What was the best looking bomber of the Cold War?

[Johnnytheboy]

Following the WW2 thread, same question, but 1945-1990.

My first offering is the Handley Page Victor.

[Johnnytheboy]

North American Vigilante.

[lufbramatt]

Do love the Victor, the one at Duxford is stripped back to bare metal at the moment and looks amazing.

Always thought the B58 Hustler looked cool seeing them in my dad’s aircraft books as a kid, the old Aurora kit of which was the favourite of Gerry Anderson’s model making team- you can see the engine pods and other bits all over the planes in Thunderbirds etc.

[Fusion777]

B-2 is a contender. First flew in 1989, so just qualifies.

[Hugo a Gogo]

Bone

[magpie215]

[Tony1963]

If I’m going to vote for the Victor, it has to be in its more pure form

[DodgyGeezer]

The Victor has to be up there... from certain angles it still looks scifi

[bearman68]

Can't believe we've got this far without a picture of the Vulcan.

[dvs_dave]

Tupolev Tu-160 “Blackjack” is definitely a looker.

[Eric Mc]

I'm definitely a Hustler man.

But my favourite has to be this. It was intended to be a bomber but the project was cancelled before production started and the two aircraft built only ever served as research aircraft - the North American XB-70 Valkyrie -

[wisbech]

Victor or Blinder

[andyA700]

There are definitely some of my favourites featured so far, but how about the B47 Stratojet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgXgDeoNsWc

[Eric Mc]

A ground breaking aeroplane and a pioneer of the layout that Boeing (and virtually everybody else) adopted for larger passenger airliners.

[ChemicalChaos]

Definitely another vote for the B58! It may have been bloody useless but what a stunner, the epitome of jet age styling

[Bisonhead]

I might be biased but I have a real soft spot for the tonka!

[Jake899]

I just love Soviet bloc stuff, so it's the Bear for me.
But also I'll take the excuse to post some Vulcan pics too!






And a random choice for the Saab Lansen 32A, the closest thing Sweden got to building a bomber. This strike aircraft even had a nuclear capability.

[Yertis]

Eric Mc said:

I'm definitely a Hustler man.

But my favourite has to be this. It was intended to be a bomber but the project was cancelled before production started and the two aircraft built only ever served as research aircraft - the North American XB-70 Valkyrie -

You've got both of them in that pic by the looks of it Eric. A bit like an old photo I have of Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista

[Eric Mc]

You know you are flying something special when the chase plane is a Hustler.

[lufbramatt]

Eric Mc said:

You know you are flying something special when the chase plane is a Hustler.

Just seen this re. B-58:

"In 1963, it flew from Tokyo to London (via Alaska), a distance of 8,028 miles (12,920 km), with 5 aerial refuelings in 8 hours, 35 minutes, 20.4 seconds, averaging 938 miles per hour (1,510 kilometres per hour). As of 2016, this record still stands."