What is the best looking aircraft currently in production?
Have your say.
Categories (must currently be in production)
1. Fighter
2. Frontline military (non-fighter)
3. Military transport
4. Military other
5. Military STOVL
6. Military helicopters
7. Military trainers/LIFT
8. Airliners (larger)
9. Airliners (smaller)
10. Business jet
11. Amphibious/seaplanes/flying boats
12. Â Light aircraft (non homebuilds)
13. Homebuilds
14. Aerobatic
15. Gliders
16. Civil helicopters
17. Emergency service helicopters
18. Other
I look forward to seeing your choices!
Fighter: Su-35s (especially in the dark grey colour scheme…jeez)
Frontline military: Su 34
Military Stovl: F-35 (any alternatives?)
Military transport: probably the C-130 J
Military Helicopters: Kamov Ka 50 (mean as hell)
Large Airliner: 747-800
Smaller Airliner: 787
Not enough of an expert on the other categories, would need some thinking
Great answers. The other mil STOVL/VTOL type is the V-22.
Fighter: Dassault Rafale (That’s not just a plane, that’s ART!)
Military Transport: CASA 295
Military Helicopter: Mil Mi-24/35 “Hind” (Classic icon of the Cold War and still a sight to behold)
Large Airliner: Illyushin Il-96
Small Airliner: Embraer E-190
Business Jet: Embraer Legacy 600
Civil Helicopter: Augusta A109
Other: Let L-410 Turbolet
1. Fighter: Dassault Rafale
2. Frontline military (non-fighter): Tupolev Tu-160
3. Military transport: Boeing C-17
4. Military other: BAE Taranis
6. Military helicopters: Kamov Ka-50
8. Airliners (larger): Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental
9. Airliners (smaller): Boeing 737-900
16. Civil helicopters: Airbus EC135
Great answers! (Taranis is great looking, but I’m afraid it’s not in production.) I think Tu-160 is a great choice.
As the explicit purpose is “demonstrator” and they’re still on it, I’ll consider that “production” 🙂
1. Fighter : Dassault Rafale
3. Military transport : A400M
4. Military other : Dassault nEUROn
5. Military STOVL : V22
6. Military helicopters : Black Hawk
8. Airliners (larger) : A380
10. Business jet : Falcon 5x
16. Civil helicopters : EC175
Great answers! Though nEUROn is not in production.
1. Fighter:JAS 39 Gripen
2. Frontline military (non-fighter):B-1
3. Military transport:C-27J Spartan
4. Military other:TRDI/Kawasaki P-1
5. Military STOVL:Yak-141
6. Military helicopters:Kawasaki OH-1
7. Military trainers/LIFT:Pilatus PC-21
8. Airliners (larger):B-737NG
9. Airliners (smaller):Q400
10. Business jet:Dassault Falcon2000
11. Amphibious/seaplanes/flying boats:ShinMaywa US-2
18. Other:Piaggio P.180 Avanti
Great answers, but several of those are not in production (B-1, Yak-141, P.180 (not sure about the last one).
1. Fighter SU-35S Flanker E
2. Frontline military (non-fighter) F-18G Growler
3. Military transport C-130J (I love the Hercules)
4. Military other AC-130U Spectre
5. Military STOVL MV-22 Osprey (Becuase tilt-rotor)
6. Military helicopters MH-60K (SOAR)
8. Airliners (larger) Boeing 747-800 series
9. Airliners (smaller) Boeing 757 (I know that it is not in production, I just love it)
16. Civil helicopters S-76 C++
17. Emergency service helicopters EH101 (CAF Cormorant SAR Helicopter)
18. For other I chose a fictional aircraft: The FFR-31MR D Super Sylph from the OVA Yukikaze. It’s just damn beautiful
Fighter:
JAS 39 Gripen by SAAB
Slender, sleek, beautiful sexy lines. Good looking fighters are single engine like the F16 (the F14 Tomcat I think is the only truly beautiful twin engine).
Not muscle aesthetics like the Sukhoi, not cluttered like the F18. Rafale looks strangely fat with its wide body and clumsy looking wing sweep and too small nosecone. Typhoons canards look too small and in my view the configuration where the wings attach to the lower part of the hull does not look as good as a mid hull integration like on Rafale and Gripen.
The JAS 39 looks good from all aspects. It is the contemporary Spitfire as far as aesthetic concepts goes.
Let’s see. . .
1.Fighter– F-22 Raptor
2. Frontline Military– B-2 Spirit
3. Military Transport– C-17 Globemaster
4. Military Other– SR-71 Blackbird
5. Military STOVL–V-22 Osprey
6. Military helicopter– Kamov Ka-50 “Hokum”
7. Military trainer– Yak-130
8. Large airliner– Boeing 777
9. Small airliner– Bombardier C-series
10. Business jet– Dassault Falcon 2000
11. Amphibious/Seaplane– ICON A5 if prototypes count, Bombardier 415 if they don’t.
12. Light Aircraft– Cessna 162
13. Homebuilt– Rutan Long-EZ
14. Aerobatic– Extra 300
15. Glider–DG Fleugzeugbau DG-1000
16. Civil Helicopter–EuroCopter Ecureuil/A-Star
17. Emegency Helicopter–Eurocopter Dauphin
18. Other– White Knight Two/ SpaceShipTwo
Great, but several of these are not in production
Ah yes, I see. Then it’ll be
Fighter– Eurofighter Typhoon
Frontline Military– Tu-160 (not really any other choice, since the last B-2 was build in 2000)
Military Other– RQ-4 Global Hawk
Learjet Model 25F – It’s for business, but shape is beautiful like a little fighter, and Lear was an aeronautic genius
1 – Rafale
3 – Airbus A400M
5 – Osprey
6 – Hokum
7 – Yak 146
8 – Dreamliner
1 – Rafale M
3 – A400M
5 – V-22 Osprey
6 – EC665 Tiger
8 – A380
9 – ATR 72-600
10 – Falcon 7X
16 – EC175
1. Fighter : Dassault Rafale
2. Frontline military (non-fighter) : Su-34 Fullback
3. Military transport : Airbus A-400 M
4. Military other : Airbus A330 MRTT
5. Military STOVL : V-22 Osprey
6. Military helicopters : EC-665 Tigre
7. Military trainers/LIFT : YAK-146
8. Airliners (larger) : Airbus A-380
9. Airliners (smaller) : Airbus A-320 NEO
10. Business jet : Dassault Falcon 7x
11. Amphibious/seaplanes/flying boats : ShinMaywa US-2
16. Civil helicopters : Super Puma
17. Emergency service helicopters : EC-175
18. Other : Grumman E2-D Hawkeye
An excellent selection!
Fighter : Dassault Rafale
Frontline military (non-fighter) : B-1B Lancer
Military transport : CN-235
Military other : RC-135
Military STOVL : Harrier II
Military helicopters : NH-90
Military trainers/LIFT : Hawk T2
Airliners (larger) : B747-8
Airliners (smaller) : B787
Business jet : Falcon 8X
Civil helicopters : H160
Emergency service helicopters : EC-135
Pilatus PC24.