Greatest Military Aircraft! What Do You think?

I am trying to get a debate (not an arguement) going on the greatest military aircraft out there...past and/or present!

For instance, the F22 Raptor is among them, being it is the most cutting edge thing out there, BUT..it has no track record yet AND it went berzerk overseas when crossing the international dateline!!?? Trivial??? well, maybe, but it is a drwback and as of yet, any synopsis of its abilities are sheer speculation, albeit I am sure it will be quite an exquistite aircraft!

Some at the top of my list include the F4 Phantom and the A6 Intruder! Their combat records are incredible and yes, of course they do have some drawbacks. I am merely trying to start the ball rolling! Any of you on this forum that know me already know what a fan of the F18 I am so I will just leave it alone until it is attacked (get it).

Some of the Russian aircraft are spectacular as well..the Mig 29, Su 27 for example.
Don't count out the impact of the Bitish Harrier and Tornado either, not to mention the French gem, the Mirage(s). Just want to get some heat going on the ATS Aircraft Forum, and try not to let pride in whatever country you may represent take over. Try to be impartial if possible, and remember, it is a matter of opinion and there are just so many great aircraft out there!!

Peace, and....."Fight's On"......Mondo

There is a problem. When is a aircraft one of the greatest? There are dozens of aircraft which has had huge impact on fighter design and for some reason i dont really except the f22 will have an large impact.

the harrier or f-15, both proven and reliable.

Greatest is subjective.
But for the US and in general I would favor the Phantom F-4's for their years of service,numbers produced,varients and finally number of World wide Air Forces using or having used them with well regards.
The Phantom Bombtruck varient was a awed sight indeed I forget its exact designation but it was loaded out like the Wild Weasel but with 2 to 4 smart bombs and just a great air weapon/electronics platform. Similar to the one below but add bombs and dark green scheme


www.af.mil...
www.af.mil...



[edit on 19-3-2007 by VType]

[edit on 19-3-2007 by VType]

Yes, I understand that this thread is subjective and that's OK...it will lend to the passion that people have for their favorite aircraft!! I hope at least that's what it does. I agree with the F4 idea, the A6 that i mentioned is a good one too, but one could never argue with the record of the F15 now could they?? Exported aound the world, exemplary track record, unbeatable design and damage taking capability!!
The Harrier has been very influential in the Falklands and so on as well, then again should we step a bit further back to the days of the F86 and Mig 15 even, both very major stepping stones and huge factors for today's aircraft!!

Just some thoughts and ideas, peace, Mondo

I have a few.

My first pitch is the legendary P-51 mustang, excellent at shooting down enemy aircraft and attacking ground targets, while still fast and agile.

My second is the incredible Tu-95 bomber, a powerful, versitile aircraft still in use today.

Third is the Dehaviland Mosqito, an incredibly innovative aircraft made of wood, incredibly fast, great fighter, bomber, small RCS and were talking WWII here.

The undefeated F-15 eagle has to go up there, along with its arguable equal, the Su-27.

The F-16 and Mig-29 should be there too, perhaps the best two dogfighters ever made.

The unbelievable B-52, which will be pushing a century of service by the time it is fully retired.


And finally, what I consider to be the worlds greatest military aircraft ever built the C-130. The C-130 is just so incredibly versitile it cant be beat. It can drop tanks, supplies, pick up supplies without landing, refuel aircraft, be used as a deadly gunship, can sport any weapon from gattling guns to howitzers, can support a MTHEL or HELLADS, can be used as a powerful ECM aircraft etc you get the idea.

I think that the F-22 Raptor deserves an honorable mention. After all, it is a culmination of many things I have pointed out in this post. It just has to prove itself first.


[edit on 19-3-2007 by BlackWidow23]

Greatest is very subjective, I agree. So then, thinking in terms of how truly great aircraft are ones that become iconic, here is my entirely random list;

1 Sopwith Camel
2 Gotha G.V
3 Supermarine Spitfire
4 Avro Lancaster
5 Heinkel He 111
6 Messerschmitt Bf 109
7 Boeing B-17
8 North American Mustang
9 DH Mosquito
10 Boeing B-29
11 North American Sabre
12 MiG 15
13 Tu-95
14 BAC Lightning
15 MiG 21
16 Avro Vulcan
17 McDonnell Phantom II
18 BAe Harrier
19 Dassault Mirage family
20 Boeing B-52

This list is in no particular order other than a rough timeline and although it looks criminal to miss out great planes like the Raptor and F15 (among many others too) there are two main reasons for this 1, I have limited myself to try to list the sort of planes that a joe bloggs in the street might be able to name, because any plane whose fame spreads beyond our geeky circles must be great, right? 2- I limited myself to a top 20 only and ran out of places before I got out of the 1960's!

If I were to try to write out another list tomorrow it would probabaly be about 30% different!

edit, and on reading the list back again I am already cursing myself for missing out the famous Ju-87 Stuka, possibly the second most famous warplane ever flown after the sodding Spitfire

[edit on 19-3-2007 by waynos]

Now this is what I am talking about gang!! Great lists and even better lists as to why you picked the aircraft that you did. You see, part of the reason for this thread is to help me think outside of my own proverbial box! Thus, you are helping me do just that. The Mustang, the Spitfire, The Stuka...what great aircraft, and although I tend to reflect on the aircraft that I watched and loved growing up, I do think it is very important to look into the forefathers of great military aviation and what their contributes are/were.
The F15 is an amzing aircraft in all terms and in all roles and is still unsurpassed in some of its records and achievements. The Phantom is legendary and will always be an amazing aircraft if not the single most recognizeable military aircraft of all time, in my opinion.
Then again, the F86 is a pretty stellar beauty as well, namely the radical change of form and function that it brought with it into a new era of military aviation.
Come to think of it, aren't they all pretty special in their own rights. What about the F8 Crusader, no slouch in its own right either!!
Peace, looking forward to all your replies and thoughts, Mondo

I think that the DC-3 and the C-130 are probably 2 of the most over looked military aircraft that have had even global effects. Too me I think they are what a plane should be about. The solving of problems and pushing the envelope in there times to the point where they really where multi tasked planes that did and do it all. Just my quick 2 cents.

