[Dysko]

This discussion was born on the "Italianessness" thread due to curiosity, but I think I should make this more direct:
What's your favourite airplane?

Mine is the F-16, but I also like other stuff like F-14, Typhoon and Su-27.

[Shade]

SR-71 Blackbird. Honourable mention goes to the Harrier and any recent Sukhoi.

[Unknown Target]

Jets or anything? I gotta say I love the F-15, but if I had to choose my favorite "looker" it's the Mig-3.

[Mobius]

When I was little I enjoyed the Mig-3. Maybe I could find my old pictures

The SR-71 is a God aircraft. I have a model just in front of me, near the monitor.

[Dysko]

When I was little I enjoyed the Mig-3. Maybe I could find my old pictures

Maybe he is talking about the MiG-3 from WWII? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan-Gurevich_MiG-3)

In Ace Combat 3 there was a fighter called Aurora I saw on a recent number of La Macchina Del Tempo.
It's not always a fanta-sim...

Errr... the Aurora wasn't a fighter. It was a concept bomber. It should have flied above Mach 3, at very high altitude and with a very large range of action, it should have been stealth and VTOL. Obviously, technology doesn't allow to put all that stuff in a single plane, so it evolved in a plane that is only stealth with a large range of action: the B-2 bomber. See http://www.fas.org/irp/mystery/aurora.htm

[Mobius]

I was talking about AC3's Aurora,which was a fighter...

My attempts of drawing a Mig-3...I'll never forget them! I like the cockpit of that fighter,because it's so close to the timone di coda.

[Herra Tohtori]

Brewster B-239, at least for now. Excellent aircraft.

Though I have to point out that it was not Brewster Buffalo, which was a ridiculous fighter plane. Its type name was B-339, and it - along with F2A-2 - sucked bad. B-239 was much closer to prototype F2A-1 - so close that actually the prototype model (XF2A-1) was included in the planes that were used by Finnish pilots...

In case you didn't know, Finnish Brewster pilots scored a kill-to-death ratio of 496 russian planes shot down against 19 lost Brewsters. Ie. approximately 26:1 K/D ratio.

It had excellent maneuverability, good cockpit visibility, it was easy to fly, had relatively good armament (earlier, 3x .50 + .303 machine guns, later 4x .50 machine guns), and it was extremely reliable plane - the engines could be used much longer than planned. It could also take quite abeating until disintegrating, although pilot protection wasn't the best of words. It was also quite fast and durable in descent, too, even if it wasn't the fastest fighter in level flight.

Of course, the success of B-239 has also *something* to do with pilots and tactics, but it does tell something of the plane as well. The highest scoring Finnish ace, Ilmari Juutilainen, who flew 437 sorties, scoring 94½ official kills - without EVER getting hit by enemy fire.

Although once his Bf-109 was damaged by friendly AAA, so he had to land.


That's my absolute favourite plane at least for now.

Newer planes can't compete, although some come close.

Another very nice plane I'd like to have when I get older and filthy rich is PIK-20D...

[Mobius]

Do you like the Arado,used by German Air Forces in WWII?

[spartan_0214]

I like either the B2 Spirit bomber, or the F117 fighter.... 

[Herra Tohtori]

Do you like the Arado,used by German Air Forces in WWII?

Who, me?

What Arado are you referring to? Arado Ar-196 If you're referring to the waterplane... No, not really. It's an ugly maritime recon plane with lousy specs and armament. And it looks kinda ugly, too.

On the other hand, Arado Ar-234 is completely different story... Being the first jet powered bomber aircraft and all.

[Dysko]

Since we are talking about nice WWII planes, take a look to this site: http://www.luft46.com/. Those are secret planes of the Luftwaffe that never flew. Some are very nice-looking.

[Herra Tohtori]

 

That is very... ergonomic and useful construction, I dare say. Mistel on a mistel, eh? Ingenious.

Must've been very nice to pilot that cruise missile.

Other pearl:




Asymmetric design FTW. Can't say much else... it would've been a pain to actually pilot that thing in rotated-wing mode. Using the ailerons would've had effect not only on roll, but also pitch, when another aileron was forward and another was behind...

[ZmaN]

SR-71 Blackbird. Honourable mention goes to the Harrier and any recent Sukhoi.

I've always loved the blackbird, since i was like 8!
But Im also a fan of the new Airbus AX whatever its called (the double decker one)

[Ghostavo]

Sukhoi Su-47 "Berkut" FTW!!

[Mobius]

In Combat Flight Simulator 3 there were two German X crafts.One was a Gotha,basically a small B-2 Spirit. The other had to eliche, one ahead and one behind.In fact is reported that bailing off was difficult,because the pilot had to cut off the second elica first...

When I was little I read something about a Viper(I don't remember the G. name,only its translation)a piloted rocket launched like a V1 armed with small rockets.The fighter had to launch its rockets on American bombers,then it was useless and went down,losing most of its parts.Then the Germans would have re-used the other parts...

[IceFire]

Mobius...are you talking about the Dornier Do-335?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dornier_Do_335

The rear tail section actually has explosive charges that, on ignition of the ejection seat, blows the tail section off so as to allow the seat and pilot to safely pass behind the aircraft.  This was one of the first aircraft with an ejection seat and the whole system, although complex, worked quite well.  The Do-335 is actually the highest performing piston engine prop fighter developed.  Reason being that it has two very powerful engines (for the weight) but with the drag consequences of only one engine (plus a propeller).

My favourite aircraft are the Hawker Tempest (and Typhoon), Supermarine Spitfire, F4U Corsair, F-18 Hornet, Focke Wulf FW190, Tornado, and Eurofighter Typhoon.  I have a developing interest in the F-22 and F-35...but they are still curiousities and not my favourites.

[Mobius]

Yes! It was the Do-335!!!

Your favourite planes,except for the F/A-18 I never loved at 100%,were my favourites too.I prefer the Typhoon to the Tempest.

[Herra Tohtori]

I prefer the Typhoon to the Tempest.

They aren't that much different, you know. Mainly the Typhoon was a bit shorter, had straight-edged, smaller wings and only straight engine types.

The Tempest had elliptic wings, slightly bigger than Typhoon's, somewhat longer fuselage, and one of the Tempest production models - Tempest F Mk.2 - had a radial engine, Bristol Centaurus.


I personally like the tempest more, but dislike the Typhoon/Tempest family.

I much prefer an elegant, maneuverable and accurate plane - like B-239, despite its slowth in level flight... In comparison, planes like Typhoon, Tempest and for example P-47 models are crude, inaccurate and loud affairs.

I prefer accuracy over big guns. That's also why I don't feel the same attraction to current war planes as I feel towards WWI/II planes... There's no skill in busting enemy with a missile.


...I'm talking about computer games, obviously. I enjoy more peppering vital systems of enemy plane with .50cal's than blasting them from 100 miles with a missile. In real life, I would use the missile much rather...

[Nuke]

omg rutan is a shivan!!!!!

and of course

the arab smasher!

[spartan_0214]

Since we are talking about nice WWII planes, take a look to this site: http://www.luft46.com/. Those are secret planes of the Luftwaffe that never flew. Some are very nice-looking.

who says we're ALL talking about WWII planes?

I like either the B2 Spirit bomber, or the F117 fighter....