Most important military aircraft in history

[Jon K]

Although comparison lists are not encouraged, this is more to fuel a discussion than setting firm lists.

As fighters and bombers are compared in numerous publications, documentaries and countless discussions how about comparing the most important military aircrafts in history but let's leave bombers and fighters out of it?

Here's my list, in no particular order, more categories would be welcome!

Helicopter:

Mil Mi-8 and variants: In production since 1961 and over 12 000 examples produced. Mil Mi-8 has been the workhorse of many militaries, humanitarian efforts and various contractors in most of the world's conflicts. UH-1 as a close competitor but not gaining a list place due to having more limited user base.

Cargo planes:

1. C-47 and variants. Possibly no conflict here? This aircraft (and it's license built variants) made air transportation practicable for support of large operations.

2. Il-76: The Soviet workhorse offering strategic reach to very restricted sites. Has been ubiquitous for 35 years and would still find buyers if more could be produced. C-130 does not gain the place as it's much more limited aircraft to carrying tactical cargos over much smaller practical distances.

Support:

1. KC-135 Stratotanker. This aircraft offered the USAF and the other users true extension of strategic reach and also in it's civilian form offered a template to which practically every civilian jetliner was built upon. Has been in service for 52 years. (Does anyone know how old are the oldest examples flying?)

2. U-2, the reconnaissance workhorse operational for same time as KC-135. Offered truly important intelligence for USA in 1957-1960 and has performed a stellar service afterwards in many of the world conflicts. In fact, possibly in more conflicts than publicly known.

 

[sakina]

I think in choosing what aircraft is most important, it should be the one that resulted in the biggest change in thinking, strategy, design and technology. In my opinion it would be the de Havilland Mosquito for a number of reasons.

Just as many designs for bombers were going towards bigger, more guns, more engines, etc. The designers of the mosquito went the other way of faster, smaller, lighter. This has argueably set a precident that has resulted in what we have today in terms of fighter bombers.

The aircraft also moved towards precision aiming of its munitions rather than blanket bombing. I believe this also changed the precident more towards the tactics of today.

They also opted for a composite structure that intelligently used a birch-balsa-birch construction. This is very similar to the carbon and glass fibre sandwich construction used today. The airframe was also of very modern design with a cantilever wingbox construction.

It's success in combat is also notable and therefore has a place in history for helping win the war.

I am sure many people out their with much more knowledge than me in these matters will have exceptions that counter many of these reasons in finding aircraft from the era that could beat it in one way or another. I think though that the its success, fame and the change of thinking it inspired on all sides make it one of the most important aircraft of its time.

I would however offer an alternative. That is the V1 if unmanned aircraft are under consideration. I think that is also important for similar reasons as it changed peoples thinking and helped lead to such things as the space programmes, wide use of missiles and now UAVs.

 

[macman]

Think it was Steven Trimble at the DEW line who voted for the Mig-21, & he had some good points.
Most widely produced fighter aircraft in history, incredibly cheap (in fighter terms) to make, tough, rugged, could run off patchy airfields...

This is the plane that allowed dozens of third rate countries that would never of been able to afford anything like a relatively modern real front line fighter jet into the action.


OK, it is pretty limited in a lot of respects, but it changed the balance of power in a number of regions, & is still running today - the modern bison upgrade makes it still a platform that has to be taken seriously...

 

[macman]

Sorry Jon, kind of skipped over the no fighter/bomber craft.

Agree on the Mi-8, but the CH-47 Chinook is the closest western helicopter in my opinion, much more important than the UH-1.
Like the Mi-8, modern variants are still in demand today.

The Il-76 is still in production & in much demand - they just need to get the main(?) production line up & going again after relocating from Uzbekistan.
Very versatile craft - transport, tanker, AWACs, think they even produced a passenger variant at one point..


The Mi-26 is another very important helicopter - showed just how much was possible in heavy lift for choppers, & has been vital in a number of capacities.
OK, it's got some downsides in maintenance hours, but a new version (possibly signed in a joint venture with the Europeans) should take care of a lot of that...

 

[sakina]

Apologies. I also missed out on the no fighter or bomber bit of what you said. I will have to rest on the V1 as I mentioned earlier or think of something else if it is not allowed.

 

[Jon K]

I think in choosing what aircraft is most important, it should be the one that resulted in the biggest change in thinking, strategy, design and technology. In my opinion it would be the de Havilland Mosquito for a number of reasons.

And all those good ones. I took fighters and bombers out of the original list, but if those are considered Mossie is a good candidate. It was just to leave out "My AF's fighter is the BeSt!" posts...

WW II aircraft are tricky to include in a list as there was always a number of competing aircraft of similar mission types and their service life was almost always quite short.

Never thought actually that Mossie was philosophy-changer, but I think you're completely right in that one. In all post-WW II campaigns it has been the tactical aircraft which have been instrumental even against strategic infrastructure targets. They have also been more flexible. Only with introduction of JDAM this has changed somewhat as the capabilities of strategic vs. tactical aircraft has blurred.

If we take bomber aircraft, I think one must include one aircraft from WW I era, German Gotha bomber. It introduced a whole lot of new concepts to aerial warfare, such as heavily defended bomber flying in formations towards long range targets, and also had a significant effect as it forced RFC and RNAS to withdraw a large number of fighters to home defence.

Think it was Steven Trimble at the DEW line who voted for the Mig-21, & he had some good points.
Most widely produced fighter aircraft in history, incredibly cheap (in fighter terms) to make, tough, rugged, could run off patchy airfields...

MiG-21 is a good candidate for a fighter, definitely one of the most important. For modern aircraft fulfilling both bomber and fighter roles I'd put F-16 in it's various guises. It has been employed as strategic bombers (since Osirak), tactical bomber, air superiority fighter, CAS aircraft etc. and has been in production and an international success for decades. It's perhaps not the best aircraft in any single category but it's definitely one aircraft to leave a mark in history.

 

[kato]

... the first obviously. Otherwise there wouldn't have been others.