Jet Favourites? [Archive] - Defence Talk Forum

Rich

May 29th, 2007, 06:12 PM

Ive always loved the MIG-15, I mean "dearly".

The F-4 Phantom has a special place in my heart because it woke me up so many times.

I love the B-58 Hustler just because its so cool. The B-47 just because it was so good. The Mirage-lll just "because". I liked the B-57 Canberra just because it aint often we Yanks buy somone elses jet, and, because I got to see one of the last ones in USAF service fly.

I think the MIG-21 was under-rated. The SU-27 is beautiful.

I like the Gripen in the same way I like Swiss army knives. Because they simply work!

Tasman

May 29th, 2007, 06:32 PM

F111C - 35 years after entering RAAF service they are still the standout performers at any OZ airshow. Still a capable strike and reconnaissance aircraft.
F-86 Sabre - The Avon powered versions were the most powerful and impressive jets in Australia when I was a kid.
Mirage III - I just loved the look of them!
A4G Skyhawk - I loved the fact that they could operate from a CVL and that they kept the RAN's fixed wing FAA alive for 21 years after it had been 'pronounced dead' by the government of the day! Served in the A2A as well as A2G role in the RAN.
FA-2 Sea Harrier - The most exhilarating performance I ever saw at an airshow was a RN Sea Harrier at Farnborough in 2001. I just can't believe that the RN axed this aircraft!

Cheers

meh

May 29th, 2007, 07:42 PM

I love the F-16 because of its reliability and its Capabilities.:)

AegisFC

May 29th, 2007, 09:16 PM

I've always liked the way the Phantom looked, same with the F-8 Crusade.

rossfrb_1

May 29th, 2007, 10:04 PM

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief and the Alpha jet. They both have a look that appeals to me. I think the forward swept inlets on the F-105 gave it a scifi/predatory look.
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/bomber/f105/
http://www.combataircraft.com/aircraft/talphajet.aspx

Aircraft that never looked quite right - the F-104
http://www.jetplanes.co.uk/f104.html

rb

Defender

May 30th, 2007, 07:41 AM

Thanks for the replies... I didn't bother elaberating on my choices though I will...

Avro Vulcan - A great design/performance for a fighter bomber. Full stop.

English Electric Lighting - Sheer power/speed completely set it apart from the rest. (Thus creating 'supercruise'.) In terms of rate of climb it still is. All it had to do was accelerate or climb to get out of a sticky situation.

Hawker Sidley Harrier - what more can I say.

The Lighting with its own and Pegusus engine... Like to see that. :D ...Interestingly the Vulcan was going to be fitted with one and later it was tested with Olympus engines

...Makes me wonder how good Concorde would be as a fighter Bomber!

Falstaff

May 30th, 2007, 08:03 AM

I love the F-104 Starfighter. One of them is on display at the gate of my former base. That thing is so dam' good looking. I never saw one flying though:(

I like the Tornado very much because they've been flying over our village since I was a little boy and they certainly played a role in making me an aviation freak.

My all time favourite fighter is the F-14 though. Hey, Top Gun. What do I have to say more? I had the chance to see on life at the Bitburg AFB when they had an open day just before it was closed. Dam' impressing!

The best looking flying thing of all time has to be the B-1B. Honestly, I'd like to make love to it :D

swerve

May 30th, 2007, 09:43 AM

Defender

May 30th, 2007, 01:19 PM

The Buccaneer was highly praised, indirectly. I gather due to it just simply not being known of.

Most of the Saab designs have been something to shout about indeed, Swerve. I certianly like the Straken.

jaffo4011

June 4th, 2007, 02:01 PM

1.tsr 2.futuristic even today....
2.eurofighter typhoon
3.f14.
4.saab viggen
5.sepecat jaguar
6.bae lightening
7.tornado f3

Tasman

June 4th, 2007, 08:03 PM

Buccaneer. Carved out of solid aluminium, perfect for an unrefuelled transatlantic jaunt, steady as a rock cruising at 50 feet, jinks between skyscrapers very elegantly, & damn good bomb load. All in a package the weight of an F-4.

