Bucker Jungmeister was the only aircraft (out of the 300+types I've flown) which was as good as I'd been told.

Singles the Chipmunk,multi the Dove

Shrike, followed by a B200 King Air.

Any Aircraft they pay me to fly

Of the jets, in order (best to worst): BAe146, Westwind, 737-300, 737-700, A320
Haven't flown any turboprops.
Of the piston twins: Baron, Seminole, Navajo, Partenavia. Never flew a Commander series.
Of the singles, the Pitts surprised and delighted me. Haven't flown a chippie. I prefer Pipers to Cessnas for handling and training, but the Cessnas are more practical in the real world.

OK well it seems I’m not the only Chippie fan. The poor man’s Spitfire isn’t it?

[QUOTE]Of the jets, in order (best to worst): BAe146, Westwind, 737-300, 737-700, A320/QUOTE]

I was waiting for someone to mention the BAe146. I have heard others say the same. I found it horrendous!!! Unresponsive, lazy, trim dependant. Then again I didn't fly the Boeing?

But the worst by far was........... wait for it.............. a Gulfstream 5. 'Looks wonderful. Handles like a p1g in sh1t! So utterly disapointing.

Best I ever flew? A Hawker Hunter.

Red,
The AC 500S, I'll second that!
Tootle pip!!

For a light piston powered twin engine aircraft, the Ted Smith Aerostar was wonderful.

I agree with everyone who has nominated the Baron, the Queen air and the Aero Commander 500. The Chipmunk too, though I'm heavily biased towards Chipmunks as I learned to fly on them and hey, you never forget your first love!

I'd also offer up the Cap 10 and the Stampe.

But, very little beats the delights of a simple J3 Cub, on a calm summer evening, low and slow, with the door open and preferably on floats. Sigh.

I have almost no twin experience but I did fly a Baron, holding for 15 minutes at Hengistbuy Head. It was a delight, particularly as I wasn't paying for the fuel.

Work it baby

C402 by far but a little more HP pls

C210 forever in my heart ❤️

BAe146 lovely. Owing to the servo tab controls, you could really feel what it and you were doing. My best ever landing of all time was in a BAE146. A shocking tragedy that the new version, whose designation I forget, was scrapped. That would have been a World beater in its time.

A320 great

A330 fantastic

- but I had to teach myself how to fly Airbus FBW as no TRE I met knew how. (which is genuinely not meant to sound arrogant).

Dash 8-300 and Q400 turboprops both good. Some of us learned to land the Q400 one main gear at a time though, otherwise......., ker-bang !!

Shed, (Shorts 360 turboprop), surprisingly good, considering what it looks like, poor thing !

B737 Classic, terrible !

Best single piston in order: Chipmunk, RV6, Piston Provost Worst by far : Tipsy Nipper

Best Twin Piston - Dove, PA30 nice in the air but had "issues" for take-off and landing

Best Jet : A330 hands down Worst by far : B737-200

I’ve flown lots of the types mentioned above and concur that the Baron and King Air 90/200 were very nice. However, the one aircraft that stands out from all the many types I’ve flown, is the 747-400. It was sublime. How did they make such a large aircraft handle so well? Unfortunately to experience that now you’ll have to become a
freight dog or a Middle East Vip’s slave.

Bücker Jungmann and Saab Safir. Both designed by the same gentleman. After those, the Chipmunk.

Always liked the Beaver and Cessna 185 on either wheels or floats.
Only got about 1 hr in the Chipmunk and it was really, really nice.

Never having handled one, what was it that was so nice about the Chipmunk ? Genuine question.

I think that if this thread appeared on some other forums as well there would be aircraft from other categories that would appear. Within the scope of what has been said already I would agree with the Chipmunk for a light aircraft, the B747 for a large aircraft especially the -100, and the Hunter is my all time favourite aeroplane although whilst in some flight regimes it is outstanding in others it is challenging. For hand flying I have to say that the most unpleasant aeroplane for me was the Cirrus SR22 although as a fast, economical IFR aircraft with the autopilot engaged it was very good.

