The most beautiful airplane ever built?

Max Q · Mon Apr 30, 2018 5:36 am

MDGLongBeach wrote:
L1011, Concorde look is overrated.

Actually agree with that

angusjt · Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:23 am

A340-600, 757-300, 747SP, 747-400 & 727 all look pretty good Ito me.

wowlookplanes · Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:28 am

For me, subjectively, it's about the sweeps & the deltas....So in descending order:

SR-71
B-2
B-1
Vulcan
Victor

And of course this honorable mention is neither a sweep nor a delta....and it has been called one of the ugliest planes ever, but to my eye the warthog is a stunner

Lightning12 · Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:30 am

In my opinion, the best looking aeroplanes in no particular order are the A350-1000, Tu-160 and Dassault Rafale.

Asiaflyer · Mon Apr 30, 2018 6:49 am

Concorde and A340-500

45272455674 · Mon Apr 30, 2018 9:09 am

Concorde, the most beautiful.

But I should say it is the least beautiful just because everyone else says it is great looking.

oldannyboy · Mon Apr 30, 2018 9:15 am

adamblang wrote:
Agusta AZ.8L.

.

Cute little bird.

We have a connoisseur here. :thumbsup:

You have my respect Sir.

oldannyboy · Mon Apr 30, 2018 9:36 am

Carlos01 wrote:
CairnterriAIR wrote:
Lockheed Constellation

Now we’re getting somewhere. My pre-teen son said FW200 Condor. He has been playing with the model-planes I’ve built, but I don’t have THAT! But he does have a device with wi-fi... maybe that does the trick..

I have a silver model on a wood stand of the Condor in my china cabinet. What a magnificent design!

TurboJet707 · Mon Apr 30, 2018 9:36 am

I already nominated the Sud Caravelle and Convair CV880 here, but I thought that the Tupolev Tu-104/124 deserve a mention here as well:

Very beautiful aircraft in my eyes, and historically significant too, as the Tu-104 preceded the 707 and DC8 by quite some time, and they were the first twin-engined jetliners too, as far as I know.

oldannyboy · Mon Apr 30, 2018 9:45 am

A few of my all-time favourites:

VC-10
IL-62
Caravelle
Breda BZ-308
Vulcan
Tu-160

Tomsixty2 · Mon Apr 30, 2018 2:04 pm

L-1011 in the original Delta color scheme. Then the 757-200 in Delta colors.

bunumuring · Tue May 01, 2018 10:01 am

Hey guys,
CIVILIAN:
For me, #1 above all is the Super VC10 in the last BOAC colour scheme. The most beautiful thing of any kind to grace the skies, in my opinion.
Tied for #2 are Concorde (any colourscheme...) and 757 with winglets (especially Air Niugini's stunning example).
Close behind in #3 position are the 146 and original, not-built shark-finned and drooped-nose 787....
MILITARY:
Tie for #1: BAe Hawk and Hawker Hunter
#2 would be the YF-23, such a shame a use couldn't be found for the design
#3 Valkyrie, oozing futuristic cool
HELICOPTERS:
#1 Lynx, especially the current Wildcat variant
#2 Bell 222 with retractable wheeled undercarriage
#3 tie between the Boeing Comanche and AW101
Cheers,
Bunumuring

PatrickZ80 · Tue May 01, 2018 10:18 am

flipdewaf wrote:
Concorde

Personally I find the Concorde ugly. The wings stretch too far, the nose is too sharp and hangs too low, the engines don't look the way they should. It's just everything a beautiful plane isn't.

The 757-300 comes to my mind as favourite, the longest narrow-body ever built. Too bad there are so little of them. Also after the end of production of the 757 there has never been a real replacement for the 757-300. The A321 is even shorter than the 757-200, let alone the 757-300. The 787 is too big and too wide. A real shame if you ask me.

mmo · Tue May 01, 2018 12:12 pm

Constellation for civil. T-38 for military.

longhauler · Tue May 01, 2018 12:58 pm

bunumuring wrote:
Hey guys,
#1 above all is the Super VC10 in the last BOAC colour scheme. The most beautiful thing of any kind to grace the skies, in my opinion.

I agree, In deep royal blue with the gold speedbird. It somehow managed to make a beautiful aircraft even more so.