I think that the Buccaneer was a hugely underrated aircraft. Even though it was operated in comparatively small numbers compared with its USN counterpart, the A6 Intruder, it gave the RN (and later the RAF) a tremendous strike platform that was capable of penetrating heavily defended territory at low level and hitting its targets with a high degree of accuracy.

Cheers

Ozzy Blizzard

June 5th, 2007, 02:15 AM

MiG 29- its just beutifull!!!
F86- Same thing.
FA2 Sea harrier- Just too cool and the original!!!!!!!!!
F/A 22- there is something sexy about power
F15 MTSD/Active- loved the way that thing looked even if it wanst a real fighter
SU 35/37/30MK- If it looks right it fly's right.
F111C- she's just a pig

old faithful

June 5th, 2007, 04:00 AM

Hawker Hunter - Because of the ground support capabilities for its time,and a very gracefull aircraft.

A4 Skyhawks - because of the reliability and robustness.

F111 - for its speed and payload,range,and also the 1st aircraft (apart from C130) that ive seen from under a parachute canopy. knowing you have that sort of back up is very re-assureing.

SU25 - for its robustness and flexibility. Fuel types for example- Kero,Deisal and jet A1.

MarcH

June 5th, 2007, 04:34 AM

-YF-23
-
-
-
-EF-2000
-MiG-29
-XB-70
-Me-262

I guess I like aircraft with unique shapes ;)

Raptor.22

June 5th, 2007, 08:53 PM

5. MiG-29 - one of the greatest defense aircrafts
4. Su-27 - beautiful, just plain beautiful
3. EF-2000 - superb manoeuvrability.
2. F-16 - great lightweight figher
1. F/A-22 - best jet in the sky, period. :)

Izzy1

June 5th, 2007, 09:21 PM

1.tsr 2.futuristic even today....

Can't agree more - an absolute tragedy it never saw front-line service. Even if a 1960's design, Olympus engines, terrain-following and side-looking radar - it would have still been in service today had it not been killed off by politics and another plane that has since gone out of service. The dastardly F-111!

Raptor.22

June 5th, 2007, 09:36 PM

i think that the F-111 was pretty under-rated. its got great speed (2.5 mach) and had an impressive combat record during Desert Storm.

Ozzy Blizzard

June 5th, 2007, 11:03 PM

i think that the F-111 was pretty under-rated. its got great speed (2.5 mach) and had an impressive combat record during Desert Storm.

Dont tell any aussies its underrated, we love the damn thing!!!!!!!! We even call it the PIG!! I'll be damn sorry to see her go but we'll be getting a pretty formidable strike platform in the F18 F so i'm happy but sad.

swerve

June 6th, 2007, 05:07 AM

Can't agree more - an absolute tragedy it never saw front-line service. Even if a 1960's design, Olympus engines, terrain-following and side-looking radar - it would have still been in service today had it not been killed off by politics and another plane that has since gone out of service. The dastardly F-111!

Too expensive, unfortunately. We really, really couldn't afford all the stuff we were developing back then. Lovely plane, but we shouldn't have gone there.

A pity, but even more of a pity was that all the clever stuff we'd developed for it was binned in favour of not buying F-111s (ordering then cancelling), at significant expense. :( If we'd upgraded the Buccaneer with TSR.2 avionics (the TFR fitted perfectly - it'd been developed using a Bucc testbed ;) ), we'd have had an aircraft with a large proportion of the capabilities, at a price we could afford.

We wasted several very large fortunes in the 50s & early 60s, being too ambitious. We could have had more, at lower cost, if we'd tried for a bit less.

Falstaff

June 6th, 2007, 05:13 AM

Tasman

June 6th, 2007, 06:08 AM

Without ambition you'll never reach anything!

