Favorite Military Aircraft

[viking63]

B-52.

B-52 is not getting much lover here either. Not well known by most but this a another multifaceted aircraft. More details if interested:

B-52H Stratofortress

The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet. It can carry

www.af.mil

Also, has there been any military aircraft with a longer active service life? Put into service in the 1950s. Currently expected to remain in service until 2050.

 

[cyphoon]

The A-10 tops my list. It was probably wise to not get directly involved in the Ukraine conflict, but man, could the A-10 have tore up those long, stationary convoys of Russian equipment.

Some honorable mentions

P-51 Mustang
C-47 (aka the DC-3)
F-4 Corsair
P-38 Lightning
B-17
F-86 Sabre
F-104 Starfighter (not really, but my Dad worked on them)
F-4 Phantom
A-6 Intruder
B-52 Stratofortress
SR-71

I grew up thinking that the gull wing on the Corsair had some cool aerodynamic advantage. Learned as an adult that shortening the landing gear was the primary driver (which was needed because the prop was huge)

H

 

[viking63]

So, this thread has been all about aircraft that has seen service. Anyone interested in experimental aircraft that never made it into service.

Here is one that interested me. The German Blohm and Voss Bv P.188

Blohm and Voss Bv P.188

Page details technical specifications, development, and operational history of the Blohm and Voss Bv P.188 including pictures.

www.militaryfactory.com

For my senior project I investigated the aerodynamic characteristics of a "W" shaped wing based on the P.188 design.

 

[cyclone13]

I inherited an interest in aircraft (or was taught) from my father.

If you don't have it, check out the app Flightradar 24. It gives a lot of good realtime info about the planes in the sky. For example, the aircraft about to fly over my office is tail number N897JH. A Embraer Phenom 300 flying from SFB (Orlando) to FAR (Fargo). Currently at 43,000 feet and 399 knots. Privately owned by some poor soul who's left Florida and going to North Dakota,D

Flightradar24 is my favorite. Kind of cool to see how many planes flying at the same time and sometimes it brings nice memories- hey I was on this flight …years ago from… to ….

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

So, this thread has been all about aircraft that has seen service. Anyone interested in experimental aircraft that never made it into service.

Here is one that interested me. The German Blohm and Voss Bv P.188
View attachment 100273

Blohm and Voss Bv P.188

Page details technical specifications, development, and operational history of the Blohm and Voss Bv P.188 including pictures.

www.militaryfactory.com

For my senior project I investigated the aerodynamic characteristics of a "W" shaped wing based on the P.188 design.

Was there any advantage?

 

[Gunnerclone]

Thanks everyone for all the wonderful posts. I don't know why exactly but I just love aircraft. To this day, everytime I hear one flying over I have to stop and look to the skies. I think it started when I was about 6 living in South Dakota and got to see an X-15 in person.

Another one I haven't seen mentioned is the Boeing AH-64 Apache. Another bad a$$ aircraft.

Around '87 when I was at ISU, I went to hear a SR-71 pilot speak. Can't remember the name of the hall but I think it was the old EE lecture hall. It was wonderful. So many stories and so much information. One video he played was from the cockpit. Airspeed indicator displayed Mach 3 and he was backing off of the throttle. Amazing aircraft for the time and probably in my top 5. Another interesting fact he discussed was at takeoff the plane only carried minimal fuel because of leaks through the titanium skin. It wasn't until cruising speed was reached and the skin expanded due to high temperatures that they refueled in midair.

At the airshow I mentioned in my original post, in addition to the A-10, they also had a C-5 Galaxy on the ground, F-16 Thunderbird demonstration, Multiple B-1 flyovers (high speed with wings in fully swept configuration, dip wing salute, others). Great show. Just can't remember the specific year.

Military aircraft and being super in to military equipment was a right of passage for 80’s and 90’s kids. End of the Cold War plus Desert Storm (and Desert Storm trading cards!)

 

[55skip412]

Gotta go for old school terror. The wooden de Haviland Mosquito. Meanest, fastest little prop bomber ever.

 

[cyputz]

Tomcat
Huey
Corsair

 

[mywayorcyway]

SR-71 for me, followed by the B29. The blackbird just blows my mind. Takes 10 years to design a plane today, took these guys a few years to build a plane that leapt a half century forward. With pencils.