CitizenJustin · Wed May 02, 2018 12:04 pm

For me is is definitely the 777 in all variants or the 748

Kno · Wed May 02, 2018 1:22 pm

Boring to some but 773ER and 757s for me. The a350 is beautiful as well. 747-400 and 800 are up there just the same.

trijetsonly · Wed May 02, 2018 1:35 pm

#1 L-1011 TriStar
#2 Tu-160 (the white swan)
#3 Tu-144

For me comparing the Tu-144 and the Concorde is like comparing the first 3 Star Wars movies (episodes 4-6) with the second batch (episodes 1-3).
The Concorde is elegant and sleek so optimised (like Star Wars 1-3 or an Audi R8 car).
But the Tu-144 is the one I like (like Star Wars 4-6 and an American Muscle Car...). It's not elegant and sleek, it's beasty, industrial, cool.
And it has Canards!

deltaguy767 · Wed May 02, 2018 5:13 pm

Going to go with an offbeat pick...the MD-88!

Lots of fond memories scooting up and down the East Coast on the Mad Dog. Going to be a sad day when the McD T-Tails are gone for good...

KentB27 · Wed May 02, 2018 8:11 pm

I've gotta go with either the 747-8i or the A340-600. They're both so long and graceful. Also, the MD-90 is a stunning, well proportioned aircraft. So that's my honorable mention. If you can't tell I really enjoy the stretched variants.

ER757 · Wed May 02, 2018 9:01 pm

KentB27 wrote:
I've gotta go with either the 747-8i or the A340-600. They're both so long and graceful. Also, the MD-90 is a stunning, well proportioned aircraft. So that's my honorable mention. If you can't tell I really enjoy the stretched variants.

Then the DC8-61 would have been right up your alley :smile:

TWA772LR · Wed May 02, 2018 9:26 pm

I do love me a 744 in BA colors!

But honestly, for me my most favorite/beautiful airliner changes daily. :biggrin:

I do agree with Panzer Powner, the short and stubbies are pretty sweet! I love the A310, 762, 736, and A318!

But definately the A345 and CSeries are always in the upper echelons of my ever-changing list.

bunumuring · Thu May 03, 2018 2:10 am

Hi guys,
I haven't seen one yet with my own eyes but I agree that the CSeries looks great! Especially the nose.
The A350 is the first Airbus that ranks in my consideration of good-looking aircraft. Generally speaking, I prefer its looks to its nemesis, the 787. The A350-500 did however, have its charms!
Cheers
Bunumuring

ACA033 · Thu May 03, 2018 3:32 am

The Boeing 767-300.

Aptivaboy · Fri May 04, 2018 6:41 pm

The Lockheed Constellation. She looks organic...

tapairbus370 · Fri May 11, 2018 8:17 pm

Hello,

I believe no one mention the Bristol Britannia or the IL-18 and at my eyes they are very beautiful.

I don´t have a favorite...but this two are on my top ten list!!

Runway28L · Fri May 11, 2018 11:45 pm

mikejepp wrote:
I can't believe y'all talking about twin-jet subsonic airliners when there are things like this out there...

Yes!

Channex757 · Sat May 12, 2018 12:32 am

longhauler wrote:
bunumuring wrote:
Hey guys,
#1 above all is the Super VC10 in the last BOAC colour scheme. The most beautiful thing of any kind to grace the skies, in my opinion.

I agree, In deep royal blue with the gold speedbird. It somehow managed to make a beautiful aircraft even more so.

Just a touch better was the BOAC-Cunard livery with the name of the shipping company in gold just next to the cockpit. Those VC10s used on Cunard services were also kept spotless and polished IIRC.

The original Queen of the Skies gets my vote. The Vickers VC10

N776AU · Sun May 13, 2018 1:29 pm

757-200. No contest.

yonikasz · Tue May 15, 2018 6:10 pm

Either the mad dog or the 757.

Lingon · Fri May 18, 2018 8:13 am

Only me who likes the looks of the de Havilland Comet? Those integrated engines - impractical but good looking....

Bostrom · Fri May 18, 2018 9:41 am

Lingon wrote:
Only me who likes the looks of the de Havilland Comet? Those integrated engines - impractical but good looking....

No, forgot about the Comet. It really looks amazing.

727tiger · Wed May 23, 2018 12:15 pm

Limiting my preferences to civilian air transport only: Concorde; VC10; 727-200; 747-200, L1011: 757-200: MD90, Caravelle: 340-600; Connie.

DeltaXNA · Thu May 24, 2018 3:51 am

Narrow Body: Boeing 757 or MD80

Widebody: tie between L1011 and 747

conaly · Thu May 24, 2018 7:49 am

N776AU wrote:
757-200. No contest.