I can't find my 3822 (Air Cadet log book) right now but my first ever aircraft that I actually handled was a Chippy in 1994 at 12 AEF RAF Turnhouse near Edinburgh.

That's 27 years since I was first talked through a barrel roll pointing towards Edin, and honestly not having you on when I say I can still 'feel' the weighting, crispness of response and the harmonisation as I type this. Even in my inexperienced hands it was sensational.

Like car handling, some just have that little bit extra where you know exactly where you are with it - think an early Mazda MX5 vs a BMW Z4.

Beagle Pup 150… because I own one and it must surely be the easiest and overall delightful of planes to fly and look at.

It’s not fast, it’s not hugely aerobatic but it’s just fab.

Limited FW time (500 hrs), soloed in a Chipmunk, 20 hrs in T-34 and 170 in T-28 and thought the three of them much of a muchness, of course the latter won out for the power, few hours in RV's, nice. Always thought the T-34 would have been a wonderful private aircraft, most bits were the same as a Bonanza. In the time in Cessnas thought the straight tail 172, 175, 182 were nice handling machines which were spoiled some how when they went to the swept fin, crowbar flaps too, and 40°, who said electric is progress?

That's easy - Chipmunk above all.

I appreciate that these are subjective, but I'm unsure how anyone can describe the B747 as "sublime" - having been made to convert back to the B744 from the delightful B777, I thought the former was a truck!

And if we're talking about twins, yes the Baron was very nice but my favorite is the F.27, noisy, cumbersome and a pig in a crosswind, but then there was the pleasure of knowing you were flying it well...

The Chipmunk seems to be everyone's favourite - I can only concur. If only it had a bit more power...

Cessna Caravan handles excellently - I'm surprised it hasn;t been mentioned yet. I haven't flown her much, but seemed to be the most hamronized airplane ever. The control forces and control response are just right - not too high, not to low - perfectly balanced. Easier to fly than C-152

My all time favourite - Extra 330 SC - a hard riding Wh@re (to quote the late 'Duke Elegant'), she'll obediently do whatever you can imagine and then some stuff you can't... :}

Airliners:
- I'm surprised A330 got so many mentions - very docile and absolute pleasure to land, but at the same time awfully sluggish on the controls, esp. in roll
- A320 is fun to fly, except in gusty crosswinds. There are plenty of YouTube videos to prove it.
- 787 handles very nicely, tough in my opinion it neither flies like an FBW airplane, nor like a normal one. Haven't flown any other Boeings, so can't compare

Helicopters:
- Hughes 300 is beautifully responsive and handles like a dream. However due to small and light rotor it's not as good in autorotation
- Bell 47 is completely opposite. Handles like a slug, but awesome in autos

Havent had a chance to fly fighter jets - only F16 simulator. It handled surprisingly similar to the A320...

If we are talking 'handling' has to be the Druine Turbulent. (figertip control)

146. Just a big 172 with four fans. Great landings, not all of which I deserved.

Chipmunk ….. definitely ! :D

C208 and AC680FL for me.

The AC500 was by far the best piston twin I flew, but the 680 is much lighter, and nicer on the controls.

Dash8-200 was very nice.

Aero Commander 500S on low level coastal surveillance and Fokker F-28 in PNG (sometimes just as low) 😄

I vote for the Pitts S-2C Welcome to Adobe GoLive 6

Some considerations described here https://www.kitplanes.com/back-to-school/

Good question. For me it was the lightness and directness of the controls. Almost as if you just need to think what you want it to do, and you were there. Not the world’s fastest aircraft but it feels very sprightly.

Can’t recommend it highly enough.

I’ve always heard good things about de Havilland aircraft. There are a few mentioned here. I wonder if it is a design ethos of the company. Same with Beechcraft.

Mirage III. :E

This guy wins the internet for the day.