10 most beautiful/most ugly military aircraft
- Thread starter Chuckman
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If you got one more beautiful than this, I’d like to see it
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Chuckman
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I don't recall any prop-driven AC on his list so maybe he should have edited to mean 'jet era'. There are puh-lenty of beautiful prop-driven AC, for sure,.
Thatonedude
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Always thought the Avro was pretty damn ulgy…but then again, so is the target area when it’s done.
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Chuckman
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Most produced combat jet, around 10,000 were built.
Had to build that many because Godzilla kept breathing on them.
Big fan of the P39. It was the highest scoring U.S. fighter of WW2....in Soviet hands! The P63 is more graceful. Chuck Yeager was a fan of the p39
B1b, F16, F15 do it for me.
cubrock
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The A10 is the most beautiful and high on the list of most ugly at the same time, for me.
One of my memories of early childhood in mid 1970s Michigan (we moved to NC when I was 3) was laying in the front yard looking at the sky and seeing a P38 fly overhead. It wasn’t until later in childhood I learned it was a P38, but those unique lines and the twin tails burned into my young memory. Always been a favorite since that day and I’ve always wondered who was flying it, where, and why.
One of my memories of early childhood in mid 1970s Michigan (we moved to NC when I was 3) was laying in the front yard looking at the sky and seeing a P38 fly overhead. It wasn’t until later in childhood I learned it was a P38, but those unique lines and the twin tails burned into my young memory. Always been a favorite since that day and I’ve always wondered who was flying it, where, and why.
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Sure! If the SR71 didn't exist!
when I was a instructor in VA42 A-6 squadron I told my students "the A-6 is a ugly pig unless you are a Marine needing air support in bad weather or at night the a flight of six of them each carrying 28 500lb bombs will look better than Miss America"
My dad told of seeing an early P38 at a county airport prior to Pearl Harbor. He thought it looked like a spaceship!
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Chuckman
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My uncle flew F4s and F117s so I’ve always been partial to them, especially the 117.
As a 90s kid, the F117 was freaking rad. Ugly as sin but cool as hell.
As a 90s kid, the F117 was freaking rad. Ugly as sin but cool as hell.
How can you not love a plane that your enemy calls “fork-tailed devil”?
One of the most beautiful - copied the homework done by nature and the peregrin falcon. Saw one parked in Colorado Springs once and still remember getting giddy about it.
Ahhh, I see what you are saying now. Indeed a good military equivalent.
Great book by Martin Caidan (I think that's the spelling) by that name ("Fork-Tailed Devil"). A really excellent book on the development/deployment/use of the P-38's entire life cycle. Highly recommend it if you can find a copy.
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Chuckman
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Kelly Johnson, who was one of the principal designers for the U-2, SR-71, and about 18 other AC, was also responsible for the P-38. The P-38 was the fastest fighter at the time, great payload/guns, and incredible range. But had issues.
en.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org
Kelly Johnson (engineer) - Wikipedia
Lockheed P-38 Lightning - Wikipedia
I know you love the intruder but it's ugly sitting on deck, it looks a lot better in flight and what it could do made me love her. They were MY aircraft that I loaned to the aircrew to fly
Charles Lindbergh made a secret trip to the Pacific theater and taught pilots the correct RPMs to maximize their range. I think he ended up flying a couple dozen combat missions in the P-38.Kelly Johnson, who was one of the principal designers for the U-2, SR-71, and about 18 other AC, was also responsible for the P-38. The P-38 was the fastest fighter at the time, great payload/guns, and incredible range. But had issues.
Kelly Johnson (engineer) - Wikipedia
Lockheed P-38 Lightning - Wikipedia
He shot down at least one enemy aircraft doing so
ronn47
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Without his tips to improve fuel milage we would not have been able to shoot down the plane with Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto aboard.