The TSR-2 was so sexy you should have attached a wig to it and call it hot sexy mama... rrrrrrrrr. One of the best looking thingies ever made. And lightyears ahead in every respect.

Dam' hot. O yeah!

In 1963 I was really disappointed that the RAAF didn't order the TSR-2 and ordered the F-111C instead. The OZ decision was one of the factors that helped sink the project. In retrospect the F-111 decision was an inspired one even if Senator Gordon (then the Minister for the Navy) said of Prime Minister Menzies and Defence Minister Townley that "they must have got stuck into the claret or something."

Source: Flying Stations A Story of Australian Naval Aviation, Australian Naval Aviation Museum, Allen and Upton, St Leonards, NSW, 1998

Cheers

swerve

June 6th, 2007, 06:32 AM

Without ambition you'll never reach anything!
...

Yeah, but we were like someone trying to be a brain surgeon, a top-notch lawyer, prime minister & world-class musician simultaneously - and failing at all of them, when if we'd been a bit less ambitious (not completely lacking in ambition, just a touch more realistic) we could have excelled at one of them.

harryriedl

June 6th, 2007, 12:35 PM

Yeah, but we were like someone trying to be a brain surgeon, a top-notch lawyer, prime minister & world-class musician simultaneously - and failing at all of them, when if we'd been a bit less ambitious (not completely lacking in ambition, just a touch more realistic) we could have excelled at one of them.

and not forgetting that it was done on a shoe string budget

jaffo4011

June 6th, 2007, 02:11 PM

In 1963 I was really disappointed that the RAAF didn't order the TSR-2 and ordered the F-111C instead. The OZ decision was one of the factors that helped sink the project. In retrospect the F-111 decision was an inspired one even if Senator Gordon (then the Minister for the Navy) said of Prime Minister Menzies and Defence Minister Townley that "they must have got stuck into the claret or something."

Source: Flying Stations A Story of Australian Naval Aviation, Australian Naval Aviation Museum, Allen and Upton, St Leonards, NSW, 1998

Cheers

as i understand it the raaf and the australian govt wanted tsr 2 badly but couldnt order it because the labour govt in britain cancelled it to appease the u.s govt.
at that time the uk was still heavily in debt to the u.s(only just paid off!) and the u.s put a lot of pressure on Britain to cancel the project,fearing it would jeopardize its own sales.
much the same occurred with the development of the tornado which was the victim of a disgraceful smear campaign by the u.s in an attempt to kill its sales potential.if you look at American aircraft guides of the era,this behaviour is clearly evident!

Tasman

June 6th, 2007, 05:33 PM

as i understand it the raaf and the australian govt wanted tsr 2 badly but couldnt order it because the labour govt in britain cancelled it to appease the u.s govt.
at that time the uk was still heavily in debt to the u.s(only just paid off!) and the u.s put a lot of pressure on Britain to cancel the project,fearing it would jeopardize its own sales.

No, that's not quite right. The RAAF ordered the F-111 in October, 1963, before the TSR-2 made its first flight. The British did not cancel the TSR-2 until April, 1965, when the F111 was ordered by the RAF instead (later cancelled). At the time of the Australian F-111 order the RAAF was already worrying about the TSR-2's development schedule as it was concerned that it would not be available 'in time' (This was during the period of confrontation with Indonesia). As a result the RAAF is believed to have actually elevated the USN's A-5 Vigilante ahead of it in their selection process. That would have been a big mistake IMO. Beautiful aircraft though the Vigilante was, I don't think even our USN members would disagree that it was not an outstanding success as a bomber, although it became an excellent reconnaisance aircraft. Had the RAAF known that it would be 10 years before the F-111 would become operational in the RAAF the Vigilante may well have been chosen or the air force may have been more willing to wait for the TSR-2.

