The 10 Most Iconic Airplanes In Aviation History, Ranked

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The 10 Most Iconic Airplanes In Aviation History, Ranked

The 10 Most Iconic Airplanes In Aviation History, Ranked - SlashGear

Some aircraft rise above (quite literally) and have left an indelible mark on our collective psyche.

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Richard

 

[DrQ]

That's NOT a Boeing 747:

THIS is a Boeing 747:

 

[Ralph Sir Edward]

No Gooney Bird? (Officially known as the DC3.)

 

[DrQ]

You don't take territory by air, these close air support planes support ground troops.

 

[billymach4]

That's NOT a Boeing 747:

THIS is a Boeing 747:

THANK YOU as well for correcting that! More artificial AI generated content that can't distinguish a rear end from the elbow!

 

[Hindsite]

 

[x3 skier]

View attachment 80181

An aircraft that’s more effective at air shows than combat.

I’ve also met a few USMC Harrier pilots who’ve said “There’s two types oh Harrier pilots. Those who have ejected and those who will”. As part of a couple of review teams on the AV-8, I was amazed it was still in the inventory, given it’s problems.

 

[Superchief]

THANK YOU as well for correcting that! More artificial AI generated content that can't distinguish a rear end from the elbow!

I just hope they don't start using AI to fly them.

 

[Superchief]

I was always partial to the Lockhead L-1011 for international and transcontinental flights. I frequently flew them on Delta and TWA. Pilots also really liked them.

 

[DrQ]

I was always partial to the Lockhead L-1011 for international and transcontinental flights. I frequently flew them on Delta and TWA. Pilots also really liked them.

Yeah, the L-1011 was a nice ride. I also liked the DC-10.

I lived outside of Chicago when AA-191 crashed. That was horrific. All the main TV stations were live at the crash scene for hours. All those lives were lost because American Airlines got lazy with its maintenance.

 

[Hindsite]

An aircraft that’s more effective at air shows than combat.

I’ve also met a few USMC Harrier pilots who’ve said “There’s two types oh Harrier pilots. Those who have ejected and those who will”. As part of a couple of review teams on the AV-8, I was amazed it was still in the inventory, given it’s problems.

The Sea Harrier seemed to do the job required in the Falkland's rather well and always a crowd-stopper at airshows.
There is lots of banter between pilots of different aircraft types, nothing special about the AV-8 pilots getting it from others.

 

[x3 skier]

The Sea Harrier seemed to do the job required in the Falkland's rather well and always a crowd-stopper at airshows.
There is lots of banter between pilots of different aircraft types, nothing special about the AV-8 pilots getting it from others.

These were All Harrier Pilots talking about their feelings about the plane

The USMC learned a good lesson and applied it to the F35B when they made it a STOVL rather than a VTOL. The AV-8B couldn’t takeoff vertically with a full combat load. Thus the need for the “ski jumps” afloat and short runways ashore rather than the original idea of all vertical ops. But it was sort of useful in its day.

 

[Hindsite]

These were All Harrier Pilots talking about their feelings about the plane

The USMC learned a good lesson and applied it to the F35B when they made it a STOVL rather than a VTOL. The AV-8B couldn’t takeoff vertically with a full combat load. Thus the need for the “ski jumps” afloat and short runways ashore rather than the original idea of all vertical ops. But it was sort of useful in its day.

As you say, the Sea Harrier was a useful aircraft. Not the same as an AV-8B. Times move on for all of us.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

First, 10 is way too short a number to be able to sift, winnow, and sort all the important and iconic aircraft over the last century or so without missing some important ones. Also, since the roles are so different for so many of them, I have no idea how you even rank them. Better to just have a list of some of the most iconic aircraft. Screw the ranking. Some notable exceptions, IMO, just off the top of my head:

PanAm Boeing 317 Cliipper flying boat
Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde supersonic airliner
de Havilland Comet first jet airliner
Douglas DC-3 Dakota transport
Ford Tri-Motor airliner
Supermarine Spitfire fighter
Messerschmitt Me109 fighter
Messerschmitt Me262 first true jet fighter
North American F86 Sabre jet fighter
Avro Lancaster heavy bomber
Boeing B17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber
North American B25 Mitchell medium bomber
Fokker DRI triplane
Sopwith Camel biplane
Boeing 707 jet airliner
Hawker Siddeley Harrier V/STOL jet fighter
Lockheed C130 Hercules transport
North American X15 experimental hypersonic rocket plane
Avro CF105 Arrow experimental jet fighter
de Havilland Beaver bush plane
de Havilland Twin Otter twin-engined bush plane
North American T6 Harvard trainer

 

[RX8]

First, 10 is way too short a number to be able to sift, winnow, and sort all the important and iconic aircraft over the last century or so without missing some important ones. Also, since the roles are so different for so many of them, I have no idea how you even rank them. Better to just have a list of some of the most iconic aircraft. Screw the ranking. Some notable exceptions, IMO, just off the top of my head:

