What do you think is the best looking jet ever made?

[dr_gn]

eharding said:

dr_gn said:

Ahhhgggh, my eyes, Jeeesus

Actually, I rather like it.

At least you can see the blighter.

When we had the Yak repainted, the majority of the group wanted a historic russian camouflage paint scheme, whereas I was in favour of painting it bright red and putting a great big sod-off smoke system on it.

The majority prevailed. You have to say, whoever the russian bloke was who designed the original paint scheme, he deserved a medal, because the bloody thing is practically invisible. Not great when the judges at an aerobatic competition can't actually see you though.

On the plus side, it does make it registration exempt.

Mmmm, I like the concept, but I can't think of a less appropriate application. Still, it brightens up a rather bland airframe design I suppose.

[EzyGriff]

There really is no accounting for taste. How can there be any questioning the fact that Concorde was the most beautiful aircraft ever crafted?
I might well have volunteered to cut off a limb for the chance to fly many of the aircraft suggested above (Lightning, Buccaneer, Jaguar, etc) but they're all fugly beasts. Maybe the Hunter - lovely but still a bit functional. The TSR2 looks like my four-year-old son designed it. And I'm afraid that anyone who mentioned the Canberra should have gone to Specsavers.
I'll give you Comet and Vulcan, plus SR71 for shear "rip off your head for spilling my pint" purposeful.

[dr_gn]

EzyGriff said:

There really is no accounting for taste. How can there be any questioning the fact that Concorde was the most beautiful aircraft ever crafted?
I might well have volunteered to cut off a limb for the chance to fly many of the aircraft suggested above (Lightning, Buccaneer, Jaguar, etc) but they're all fugly beasts. Maybe the Hunter - lovely but still a bit functional. The TSR2 looks like my four-year-old son designed it. And I'm afraid that anyone who mentioned the Canberra should have gone to Specsavers.
I'll give you Comet and Vulcan, plus SR71 for shear "rip off your head for spilling my pint" purposeful.

I think most people say they like them because that's what they've read they're supposed to say as an 'aircraft enthusiast'. IMO, most British jets of the 50's and '60's are either a bit clunky looking (Supermarine Attacker etc.), a bit bland (Hunter, Swift etc), or just plain ugly (Lightning, Buccaneer, Javelin etc).

The Americans, Russians, Swedes and French built some of the most aesthetically pleasing jets of this era IMO.

[Incredible Sulk]

perdu said:

RizzoTheRat said:

Gotta be the Hunter for me


(yeah I know the two seater doesn't have quite the same lines, but I love the colourscheme on this one)

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Thursday 10th December 20:17

Personally speaking I prefer the two seater Hunter anyway

Something about the way it curves gracefully into the single seater fuselage behind the cockpit makes it look so-o-o-o sleek.

(I vaguely remember the area rule principles calculated for the two seat version fairing being adapted gratefully by English Electric/BAC for the two seat Lightnings...somewhere I have a magazine article about that)


If I was forced to choose a favourite Hunter it would probably be the F4, before the extended wing LE mods and the tailchute fairing added to the later marks.


Er

can you tell the Hunter would be my vote "Best looking jet ever"?

and the runner up?

North American F86 (the early pre radar schnozz version)

I was down at Dunsfold recently getting my car MOT'd. The aerodrome have a two seater Hunter on static display. It's the only one I've ever seen in the flesh. Unfortunately it looks like it's falling apart.

[sax player]

does any one have a picture of a plane the americans tried to sell to germany in the 60's/70's. Think it may have been a lockhead. Starfighter? got nick named the widow maker. Or am i completely misled
Shaun.

[DieselGriff]

sax player said:

does any one have a picture of a plane the americans tried to sell to germany in the 60's/70's. Think it may have been a lockhead. Starfighter? got nick named the widow maker. Or am i completely misled
Shaun.

Yes it's the f104 Starfighter and they did sell them to Germany and Italy and quite a few others as well. There's millions of images on google and Airliners.net has quite a few.

