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Favourite non-military aircraft?

Canadave

Canadave

Vice Admiral
Admiral
So we have the thread on military aircraft well underway, but are there any civil aviation fans here? Or is that not as sexy? :lol:

Anyway, here's a few of my favourite planes:

Boeing 747

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As I mentioned in the other thread, I love big planes. And the 747 is just majestic, if you ask me. I know the Airbus A380 is actually bigger, incidentally, but I don't think Airbuses look as nice as Boeings.

Bombardier 415

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Mentioned in the miltary thread, so I won't say much besides "I love water bombers". ;)

Bombardier Dash-8

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They're just nice little planes. Quiet, and a very smooth flight, great for short hops. I'm a little biased because Porter (AKA Greatest Airline Ever) flies them, but I still like the plane. :p

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter

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Tough, versatile planes that can go pretty much anywhere, gotta love 'em. I also really like the looks of the little guys.

So, anyone else got any planes they like?
 
^^ Nice little thing but also a BIG pain in the butt, try and find a suitable engine for the damn thing. :wtf:
 
There's of course the Douglas DC-3 (aka C-47 Skytrain for the military)
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The main workhorse for the Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) after the war. Beautiful plane.

The Boeing 747 for multiple reasons:
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Just impressive..
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Nice design, overall looking good!

The Fokker F-27:
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Designed by Fokker (former Dutch company), to replace KLM's DC-3 fleet. It is one of the most successfull post-war propellor driven airplanes.
 
^ The DC-3 is a classic. A bit slow and lumbering, but a pretty incredible plane overall.

The F-27 is nice, as well. I prefer the Dash 8, but the Fokker certainly has its merits.
 
Here are three of my favortes:

Douglas DC-3: The airplane that made the modern scheduled airline possible. Also known for its yeoman wartime service as the C-47/R4D/Dakota.

Lockheed Constellation: A prettier propliner there has never been.

Boeing Dash-80: The groundbreaking common ancestor of all modern jetliners.

--Justin
 
like the Dc-3 followed by Concorde though the best would have to be the comet from the 50's/60's though the Nimrods are ok
 
Mr. B said:
Concorde. Still unmatched.

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Yeah, I'd agree with this. Perhaps a little bit of hyperbole here, but I felt it was a real step backwards for mankind when the fleet was retired. I understand & accept & can't argue with the safety/cost issues behind the decision, but I still find the fact that we actually voluntarily gave up a faster form of transport to be a significant regressive moment.
 
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this image might get canned but love it while it is here LOL
 
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CorporalClegg said:
J.T.B. said:
Lockheed Constellation: A prettier propliner there has never been.
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Agreed 100%. I've even flown on one.
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I am jealous. I count myself lucky to have seen one flying at an airshow in the '80s. Firing up those four engines was a show all in itself!

Holdfast said:
Yeah, I'd agree with this. Perhaps a little bit of hyperbole here, but I felt it was a real step backwards for mankind when the fleet was retired. I understand & accept & can't argue with the safety/cost issues behind the decision, but I still find the fact that we actually voluntarily gave up a faster form of transport to be a significant regressive moment.
Click to expand...

I know you disclaimed your hyperbole, but I'd say the most regressive thing about Concorde was building it in the first place. An amazing aircraft, but a very inefficient way to move a small number of people at a speed that very few found worth the cost. The market would have given up on the plane long ago if the British and French taxpayers hadn't eaten the costs of R&D and subsidized aircraft sales; no airline could have afforded the beasts otherwise. It was a nice government subsidy for some very wealthy passengers, though.

I love the Comet but the tail always looked to me like it was from a different decade than the rest of the plane.

--Justin
 
J.T.B. said:
CorporalClegg said:
J.T.B. said:
Lockheed Constellation: A prettier propliner there has never been.
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%. I've even flown on one.
Click to expand...

I am jealous. I count myself lucky to have seen one flying at an airshow in the '80s. Firing up those four engines was a show all in itself!

Holdfast said:
Yeah, I'd agree with this. Perhaps a little bit of hyperbole here, but I felt it was a real step backwards for mankind when the fleet was retired. I understand & accept & can't argue with the safety/cost issues behind the decision, but I still find the fact that we actually voluntarily gave up a faster form of transport to be a significant regressive moment.
Click to expand...

I know you disclaimed your hyperbole, but I'd say the most regressive thing about Concorde was building it in the first place. An amazing aircraft, but a very inefficient way to move a small number of people at a speed that very few found worth the cost. The market would have given up on the plane long ago if the British and French taxpayers hadn't eaten the costs of R&D and subsidized aircraft sales; no airline could have afforded the beasts otherwise. It was a nice government subsidy for some very wealthy passengers, though.
Click to expand...

I have to agree. I like the Concorde, it's a very impressive plane, but I don't think we've regressed. For intercontinental travel, birds like the 747-800 and A380 make much more sense. Yeah, they take longer, but they use FAR less fuel per passenger (more people + more efficient speeds) which means that the costs are lower. And that's much better for the health of the airline industry.

Again, nothing against the Concorde, but for the time being it represents something of a dead end in air travel.
 
I've always been fond of flying boats for some reason; don't know why, but just like the idea. ;)

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Oh, and someone has to mention the Zeppelin for it's pure awesomeness, despite being quite a terrible aircraft. ;)

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