B29 also popped up quickly. Crawled around one a few years ago...wow. They would have to work hard to make it less comfortable.

 

[pourcyne]

In the early 60's a military train was based in Moulton, Ia for a few weeks. It was set up with radar and was supposed to detect low flying B-52's in the area. I was a kid at the time but at least 2 or 3 flew right over our farm and looking back they must have been less than 1000 ft high. The first time I dove to the ground. My dad who had been in Italy in WW2 laughed but told me yeah " Thats what you're supposed to do."

 

[psychlone99]

Grew up in eastern Iowa going to the QC Airshow, and it seemed like they had either the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds nearly every year. Incredible show. If you have young kids, get them to an airshow!

My fav would be the A10. I always thought I was kind of unique with my love for the Warthog, so this thread warms my heart. Maybe second only to the Osprey, it's just a crazy unique aircraft, and a bad mother!!

 

[packattack425]

All these airplanes…The UH60 Blackhawk is a marvelous machine. You are really able to yank and bank that thing.

 

[JayV]

SR-71 for me, followed by the B29. The blackbird just blows my mind. Takes 10 years to design a plane today, took these guys a few years to build a plane that leapt a half century forward. With pencils.

As covered earlier, the first Blackbird flight (an A-12) was 1962.
The first flight was 1903.

59 years. We went from, "we can fly!" to "we can fly 3.3 times the speed of sound on the edge of outer space!"

 

[NorthCyd]

As covered earlier, the first Blackbird flight (an A-12) was 1962.
The first flight was 1903.

59 years. We went from, "we can fly!" to "we can fly 3.3 times the speed of sound on the edge of outer space!"

Almost equally amazing in the last 61 years we haven't really improved on that speed.

 

[CycloneVet]

B-52 is not getting much lover here either. Not well known by most but this a another multifaceted aircraft. More details if interested:

B-52H Stratofortress

The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet. It can carry

www.af.mil

Also, has there been any military aircraft with a longer active service life? Put into service in the 1950s. Currently expected to remain in service until 2050.

My cousin was a B52 pilot while in the Air Force.

 

[CycloneVet]

I was lucky enough to get clearance to tour Lackland Air Force base because my SIL had clearance. One of the cool things for me was to walk through the courtyard area where they had a lot of planes of display. It was amazing to see the technological innovations that took place from the beginning of WWII to the end. From the B17 to the B29 and the development of the P51

 

[tm3308]

So, this thread has been all about aircraft that has seen service. Anyone interested in experimental aircraft that never made it into service.

Here is one that interested me. The German Blohm and Voss Bv P.188
View attachment 100273

Blohm and Voss Bv P.188

Page details technical specifications, development, and operational history of the Blohm and Voss Bv P.188 including pictures.

www.militaryfactory.com

For my senior project I investigated the aerodynamic characteristics of a "W" shaped wing based on the P.188 design.

My favorite that never entered service is the RAH-66 Comanche. I had a couple desktop flight simulators featuring that helicopter that were a blast to play.

 

[cyfan92]

F-22 Raptor

The most dominant fighter on planet earth by an insane margin. A family member in the AF stationed at Randolph AFB

Wanna See Russian Generals Sweat? Tell Them F-22 Raptors Are Coming

While the F-22 is an incredible machine, the jet’s development was epically overbudget and epically delayed. Was the juice worth the squeeze?

www.19fortyfive.com

 

[kirk89gt]

First choice would have to be the A10 for sure.

Close second, would be the Harrier. I always enjoyed watching flight ops on close circuit tv while on watch manning the throttles in the engine room. It never grew old, and was really cool at night.

They only needed about ~400 ft of flight deck to take off (no catapault). They would take off, go fly their mission, and then come back around to the aft part of the ship and land vertically. The size of their intake / turbine was enormous and was know to swallow men whole if you got too close.

 

[viking63]

Was there any advantage?

From a pure aerodynamic standpoint no. From what I recall, and it has been 30+ years, is that that the combined forward / rearword sweep design of the "W" wing design created a lot of induced velocities at the wing tip and at the "V". Induced velocity leads to induced drag. Drag is bad. Perhaps that's why it never made it into production. Or, the Nazi's had too many other burners in the fire, or, or...