[annodomini2]

DieselGriff said:

sax player said:

does any one have a picture of a plane the americans tried to sell to germany in the 60's/70's. Think it may have been a lockhead. Starfighter? got nick named the widow maker. Or am i completely misled
Shaun.

Yes it's the f104 Starfighter and they did sell them to Germany and Italy and quite a few others as well. There's millions of images on google and Airliners.net has quite a few.

Or the flying coffin

Stubby wings make for weird handling characteristics,, which caught some of the pilots out.

And the bottom ejection seat caused issue.

The U2 spyplane is based on an F104

[spitfire-ian]

IIRC the Hunter is one of the few jets (if not the only one) which you can fly with the canopy open.

Apologies for posting another picture of MisDemeanour!

[Eric Mc]

annodomini2 said:

DieselGriff said:

sax player said:

does any one have a picture of a plane the americans tried to sell to germany in the 60's/70's. Think it may have been a lockhead. Starfighter? got nick named the widow maker. Or am i completely misled
Shaun.

Yes it's the f104 Starfighter and they did sell them to Germany and Italy and quite a few others as well. There's millions of images on google and Airliners.net has quite a few.

Or the flying coffin

Stubby wings make for weird handling characteristics,, which caught some of the pilots out.

And the bottom ejection seat caused issue.

The U2 spyplane is based on an F104

The F-104G and F-104S (the versions used in Europe) and the CF-104 (the vesrion used in Canada) did not have downward firuing ejection seats. They had more conventional upward firing Martin Baker seats.

The earlier F104A and F-104C which were used in fairly small numbers by the USAF had the downward firing seats.

Spot the differences


XF-104



F-104A



F-104C



F-104G

Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 18th December 17:02

[Mojocvh]

annodomini2 said:

DieselGriff said:

sax player said:

does any one have a picture of a plane the americans tried to sell to germany in the 60's/70's. Think it may have been a lockhead. Starfighter? got nick named the widow maker. Or am i completely misled
Shaun.

Yes it's the f104 Starfighter and they did sell them to Germany and Italy and quite a few others as well. There's millions of images on google and Airliners.net has quite a few.

Or the flying coffin

Stubby wings make for weird handling characteristics,, which caught some of the pilots out.

And the bottom ejection seat caused issue.

The U2 spyplane is based on an F104

I'm calling PISH on your posting! Please explain why the pilot is kissing his coffin AND just what is the linkage with a manned missile and a jet glider please?

Stubby wings yep! http://www.aerodrome-gruyere.ch/video/touch-roll-t...

Please furnish details on the numbers of F104 fitted with the downward EJ seat please. http://www.ejectionsite.com/f104seat.htm

Poor maintenance brought down far more Starfighters then the design ever did.

MoJo

Edited by Mojocvh on Friday 18th December 18:45

[B Oeuf]

He's kissing it because it one of the hottest looking misslies ever made (not surprising when you know who designed it) it goes like a rocket and sounds incredible

[GingerWizard]

RDMcG said:

This...... Blackbird

Gives me a fking hardon every time i see this plane. Love it.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

[dr_gn]

GingerWizard said:

RDMcG said:

This...... Blackbird

Gives me a fking hardon every time i see this plane. Love it.

WE HAVE A WINNER!

But that's the trainer version with the second bulbous canopy stuck on top. Surely the non-trainer version must look better?

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

annodomini2 said:

DieselGriff said:

sax player said:

does any one have a picture of a plane the americans tried to sell to germany in the 60's/70's. Think it may have been a lockhead. Starfighter? got nick named the widow maker. Or am i completely misled
Shaun.

Yes it's the f104 Starfighter and they did sell them to Germany and Italy and quite a few others as well. There's millions of images on google and Airliners.net has quite a few.

Or the flying coffin

Stubby wings make for weird handling characteristics,, which caught some of the pilots out.

And the bottom ejection seat caused issue.

