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The fairford thread got me thinking, I reckon they are great.

Here's 3 of my favourites:

The vulcan: Simply the most majestic machine ever to take to the air

[url width=500 height=328]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/jamiethon/500-avro_vulcan_XH558_takeoff.jpg[/url]

The Spitfire: Sex on wings

[url width=600 height=471]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/jamiethon/spit-8c.jpg[/url]

The warthog:

Far from pretty, but what a beast.

[url width=800 height=600]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/jamiethon/a10warthog4zh5.jpg[/url]

I know its the enemy but[url width=450 height=290]http://www.aircraftaces.com/images/junkers-87-stuka.jpg[/url]

Good choices. Vulcan is my favourite but you can't help but love the sound of the Spitfire and Hurricane. They had a good battle of Britain flypast at RIAT yesterday a sortie of 14 Spitfire, Hurricaine and messerschmitt. Quite a sight, shame my photos are pap.

Anyway back OT:


Fact of the day: There were only 11 years between the first flights of the two great Chadwick bomber designs, the Lancaster and the Vulcan.

Since  '558 has already taken her rightful place at the start of the thread, I'll start with the Lancaster.

[url width=800 height=638]http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm206/tomkwi/tomkwi2/AvroLancaster1.jpg[/url]

For reasons of owning a toy one when I was little, I give you the flying fortress, I liked the gunner positions:

[url width=500 height=375]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/acb009/b17.jpg[/url]

Lastly nanananananananana - holy B2:

[url width=640 height=354]http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp160/redleader5/b2stealth.jpg[/url]

The B1 doesn't fit right for me but your other two where cool batch

Adje, the Stukka is a fine choice. They had a kind of siren fitted beneath the wing which sounded when they were diving, to demoralise the enemy. Think WWII vuvuzela.

I know, but if batman wanted to bomb the shit out of something, that's the bomber he'd use.

My grandfather was one of The Few.  He died only 2 years ago at the age of 91 and lived long enough to see the Battle of Britain Memorial unveiled on the Embankment in London.  His name is inscribed on the side of the memorial, along side those of the 2,942 others who served.

So for me, it has to be the Hawker Hurricane.  In the summer of 1940, he flew one of these.

[url width=800 height=600]http://www.airmuseumsuk.org/airshow/2004/Rougham2004/800/images/316%20Hawker%20Hurricane%20XIIa%20Z5140%20G-HURI%20HAC.jpg[/url]

OK if not the B2 I give you the B29 superfortres, maybe not my favourite plane, but certainly one of the most important in history when it dropped Little Boy on Hiroshima

[url width=900 height=635]http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc187/ChillyWilly1966/War%20Birds/enolagay.jpg[/url]

"One of the few" (What immortal words they are)

You must be proud him Ardilles. For me the A-10 Warthog is like a modern day Hurricane.

Not pretty, but a mean beast that takes no prisoners. The hurricane's fuselage was made almost completely of wood, meaning it could take one hell of a beating and still keep going.

I love to see the Lancaster still flying around and the Vulcan is a classic as well (as are most on here) Back in the day, long before Greenham Common became a home for U.S missiles and very large, unattractive lesbians, I used to get taken to the Military Air Tattoo there. I loved these babies...the loudest thing I had ever heard (still is come to that) Just about every NATO air force had them except the RAF for some reason...The Lockeed Starfighter..

[url width=760 height=507]http://www.google.co.uk/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://www.airplane-pictures.net/images/uploaded-images/2006-11/4/1479.jpg&sa=X&ei=d1NDTKmXC8K7jAfOx9Qm&ved=0CAQQ8wc4Bw&usg=AFQjCNEZVDTSh3ihUeBXQ7P-v4gm7QSCww[/url]

Here's another:

[url width=400 height=266]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/jamiethon/c130-3.jpg[/url]

Most people think of a c-130 as a plain old boring cargo plane, which it was intended to be.

What many don't realise though that this plane is surprisingly dextourous (sp) and manouverable (SP) again.

It wasn't designed to do so many of the things that it can do. But then the Mini was never designed to be a racer.

The C-130 isn't just a plane, its a fucking icon! Good shout BR.

Anybody who thinks that war planes ain't beautiful?

Watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X98ZnZs-2ds

It is indeed but it wil always be a Hercules to me 8)

Tornado F3. Probably one of the greatest ever fighter-bombers.

[url width=450 height=295]http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/aircraft-pictures/assets_c/2009/03/RAF%20111-thumb-450x295.jpg[/url]

I've always had a liking for the Vampire for some reason.

[url width=500 height=375]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3137/2770279344_62a502c7b3.jpg[/url]

Oooh, good call on the Vampire.


And Bombers shouldn't be able to do this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4r0Kk-xX4o

a true fact for you plane fans - my grandfather worked with sir frank whittle

he also helped to design the cooling system for the canberra bomber, i believe.

...direct decendents of whom are Whittle Associates who are drawing up plans and feasibility studies and other stuff for the redevelopment of the County Ground..small world ???..





..but I wouldn't want to paint it, as some one once said 8)

I saw the B2 fly a few years ago, hugely impressive. Didn't seem to make much more noise than a lawnmower as it flew over head.

I was there for that - it was spooky, thought I had suddenly gone deaf as it silently glided passed

Was that the same year as concorde was there?

Helicopters allowed?

[url width=600 height=345]http://www.asiatradingonline.com/Mi24-Hind.jpg[/url]

Mil Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter

Harrier Jump Jet (Although my Dad always told me it wasn't a real plane.)

[url width=420 height=315]http://www.myoops.org/cocw/mit/NR/rdonlyres/Global/9/9A8E1047-CD6F-4A13-8B32-CD1B09FF8BF7/0/chp_harrier.jpg[/url]

That was the year for me

Agree with many of the choices here, & for me the Vulcan is the best. I have to admit though that the Raptor was bloody impressive yesterday at Fairford. Concorde was at Fairford about three years running.

If helicopters are allowed then this:

[url width=900 height=675]http://www.wallpaperpimper.com/wallpaper/Military/AH_64_Apache/Apache-Longbow-Helicopter-1-SXRL8788AI-1024x768.jpg[/url]

Other than that, I'm with Barry. The Harrier is an awesome bit of kit.

When I worked at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset, the Vulcan came for a visit for the air day. It was still parked on the hard standing on the Monday morning afterwards so I went and had a good look at it. It had its bomb doors open so I could see right up inside of it, it was AWESOME!!

As a former Air Cadet, I thoroughly approve of this thread.

I too went to Greenham Common back in the 80's but my best memories are from RAF Fairford.  I once stood between the crowd and the runway there back in the mid-90's while a B-52 took off. Fuck me that made some noise!

I also went to the Great Warbirds airshow at RAF Wroughton when it was still open, the Vulcan flew directly over my house on it's way to RAF Lyneham on the Friday and I had the pleasure of seeing it dance up there on the Saturday. The flypast with the bomb bay doors open.

The Dutch bloke in the F-16 always puts on a good show and I seem to remember the Italian "red arrows" put on an awesome show there too.

I love planes and one of my favourites is the DeHavilland Mosquito.

My uncle was a navigator on the Vulcans, so I absolutely love them. His house is full or models and pictures of them.

I love the shape and noise of the B1, it just looks like an old-school bomber, its awesome. The B2 is cool as well, I saw it do its fly past at RIAT a few years back, and saw 2 fly out of fairford one Sunday afternoon during the Russian-Georgian crisis a couple of years back. Rare to see them out and about during the day!

Agree with the comments on the A10, love that plane. Beast of an aircraft.

F22 Raptor
AC130
and of course, The Spitfire.