PanAm Boeing 317 Cliipper flying boat
Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde supersonic airliner
de Havilland Comet first jet airliner
Douglas DC-3 Dakota transport
Ford Tri-Motor airliner
Supermarine Spitfire fighter
Messerschmitt Me109 fighter
Messerschmitt Me262 first true jet fighter
North American F86 Sabre jet fighter
Avro Lancaster heavy bomber
Boeing B17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber
North American B25 Mitchell medium bomber
Fokker DRI triplane
Sopwith Camel biplane
Boeing 707 jet airliner
Hawker Siddeley Harrier V/STOL jet fighter
Lockheed C130 Hercules transport
North American X15 experimental hypersonic rocket plane
Avro CF105 Arrow experimental jet fighter
de Havilland Beaver bush plane
de Havilland Twin Otter twin-engined bush plane
North American T6 Harvard trainer

You forgot the P-38 Lightning (the “forked devil”).

 

[Hindsite]

First, 10 is way too short a number to be able to sift, winnow, and sort all the important and iconic aircraft over the last century or so without missing some important ones. Also, since the roles are so different for so many of them, I have no idea how you even rank them. Better to just have a list of some of the most iconic aircraft. Screw the ranking. Some notable exceptions, IMO, just off the top of my head:

PanAm Boeing 317 Cliipper flying boat
Aérospatiale/BAC Concorde supersonic airliner
de Havilland Comet first jet airliner
Douglas DC-3 Dakota transport
Ford Tri-Motor airliner
Supermarine Spitfire fighter
Messerschmitt Me109 fighter
Messerschmitt Me262 first true jet fighter
North American F86 Sabre jet fighter
Avro Lancaster heavy bomber
Boeing B17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber
North American B25 Mitchell medium bomber
Fokker DRI triplane
Sopwith Camel biplane
Boeing 707 jet airliner
Hawker Siddeley Harrier V/STOL jet fighter
Lockheed C130 Hercules transport
North American X15 experimental hypersonic rocket plane
Avro CF105 Arrow experimental jet fighter
de Havilland Beaver bush plane
de Havilland Twin Otter twin-engined bush plane
North American T6 Harvard trainer

Agreed, and how many of the list have @daviator or @JIMinNC flown?

 

[CanuckTravlr]

You forgot the P-38 Lightning (the “forked devil”).

There's lots I could have included. That was just what came to mind quickly, and as I wrote, more came to mind. If we are to include the twin-boom Lockheed P38 Lightning, then we can also include the similar de Havilland Vampire, which was the first jet aircraft to cross the Atlantic.

 

[x3 skier]

Agreed, and how many of the list have @daviator or @JIMinNC flown?

B-17, Ford TriMotor from your list. Less than an hour on each. The TriMotor has a great huge Wheel sort of like a seagoing vessel.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

If i keep the list to just planes i have personally traveled on, my favorites would be the 747, or the 787 Dreamliner. I think i only flew the L1011 a few times, but that wasn't bad either.

 

[Hindsite]

If we're throwing in the experimental ones then that's a whole different ball-game. You could start an international incident raising the subject of TSR2 in come circles. If pilot bravery (stupidity) is the measure than an ME 163 gets a high score. Not sure what else there is east of the meridian but there will be a lot of really interesting stuff there too.

 

[Hindsite]

B-17, Ford TriMotor from your list. Less than an hour on each. The TriMotor has a great huge Wheel sort of like a seagoing vessel.

very cool, how do you fancy ecranoplans?

 

[DrQ]

The original article replaced the wrong photo for the Boeing 747 with this one:

 

[x3 skier]

very cool, how do you fancy ecranoplans?

My hand isn’t big enough sync 8 throttles.

 

[Superchief]

Yeah, the L-1011 was a nice ride. I also liked the DC-10.

I lived outside of Chicago when AA-191 crashed. That was horrific. All the main TV stations were live at the crash scene for hours. All those lives were lost because American Airlines got lazy with its maintenance.

As I recall, neither of the two major L1011 crashes were related to the airplane. The crash in the FL Everglades was caused by the flight crew accidently turning off the auto pilot, and the Delta 1011 in Dallas crash was due to severe wind sheer when landing in a storm. It is a shame that Boeing is the only remaining US passenger jet manufacturer. I also liked the DC9 better than B 727.

 

[CanuckTravlr]

Yes, I liked the L1011, too. My first flight in one was almost 50 years ago from LAX to YYZ. It was much more comfortable than the DC8 I flew in out to LAX. I also agree with @1Kflyerguy about the B747 and B787. I will be on a Dreamliner again in AC Signature Class in about a week on my way to Berlin via FRA from YYZ. I'm looking forward to it. My first transatlantic flight was over 50 years ago in a PanAm B707.

I'm an air force brat, so I have been up in some interesting aircraft over the years, including some on the original 10 list and several on my longer iconic list. I also agree with @Hindsite about the Me163. That's why I nominated the Me262 as the first truly operational jet fighter.