This Week's Meaningless Topic (#32) (April 17)

[Rodger Pettichord]

Hi all. Most Forum readers are aircraft fans familiar with the lists of historic classics. Our topic for this week asks you to draw upon your knowledge and personal preferences to see if we together have group favorites.

 

THIS WEEK'S MEANINGLESS TOPIC: Below is a list of planes which have earned their places in aviation history. Which would make your  top five?

 

1. Hawker Hurricane                          6. English Electric Lightning F2A          11. Cessna 185 Skywagon

2. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt       7. McDonnell Douglas F4 Phantom      12. Piper 32 6-300 Cherokee

3. Lockheed P-38 Lightning          8. Dassault Mirage III                                   13. Beechcraft King Air B-200

4. Boeing B-17                                      9. SAAB Draken J35                                     14. Pilatus Porter PC-6

5. Avro Lancaster                             10. Mikoyan Mig 21 Fishbed                        15. DeHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

 

Yes, I know that XXXXX should have been on the list. But there's only so much space. Gimme a break, will ya?  

 

[wain71]

for me, F4 is my number one.....then in no particular order......185 Skywagon, King Air, PC-6, DHC-6......

[lifejogger]

Mine are:

P-38

B-17

P-47

Cessna 185

Piper 32 6-300 Cherokee

[Ken Q]

Local loyalty, (was developed and built just down the road from where I live) plus combat reputation: P47 Thunderbolt.  Then military:

B17

P38

Civil:

Cessna 185, etc.

Beech King Air 200, etc. 

By "etc." I include similar models, for example the rest of Cessna's 180 line and the other King Airs.

[gumbypickett]

This is a tough one, as I am more into commercial aircraft.

So I will go 11 to 15.

cheers

Gumby

[adambar]

For me.

11

12 

14

15

[gregmorin]

Very interesting topic. All answers are correct. Mine Are:

3 P-38 Lightning. Howard Hughes designed it originally on a napkin. Highly effective aircraft flown USA leading Ace Dick Bong.

4 B-17 Flying Fortress. Proved daylight formation bombing was practical.

7 F-4 Phantom. Proved if you give a barn door enough thrust it will fly. Aslo first jet aircraft designed to be successfully used by both USAF and USN.

13 B200 King Air. Lead the GA turboprop revolution with variants still in production today. 

15 DHC-6 Twin Otter. Designed in the 1960s at the request of the US Army. Still in use and being built by Viking. Tremendous STOL aircraft in use worldwide.

 

 

Greg

[Stillwater]

Good quest, but difficult to decide, Rodger. I choose...

 

11. Cessna 185 - fantastic low & slow plane for nearly every landing strip.
13. King Air B200 - a fast turboprop with a lot of features in the cockpit, together with versatile real-life use (e. g. RFDS)
15. DHC-6 TwinOtter - the next STOL plane for smaller commercial flight routes (e. g. in Nepal or PNG)
3. P-38 - Easy to use, high powered plane for longer prop flights even in high altitude.

 

I leave the fifth slot open for some other iconic designs I have got in mind. As already said there are some...

[Rodger Pettichord]

Folks might be interested to know that I was originally putting together a list of "airplanes that got you home." Then the quest sort of morphed into "planes that got you home and became iconic." There are "better" planes, but these are tough roosters that have become beloved.

[olderndirt]

P38/B17/F4/C185/PC6

[vanderlay]

I think it was the brilliant “Kelly” Johnson of U2 and SR71 fame that designed the P38, Howard Hughes did design a similar looking aircraft which I can’t remember the name of, but it was a much bigger aircraft.

 

[olderndirt]

2 hours ago, vanderlay said:

I think it was the brilliant “Kelly” Johnson of U2 and SR71 fame that designed the P38, Howard Hughes did design a similar looking aircraft which I can’t remember the name of, but it was a much bigger aircraft.

 

The H-1 was his personal racer and the his XF11 looked a lot like the P38.  Very involved with Lockheed on the Constellation and his Spruce Goose is still at McMinnville OR.

[John York]

No.1 Without a doubt the Spitfire.  The brave pilots flying them won the 'Battle of Britain'.

No.2The Hawker Hurricane which could be used as a fast fighter/bomber who's pilots helped enormously to win the Normandy Landings and the subsequent invasion of Europe.

No.3 Flying Fortress who's crews so bravely took the 2nd.World War into Germany.

No.4 The aircraft, I'm not sure but I think they Halifaxes, that flew into the massive opposition to destroy the dams with 'bouncing' bombs.

No.5 Cessna 142 used extensively in Britain by private pilots and for training.

 

Sorry to have concentrated so much on history, and for making up my own list but I feel strongly that many of us here and enjoying our lives today wouldn't be if it wasn't those brave ones crewing those aircraft. 

 

 

 

 

[Rodger Pettichord]

Maybe a good future topic would be to submit our own lists of great planes?

[Aussie123]

I like how you put the Mirage III on the list  Favourite of mine but might not be in many others ranking.

 

After looking at the list, I couldn't rank them. To me, 'Planes that have earned their place in History' would include a lot of the 'firsts'? ie. First of type.

 

eg. ME-262, X-15, Mig-15 etc?

 

Just my opinion.

[John Heaton]

The Cherokee PA 32 6 300 would have to be top of my list - since I owned one

See my avatar 

 

makes me wonder why Roger placed it in this list ??????

[Rodger Pettichord]

51 minutes ago, John Heaton said:

The Cherokee PA 32 6 300 would have to be top of my list - since I owned one

See my avatar 

makes me wonder why Roger placed it in this list ??????

As I said in the addendum thread, the PA 32 6 300 is among those planes noted for reliability--it will always get you home. That was my original thread idea--that got lost in the process. Lucky you getting to own one, John.

[TerribleT]

C185 - gained an endorsement on this one - a handful in proximity to the ground when empty but massive load and STOL capability

PA32-300R Cherokee 6 - owned and operated for few years - mine was a special build heavy lifter and again great STOL capability - beautiful reliable and stable aircraft

Pilatus Porter - many great PAX hours in TPNG with a few illegal right hand seat hours

DHC-6 Twotter - took me into many remote TPNG strips that most RPT aircraft would not handle - noisy but comfortable for shortish flights - great lifter

B200 King AIr - PAX hours in Military and RFDS versions - fast and very comfortable - great avionics and amazing STOL capability

 

[Rodger Pettichord]

1 hour ago, TerribleT said:

C185 - gained an endorsement on this one - a handful in proximity to the ground when empty but massive load and STOL capability

PA32-300R Cherokee 6 - owned and operated for few years - mine was a special build heavy lifter and again great STOL capability - beautiful reliable and stable aircraft

Pilatus Porter - many great PAX hours in TPNG with a few illegal right hand seat hours

DHC-6 Twotter - took me into many remote TPNG strips that most RPT aircraft would not handle - noisy but comfortable for shortish flights - great lifter

B200 King AIr - PAX hours in Military and RFDS versions - fast and very comfortable - great avionics and amazing STOL capability

 

TT, words cannot contain my envy. 

[John Heaton]

On 4/20/2021 at 1:13 PM, Rodger Pettichord said:

As I said in the addendum thread, the PA 32 6 300 is among those planes noted for reliability--it will always get you home. That was my original thread idea--that got lost in the process. Lucky you getting to own one, John.

It was my transition from the Arrow - and in itself - my transition to the 300R - ie - Saratoga 1 - which led to the twin Seneca - all which I still fly -

albeit in P3D