What is the Greatest Aircraft Ever?

[LH-B744]

Having in mind that I once planned to start an airtaxi service with EBLG hub (EBLG - LFPG, EBLG - Bordeaux, EBLG - Rennes, EDDL - EBLG - Lisboa which still is not part of the EDDL-offer (CRJ7?) ...come on I know that we have a TAP Portugal forum member.... ..... . . . . create connections).. I would make the following top5-ranking:
1 B744 (not only because of my nickname, but... since '69 it connects the world and legends like PanAm-B747 came to Germany in the early bigliner-years..)
2 A388 (India is part of the future, and maybe Kingfisher- and LH-A388 will do the EDDF-VABB-route in combined traffic at one sunny day)
3 Lockheed-ThreeHole (L1011 Tristar, which was one of the first heavies that connected EDDL with the world)
4 Beechcraft Baron 58 (which I love to use for simulated flights LOWI along the "Brennerautobahn", it is slow enough to almost count stones "blümchen pflücken" and this also is fast enough for airtaxi purposes..)
5 A332 (Northwest, Mumbai and Amsterdam will always be connected in my mind, or can you imagine an airline who revives this brilliant "bronze"-c/s?).

Concorde is not part of this list because it failed in more than 1 aspect:
- fast, but far too expensive, or could a normal working guy have ever thought of doing the EGLL-KJFK route via Concorde? I think Never ever is the answer.
- it had 1 fatal accident, although it was incredibly expensive.

Almost in my top5 (civil a/c that have at least 1 commercial t/o) are: A321 (the first jet that Ive set foot on), B737 (the second jet that Ive set foot on), and the Junkers JU-52 (most probably the first a/c that I ever saw in my life).

[tsv]

Obviously "best" means different things to different people. For me it means the a/c I would most like to have flown in.

And it's an easy choice. TU-144. The first, fastest, noisiest and biggest Commercial Supersonic Passenger Jet ever made. Simply the most exciting ride in Aviation history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ynaDW3cho4

[canair67]

Though never utilized, the Avro Arrow was bounds beyond anything produced at the time and would still be a marvel if in use today. A pity the Canadian Govt at the time was so spineless and destroyed them under pressure to do so.

[bob m]

It's the one that launch the airline industry, (1932) with real regular service, all weather, and they made money with it too, DC3. hard to beat that claim.

Bob

[miked860]

Obviously "best" means different things to different people. For me it means the a/c I would most like to have flown in.

And it's an easy choice. TU-144. The first, fastest, noisiest and biggest Commercial Supersonic Passenger Jet ever made. Simply the most exciting ride in Aviation history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ynaDW3cho4

Tu-144 is basically a less efficient and less reliable Concorde. The Soviet Union stole the plans for Concorde and made a ghetto version.

Also I'd like to say that Concorde is the best plane ever and will remain on its pedestal until another SST that is as good looking and as fast(or faster) as Concorde.

[Vishal Jolapara]

5 A332 (Northwest, Mumbai and Amsterdam will always be connected in my mind, or can you imagine an airline who revives this brilliant "bronze"-c/s?).

Lined-up on runway 27 Mumbai for departure to Amsterdam
[photoid=6303332]
Like it coz my 340's are based on them.

[tsv]

. The Soviet Union stole the plans for Concorde and made a ghetto version.

My, what an informed and intelligent comment!

This may surprise you but aircraft designers generally use whatever knowlege they have available to them. And amazingly enough much of this knowledge comes from considering the designs of other aircraft. The TU-144 was no different. It incorporated many ideas from other aircraft, including the Concorde, as well as a lot of new ideas from the Tupolev team. But even to the highly uneducated it should be obvious the Concorde and TU-144 are completly different aircraft.

As for it being a Ghetto version well it must be the first "Ghetto version" aircraft that NASA and Boeing spent millions of dollars restoring to flying condition so they use it for flight tests. They must have been really interested in Ghettos!

[badboys777]

Definitely the A380.

[pilotboy]

The 747 I have to say, and she will always be my favourite!

[cathay belgium]

For me:

civil : B747 what else ( A300) but if I had money and a timemachine Concord
military : SR71 Blackbird, never saw it in real but love it 4ever!!
historic : DC3

CX-B

[akerosid]

Have to say the 747; there are many other great aircraft out there, but I'd choose the 747 because:

- The risk that was taken to make it happen; Boeing bet the whole company on it ... that kind of risk deserves recognition
- The quantum leap, almost unprecedented; what other aircraft has been designed to be twice the size of the next biggest aircraft? Not the A380.
- First widebody, first big fan (civil) engine.
- It captured the public imagination like no other aircraft since
- It transformed the economics of air travel.
- As a freighter, it's still one of the most efficient out there - not just in cost terms, but in logistical terms as well. It was also designed so that it could be converted to a freighter once its flying days was over
- As an engineering masterpiece; that much bigger, but could still use available infrastructure - same runways etc
- 1,400 sold - more than any other widebody
- Still the best looking widebody of the lot!

[UncleFire]

Concorde is not part of this list because it failed in more than 1 aspect:
- fast, but far too expensive, or could a normal working guy have ever

Yes IF you happen to work for a company that would foot the bill for such a flight. Somebody told me that at one time if you flew BA first class, there were times when they'd "upgrade" you to the Concorde.

Other a/c that probably deserve a mention--
YB70 Valkyrie and the Space Shuttle

[Thurian]

Without a doubt. Absolutely no contest.

The most versatile aircraft ever built. Seen around all over the world from backwoods grass strips to major international airports.

I would agree with you Brian, but what about the Boeing 247? Maybe not as versatile as the Dak but as a watershed in commercial aviation the 247 was significant. This is like asking what your favoUrite ice cream is! There is no true answer. If it came down to a contest between the 320 and the 73(any series) I'd choose the Airbus. It just seems the better plane for passengers! Smoother turns and more more assertive on landings. I've flown a huge amount of miles on both and find the 738 "uncomfortable" to say the least on landings and BORING on take off. It bloody feels OLD and needs replacing.

[brianw999]

=Thurian;523261......If it came down to a contest between the 320 and the 73(any series) I'd choose the Airbus. It just seems the better plane for passengers! ....

Have to agree with you there. I have never yet had a comfortable flight on a 737 ( and I've flown on all models except for the -100 series )

Airbus A319/320/321 always seem to be more comfortable.

Going back to the Blackbird for a moment. I can't remember whether it was at Farnborough or Mildenhall air display but one did a flyby. It flew direct from the States, missed it's turning point for finals into the display....and apparently eventually turned overhead Amsterdam !!!

That's what I call a miss.

[3WE]

7ZERO7

And we need to throw in some light planes: 172, Piper cub, Bonanza