On reading Waynos post again the last stands out the B-52 has been flying so long that pretty much it is becoming or has become the visual that people think of when they say bomber. The BUFF is legendary for its service record and as such its legend grows.

[edit on 22/08/06 by Canada_EH]

Canada,
Although not one of the flashy type of aircraft, I agree with you on the idea of the C130. Looking at it from a global point of view, you are dead on! the Hercules has been around for quite a while and will continue to be for quite some time. It has airlifted who knows how many of whatever you would need, from military people, to fighting fires, the providing aid to starving people around the world, not to mention one bad-ass gunship as well!
Great addition Canada...thanks, Mondo

Again a bit random but some to throw in to the frame.

So in no particular order.

Bell UH-1.
Douglas DC-3.
De Havilland Mosquito.
Avro Vulcan ( my favourite plane of all time)
Hawker Siddeley Harrier.
Boeing CH-47 Chinook.
Bell AH-1 Cobra.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15.
Avro Lancaster.
North American Sabre.
Supermarine Spitfire.
Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit.
Boeing B-52.
English Electric Canberra.
English Electric Lightning (my 2nd favourite plane of all time).

Just some ideas.

Edit to include Grumman F-14 tomcat , cue kenny Loggins.

[edit on 19-3-2007 by buckaroo]

Phhheww, I was a bit worried when I read the first few posts that nobody had mentioned the C-47 or the Canberra/B-57. As waynos, Blackwidow & Canada covered most of my list already I'll just throw in a few missing ones that I think have made usefull contributions or revolutions technically and operationally.
A-12/SR-71 Blackbird
A-4 Skyhawk
Livochkin LI-2
Shorts Sunderland
GD F-111 Ardvark (I can't resist)
Hawker Hurricane
JU-87
P-40
FW-190
P-38 Lightning
U-2
And of course the F-35.....
(Im rolling on the floor screaming with laughter over that one )

LEE.

[edit on 20-3-2007 by thebozeian]

C-130 Hercules. This aircraft has been at the forefront of every modern war and has proven itself again and again.

Being able to carry tonnes of essential equipment and troops, at least at the moment, is more important than having a really good fighter. The enemies that our armies face these days are lacking on the air-power front, so I'm sure the current fighters can handle them for a little while longer.

[edit on 20-3-2007 by Zanzibar]

Difinately Sopwith Camel. Biggles Rules. This machine changed WW1 bigtime. They were wood and fabric, cheap to build and had a lightning right hand turn. It was Gerry's nightmare. Twin Vickers machine gun, synchronised to shoot through the prop in early 1900. The Wright Brothers would have been looking at this machine trying to get the half a mongrel to go away! It certainly made the Focker boys' bumhole pucker when they were spotted.

Sorry for australian euphemisms, i will happily explain

Duncan,

Man, you are passionate about the Sop! Glad to hear the enthusiasm, or rather read it!
I am not quite sure what some of your verbage means but you sound excited in a positive way I think!!

Also, I just have to ask about your signature and the dog going into the super massive black hole??? Is this an idea of yours or what??

Thanks, Peace, Mondo

Spitfire

Mitsubishi Zero

Messerschmitt B109

Mustang

Mig 15

F86 Sabre


Proven in longterm combat.

It is a pretty simple answer.


The Wright Flyer.

Think about it.

Originally posted by JIMC5499
It is a pretty simple answer.


The Wright Flyer.

Think about it.

JIMC,
No doubt and influential plane, the thread is regarding military aircraft!! Maybe there is more to it that I know, but did the Wright Flyer have a military application??

Thanks, Peace, Mondo

It was demonstrated to the US and British armies and I think the US Navy might have bought a few for 'trials' as aerial spotters but the Wright Flyers place in history and its greatness are more to aviation as a whole rather than military aviation per se.

Having said that, had there never been a Wright Flyer, does anyone seriously believe there would be no aviation today? It would just have been someone else as the works of Cayley, Chanute, Lilienthal, Stringfellow, Henson and the rest that the Wrights drew upon was still out there and available to the hundreds of enthusiasts out there pursuing the dream of flight.

Don't forget that among those enthusiasts were many whose surnames have become legendary in aircraft history, such as Curtiss, De Havilland, Boeing, Sopwith, Hawker et al.

The worlds first limited company created expressly for producing aeroplanes was Short in 1900, three years before the Flyer appeared, and they are still in business as part of Bombardier building assembles for CRJ's in the UK, other notables of theirs are the Sunderland and Stirling of WW2, the SC.1 which was the worlds first VTOL jet to transition to horizontal flight and most recently the USAF's own C-23 Sherpa light transport, quite a run!

Thats not to take anything away from the Wrights, after all, they 'did it' whilst everyone else was just trying. I'm just saying that if it wasn't them it would have been someone else.