/sign

LAXLHR · Tue May 29, 2018 9:22 pm

Carlos01 wrote:
Ladies, gentlemen, what is the most beautiful airplane ever built? I would like to hear your opinion, just the question as such. The reasoning is yours, it can be about form, technology, performance, cost vs. output, efficiency, anything you adore!

I’ll start. The thing in the air that gets me every time.. is... torn between the form of the B-17 and the cool-factor of the MD-11.

Yeah, like an earlier poster, Concorde is in its own category.

Subsonic regular planes. B747-100/200/400. I too love the MD-11 and was able to fly on it several times between the UK and US. The 757 and 787 are also beautiful planes....

747 wins!

sccutler · Tue May 29, 2018 9:35 pm

Small to large:

Beechcraft 17 ("Staggerwing")
Beechcraft BE35 Bonanza (my bias is obvious, she's what I fly)
Cessna 310 (Q, R models)

Lockheed L1649 Constellation
DeHavilland Comet
TU114 (in the air; looks goofy on the ground, but that's not where it lives, is it?)
Sud Caravelle (so French, so beautiful)
Boeing 727-200
Airbus A330 (as graceful as the 340 is gangly)
Lockheed 1011
Boeing 747-400

Concorde does live in an ethereal universe all her own...

727LOVER · Wed May 30, 2018 1:01 am

The most beautiful airplane ever built?
Is this a serious question?
NO DOUBT

Canuck600 · Wed May 30, 2018 4:21 pm

Mosquito, BAE 146

DWC · Thu May 31, 2018 1:45 pm

TU160, by a long shot :

gatibosgru · Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:43 pm

The A330 will always be the most beautiful plane to me.

325i · Tue Jun 26, 2018 1:51 am

Greetings Folks, have just scrolled through this thread and have come to the conclusion that the more asthetically blessed contributors in assessing aircraft design are in agreement that the L1011 and B757 are the winners.
I suspect my opinion will be challenged by "outraged" contributors of submitted alternatives ! Said with T I C !
Cheers and thank you all for the varying opinions. 325i.

rock45 · Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:04 am

Certainly, Draken Seems Trendy, Amazing, However No Real Complement into the A/F-18, which for me voids it.That subsequently is not the very exquisite. The absolute most competent probably. And may I cite 747-8i? What can beat that?

Delta777Jet · Tue Jun 26, 2018 10:35 pm

L-1011

880dc8707 · Mon Jul 02, 2018 2:22 am

The C's have it
Constellation
Caravelle
Concorde

FatCat · Wed Jul 04, 2018 7:29 am

Game, Set, Match

JayBCNLON · Fri Jul 06, 2018 5:09 am

Must be the A380.

Jomar777 · Fri Jul 06, 2018 9:07 am

The most beautiful is the Concorde for me. It always stopped dead a lot of people around Surrey when it did take off from Heathrow and banked over the skies towards US...
From the old Guard, I always loved the Boeing 377 Stratocruiser (shame I never di fly on one...)
Also, the B757 really deserves a mention

DrPaul · Sat Jul 07, 2018 9:27 pm

It's all very subjective, but, keeping it to jet airliners, my favourites tend to be four-engine oldies, in particular the Vickers VC-10, Convair 990, Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8. They managed to get them just right aesthetically. Nothing since has come up to them in appearance. There are few wide-body types that I find attractive, the Boeing 767, 777 and 787 are about the best of what is largely an anonymous bunch, the 767-400 looks good, but that's because it's long and not that fat. The 777-900 might well be the best looking of the two-engine wide-bodies. The Airbus A-330, A-340 and A-350 just don't look quite right, I can't put my finger on why that is. Even when they put decent-sized motors on the A-340, something remained not quite right.

As for the tiddlers, one of my favourites was the BAC-111, a very clean and neat design (if hellishly noisy for its size). The Caravelle was also attractive, and the Tupelov Tu-104 was always a welcome sight when they came into Heathrow a couple of times a week, a strikingly different design to anything else we used to see.

ExpatVet · Sun Nov 04, 2018 12:16 pm

Concorde I never really thought beautiful.

I loved how the L1011 looked on the ground, like a crouching cat. Always thought the SV livery suited her.

Honorable mention? P-38 is still the sweetest looking fighter out there!

Edit: sorry about reply to an old topic, didn't realize it until after I submitted reply, can't delete it.

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