Imagine that you are only allowed to save 10 aircraft from across the world: which would you save and why?
My 10 would be:
Sopwith Camel – typical World War One fighter. Would have to be original
DC-3 Dakota – does it need explaining?
Il-2 – produced in huge numbers and certainly very famous
Supermarine Spitfire – large quantities, famous aircraft (although I’d prefer a Hurricane if one is going on the grounds of the Battle of Britain)
Lancaster – worldwide Commonwealth effort, another iconic bomber (possibly save S-Sugar).
F-16 – famous jet fighter of the modern era. Used by many countries.
DH Comet – first jet airliner. Not all that successful (so may want a 707 instead) but certainly a pioneer.
Boeing 747 – another icon. Many countries, many variants.
Gloster Whittle – a pioneer jet.
In addition, there are some “also-rans”: stuff like the Mirage III, Yak-3 and B-24…
By: Propstrike - 19th July 2007 at 10:21
Blimey………………..
…and people wonder why we quietly dropped polls.
By: cig1705 - 19th July 2007 at 10:11
To tell the truth, I would probably reject both the SR-71 and TSR. 2. Although brilliant a/c (the TSR.2 in particular!), the impact they’ve had on the world has been very limited. I suppose there would be a case for them on technological grounds but, in cultural terms, probably not. I would prefer to see the Harrier (the original design, not the Harrier II) or the 747 as examples of 1960s technology. That’s largely why I would also rule out Concorde: again, an absolutely smashing machine but not one that has had an impact globally…
By: Nashio966 - 19th July 2007 at 09:39
all of those are brilliant aircraft, i would make two changes if it were me. i would replace the sr71 with the TSR.2 because i feel that it is the most beautiful aircraft from that era and, has the most astounding performance in my opinion :). secondly, i would change the 707 for the DC-8 because again on looks the DC-8 beats the 707, again a personal thing but hey. my main reason however is that the DC-8 is, to the best of my knowledge, the only commercial subsonic jetliner to have gone supersonic. 😀 that must have been one hell of a ride! :diablo:
By: Dan Johnson - 19th July 2007 at 06:52
Why don’t you make it one for each decade of the 20th century instead. That would make it tough 🙂
1900-1910-Wright Flyer
1910-1920-Sopwith Camel
1920-1930-Spirit of St. Louis
1930-1940-DC-3
1940-1950-Me109
1950-1960-Boeing 707
1960-1970-SR-71 Blackbird
1970-1980-F15 Eagle
1980-1990-Hawker Harrier
1990-2000-F117 Stealth
Done fast and clearly open to debate 🙂
Dan
By: Moggy C - 18th July 2007 at 23:29
It would be interesting to know just how many Nationalities were involved in the crews of Bomber Command.
A complete breakdown of casualties by nationality and year is given in the official history, “The Strategic Air Offensive Against Germany”
Moggy
By: kev35 - 18th July 2007 at 20:50
It can lead to interesting discussions.
Your point re the Lancaster is a good one and well made. It would be interesting to know just how many Nationalities were involved in the crews of Bomber Command.
Comet/707. I wouldn’t pick either to be honest but it is our diversity of interest and our varied understanding/appreciation of aircraft types which make forums so interesting.
And I do like your demolition of Concorde. I wouldn’t give it house room either!
my choices I would have to think about. Moreso the justification of why I would choose to save one.
Regards,
kev35
By: BlueRobin - 18th July 2007 at 20:04
If you want me to, I can. But if it is done just for fun and doesn’t turn sour, I’m happy to keep it open.
By: cig1705 - 18th July 2007 at 19:58
Kev,
Looking back on it, this thread is pretty pointless. It’s just another “most significant a/c” thread that doesn’t really go anywhere. Perhaps the moderators should lock it, since it can’t really lead to anything good (only types like me endlessly raking muck when there are far more interesting things on this forum) or any interesting discussion. It was just an idle fancy on a Wednesday afternoon!
Re: the Lanc, the “worldwide” was not so much a reference to the airframes but the crews. I suppose I should have put down “a world war one airframe” instead of a Camel. In hindsight, I suppose a Wright Flyer would be a better choice (stupid me!) for early aircraft.
I did think about 707/Comet: it was a toss-up and in the end I went for the Comet, since it was first, rather than the 707 (which I suppose was more significant in commercial and cultural terms than the Comet). I did mean the Gloster E28/39 by use of “Whittle”: I was just too lazy to look up the rightful
specification!
I wouldn’t add Concorde: a technological marvel, yes, a fabulous aircraft, yes, but has it really changed the course of world history? If it was the first of many production designs then I suppose it would be worthy of inclusion but it isn’t (sadly)…
By: Jamie-Southend - 18th July 2007 at 19:42
Concorde anyone?
By: kev35 - 18th July 2007 at 19:26
Is there any real point to this kind of thread? Especially when you don’t really justify your choices as you have asked others to?
Sopwith Camel. Was it a typical World War one fighter? Weren’t they called scouts? Could any fighter/scout be considered typical considering the variety of types and configurations employed by any of the forces involved?
Douglas Dakota. By your criteria it does need explaining but I won’t argue with your choice at all. Beautiful aeroplane and a delight to fly in. Rightly considered to be iconic among its peers and by the sheer diversity of the type’s usage, not to mention its longevity, is deserving of being saved.
IL2. Is the fact that it is famous and produced in large numbers enough to mean it is worthy of being saved? I don’t know enough about its design and usage to comment further to be honest.
Supermarine Spitfire. I would agree. But I would prefer to save an early Mark and a late one to give an idea of just how much the airframe changed during its development. But the main reason would be to pay homage to the designer, RJ Mitchell, a man who had the foresight to realise what was coming and to convince Supermarine to continue with the design of the Spitfire as a private venture.
Lancaster. Yes, Bomber Command’s most successful ‘heavy’ unless you’re a Halifax man. But worldwide? Too late for action with Tiger Force in the Far East so not quite sure how worldwide fits in. Unless I’m mistaken S – Sugar is safe for the future in the Bomber Command Hall at Hendon.
F-16. A profitable design and a purposeful fighter but perhaps too new to be considered strictly historic as so many of them are in use by so many air arms still today.
DH Comet. Possibly. It’s limited appeal after the introduction of the 707 and then DC8 goes against it. However, it must be remembered that the concept and design of the Comet still soldiers on in the format of the Nimrod.
B747. Iconic yes. And some are already in preservation. France, South Africa and the USA spring to mind. Wouldn’t be on my list.
Gloster Whittle. Presumably the E28/39. Would think it was potentially worthy of a place in a preserved top ten due to the fact that it was the cradle of British jet design and was again a privately funded operation, at least for a while.
My top ten? I’d have to think about it a while, and the justification for my choices. I sense it might well be radically different from yours.
Regards,
kev35
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July 18, 2007 at 6:43 pm