The U2 spyplane is based on an F104

The F-104G and F-104S (the versions used in Europe) and the CF-104 (the vesrion used in Canada) did not have downward firuing ejection seats. They had more conventional upward firing Martin Baker seats.

The earlier F104A and F-104C which were used in fairly small numbers by the USAF had the downward firing seats.

Spot the differences


XF-104



F-104A



F-104C



F-104G

Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 18th December 17:02

The main difference I can see is that there are no shock cones on the engine intakes of the XF-104. Apart from some minor details on the tip tank fins, I can't see much else.

[eharding]

spitfire-ian said:

IIRC the Hunter is one of the few jets (if not the only one) which you can fly with the canopy open.

The JP is another.

[dr_gn]

eharding said:

spitfire-ian said:

IIRC the Hunter is one of the few jets (if not the only one) which you can fly with the canopy open.

The JP is another.

I thought it was standard practice on many of the early carrier-launched jets, to leave the canopy open during launch, so that in the event of a mishap, the pilot had a chance to get out? Presumably they could therefore fly at low altitudes with an open canopy?

[Eric Mc]

There are some differences between the various versions of the F-104. Apart from the internal variations such as different types of ejection seats and engines, the main external differences are

the XF-104 had a shorter fuselage and no shock cones in the intakes

the F-104 A and C had a narrower chord fin and rudder compared to the later F-104G, CF-104 and F-104S

The F-104C looked similar to the F-104A but had a retractable air to air refueling probe.

The original F-104s were essentially rejected by the USAf as they felt they sacrificed too much load carrying capability and endurance for the sake of sheer speed and climb to altitude performance. As a result, they were ordered in fairly small numbers by the standards of the 1950s and many were transfered to USAF Reserve and National Guard units fairly quickly.

The later F-104s were very different aircraft being much more multi-role in capability. The only late variant F-104s to appear in USAF colours were the F-104Gs and TF-104Gs which were operated out of Luke AFB Arizona as part of the Luftwaffe training programme.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

There are some differences between the various versions of the F-104. Apart from the internal variations such as different types of ejection seats and engines, the main external differences are

the XF-104 had a shorter fuselage and no shock cones in the intakes

the F-104 A and C had a narrower chord fin and rudder compared to the later F-104G, CF-104 and F-104S

The F-104C looked similar to the F-104A but had a retractable air to air refueling probe.

The original F-104s were essentially rejected by the USAf as they felt they sacrificed too much load carrying capability and endurance for the sake of sheer speed and climb to altitude performance. As a result, they were ordered in fairly small numbers by the standards of the 1950s and many were transfered to USAF Reserve and National Guard units fairly quickly.

The later F-104s were very different aircraft being much more multi-role in capability. The only late variant F-104s to appear in USAF colours were the F-104Gs and TF-104Gs which were operated out of Luke AFB Arizona as part of the Luftwaffe training programme.

There's another version with a rocket stuck up it's backside (NF-104A) IIRC it was mentioned in "The Right Stuff" book:



The F-104 is another of my favourites too.

[Eric Mc]

I think it had puffer reaction control rockets in the nose as well.

In the film version of The Right Stuff, Yeager's accident in the NF-104 was portrayed using one of the Luke AFB F-104Gs.

Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 18th December 23:00

[eharding]

dr_gn said:

eharding said:

spitfire-ian said:

IIRC the Hunter is one of the few jets (if not the only one) which you can fly with the canopy open.

The JP is another.

I thought it was standard practice on many of the early carrier-launched jets, to leave the canopy open during launch, so that in the event of a mishap, the pilot had a chance to get out? Presumably they could therefore fly at low altitudes with an open canopy?

Good point.

I'd think that most canopies which slide backwards on rails can be opened and closed in flight - obviously there are airspeeds above which the buffetting inside the cockpit becomes unacceptable. I quite like aerobatting the Yak with the canopy open, where you're getting about 320kmh diving in - about 200 mph - perfectly comfortable provided you've got decent headgear.

Rear or sideways hinged canopies are a different kettle of fish, obviously.

Edited by eharding on Friday 18th December 23:07