Cheers

Ding

June 8th, 2007, 02:10 AM

the f-14 ..... the reason i love planes
the Su-30 .... big bold and beautiful esp the ones with canards
the Gripen .... swedish and beautiful, kinky:D
the Sea Harrier FRS1 .... the first gen Sea Harrier, nothing like it

on the topic, planes i hate
A-7 .... looks to damn weird

gf0012-aust

June 8th, 2007, 04:48 AM

F-8 Crusader
XB-70 Valkyrie
SR-71 Habu
A5 Vigilante
Hawker Sea Hawk
Su-30
X-29
Bristol Beaufighter (Prop, but I love its stumpy brutality!)
F-14
Hawker Hunter

alexsa

June 8th, 2007, 07:31 AM

Sea Fury ..... really let face it the last and best long production run piston engine fighter and a thing of beauty.

A close second is is the sptifire 22 and 24, the griffen engined clear canopy brute with delicate lines .... again a thing of beauty.

For jet aircraft the EA Lighting has to take if for my vote for pure power, speed and looks for something disigned just after WW2.

Tasman

June 8th, 2007, 04:30 PM

For jet aircraft the EA Lighting has to take if for my vote for pure power, speed and looks for something disigned just after WW2.

And according to the British Defence Minister of 1957 the English Electric Lightning was going to be the last manned fighter ever purchased by the RAF! In the future, he claimed, surface to air missiles would be all that was required so he cancelled plans for the design, development and production of new fighters. What a great contribution to the British aerospace industry! :(

Cheers

Rich

June 8th, 2007, 06:24 PM

While were on the subject Military aircraft art is a truly awesome thing. As is modeling. I have a restaurant near me that has all kinds of fighter jets painted on the walls, as well as models. The owner was never in the service he just loves military aircraft.

I could see myself retiring and getting back into modeling these great old birds. And not just Yanks ones either. There are a lot of non-Yank military aircraft that I can honestly say I "love" too.

Defender thanks for a really great thread.

Wale14

June 11th, 2007, 07:17 PM

favorite jets:

1. mig-29
2. su-27 and 37
3. f-117
4. jf-17 (go pakistan!! woohooo):D
5. f-16
6. ef-2000
7. f-22

Systems Adict

June 11th, 2007, 07:24 PM

3 or 4 that have no doubt already been mentioned...

Avro Vulcan - Sheer class of technolgical design

Britsh Electric Lightening - Worlds ahead of it's time

TSR-2 - The Tornado of the 50's/60's (Damn those elections !)

& finally....

XB-70 Valkirie - Likened to the American Rock n Roll dream - live fast, die young!

zetruz

June 11th, 2007, 09:33 PM

Raptor.22

June 17th, 2007, 11:25 AM

JA 37 Viggen - Power and performance... it's awesome.
JAS 39 Gripen - High-tech mumbojumbo; yummy!:dance3
J 32 Lansen - Beautiful.
Avro Vulcan - Beautiful.
Su-27 - Awesome plane, possibly my favorite. Big, powerful, good-looking and advanced... sweet!
MiG-29 - The cat-version of the Su-27!:) I had the luck to see a MiG-29 OVT last summer at Farnborough... oh man!:D
F-15 - I... just like it. It looks so advanced. Really cool plane.
F-86 Sabre - I always liked it's shape.
Su-47 - I know, I know... it's not a real fighter. But I have to list it!:nono
F-22 - I suppose it's the best fighter out there today. Maybe not compared to its price, but performance-wise.:D

yea i kinda agree, the su-47 isn't a true fighter but is a great jet. i love it.

Admin Text Deleted - Do NOT copy work from web sites and not attribute it to others - there is a copywrite issue as well.
there are probably more but i can remember :p:

even though its a really unique aircraft, you gotta love it :D

http://www.defesabr.com/FAB/Su-47%20-%20Esquema.jpg

gf0012-aust

June 17th, 2007, 02:08 PM

For everyone's benefit - Do NOT copy work from web sites and not attribute it to others - there is a copywrite issue here as well.

We are not interested in having people present other sites work as their own - if it is copy and pasted it must have attribution - and we must have permisson to do so legally.