What aircraft inspires you?

[JD Barleycorn]

Getting away from politics for a while I was watching some old video and I was wondering what aircraft inspire you? I don't mean which is the fastest, biggest, or most famous but when you see or hear about a certain airplane do you stop and listen to see what it is all about. A aircraft that when you see it fly gives you goose bumps. I know this is not for everyone because some of you see an airplane as a thing to get from point A to point B while joining the mile high club. It won't hurt to include a link to a video or a photo.

I have three choices; the DeHavilland Misquito bomber http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A04o...eature=related

the SR-71/74 Blackbird http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUNPU...eature=related

and the B-25 Mitchell http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLuaMTDMYUo

[Cpalmson]

I have 3 as well. Sorry for no pics or links.

1. P-51 Mustang (Bubble Canopy model).
2. B-17 Flying Fortress
3. F-15 Eagle (undefeated in combat)

[Guest123018-4]

I flew in a B25 Mitchell down at Galveston. this was after Ike.Truly an amazing experience.
I thought about how the men that flew these and fought in WWII must have felt in route to their mission.
I think my next flight will be aboard the B17. The B17 has a lot of personal meaning to me because of friends and relatives that from WWII to a few years ago were personally involved with them.

I still love to watch the airplanes take off and land and marvel at how the physics of flight work.

The Blackbird is so interesting because of its design. Built to be able to have the metal expand and contract with the change in temperature of the plane during flight. Amazing that in the super cold of the highest points of flight that the skin temperature of the plane can be so high because of the speed of the plane and the friction of the thin air passing over it.

[Seedy]

Originally Posted by Cpalmson

I have 3 as well. Sorry for no pics or links.

1. P-51 Mustang (Bubble Canopy model).
2. B-17 Flying Fortress
3. F-15 Eagle (undefeated in combat)

I agree with this, only I would flip flop 1 and 2. My dad flew B17's during WW2, never talked very much about the war, except to say the B 17 was the toughest aircraft ever built. It could get shot full of holes, have 2 or 3 of the 4 engines go down and still stay aloft. Also had high praises for the Mustang, said they saved their asses on many a mission over Germany.

[Fast Gunn]

What other space craft could be more inspiring than the Enterprise?

. . . To be the captain of this ship would be a dream fulfilled!

[Guest040616]

I have always been partial to the C-141 Starlifter.

Anyone who has jumped out of a C-119 or C-130, would also be inspired by the C-141!

Airborne!

[TheDaliLama]

B-24 Liberator


Hughes H-4 Hercules


Eagle

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by TheDaliLama

Eagle

"Even a blind hog finds an acorn, now and then!"

Excellent choice!

[plainjoe]

My lists are more recent, but like the previous submissions (except for the DeHavilland Misquito bomber), it sure makes me proud to be an American and glad that I'm not at the business end of the planes...
1. AC-130 Spectre/Spooky - from the 20mm guns to the 105mm howitzer, low and slow...kills lots of "bad guys" quick and efficiently
2. A-10 Warthog - also low and slow, but very effective tank and bad guy killer - see the "Highway of Death" from the first Gulf War
3. AH-64D Apache Longbow - close air support for the grunts on the ground

The two choices below seem odd, but epitomizes American know how and dominance in engineering, manufacturing, and just plain ole, kicking you where it counts. B-52, originally built in the 1950s (older than the crew that flies them), but through re-furbishments, etc. remain relevant. The most cost effective ($ per pound of ordance) carried and dropped - dumb (gravity) bombs are now smarter (with GPS technology). And of course the retired F117 Nighthawk and B-2 Stealth. Costs a whole bunch of $$$ to build and maintain, but they sure keep the bad guys (Soviets/Russians, Chinese, Iranians, etc.) awake at night realizing that they can penetrate their defenses and attack (if the US has the political will).
4. B-52 Flying Fortress
5. F/A 117 Nighthawk and B-2 stealth bomber

[TheDaliLama]

Originally Posted by bigtex

"Even a blind hog finds an acorn, now and then!"

Excellent choice!

Spider
Snoopy
Eagle
Intrepid
Aquarius
Antares
Falcon
Orion
Challenger

Six of them landed on the moon...but they all performed perfectly.

[Jackie S]

I have often wondered what went through the mind of the first WW-2 Japanense Pilot when he jumped on what he thought was a Wildcat, and it turned out to be a Hellcat.

I love all of the WW-2 era prop driven fighters, but my all time favorite plane is the SR-71. Just a singular purpose plane with pure, brute horsepower.

And the concept. After the Russians shot down a U-2, the "Skunk Works" just said, "screw em, we will build something that flys so high, and so damned fast, it will be gone before they ever new it was there".

[gnadfly]

[TheDaliLama]

Originally Posted by Fast Gunn

What other space craft could be more inspiring than the Enterprise?

. . . To be the captain of this ship would be a dream fulfilled!

And now......

Back to reality..

[JDNorthface]

I love this thread. Thanks, OP.

My answer, obvious.

[I B Hankering]

For the men they brought home when other planes would have failed:

1. Republic P-47D Thunderbolt


2. B-17 Flying Fortress