POLL:
1903 to 2003 - 100 Years of Powered Flight
- The rec.models.scale Readers' 100 Most Significant Aircraft

Names of the aircraft and significance (comments are as I have received them)

• Aerospatiale/BAe Concorde, Only successful SST, first supersonic transport
• Airbus A300, Western Europe's first competitive high-capacity air transport, modernized the airliners
• Airbus A320, Very popular airliner
• Antonov An 225, Largest aircraft in the world
• Antonov An-2, Ubiquitous *, most versatile and important plane in postwar Soviet Union, the most amazing example of soviet air transport, most constructed airplane in the wolrd
• Arado Ar 234, First operational purpose-built jet bomber
• Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
• Avro 504, First used as a bomber, then as a trainer
• Avro Anson, Ubiquitous *
• Avro Lancaster, Mainstay of RAF Bomber Command, best heavy bomber of WWII
• Avro RJ Cityliner, STOL silent jet airliner
• Avro Vulcan,
• BAC TSR.2, So revolutionary, they're still using the technology
• BAe Harrier (AV-8A), First operational fixed-wing VTOL military a/c, innovative design, Grounbreaker with new technology
• Bede BD-5, Dangerous but awesome in a way ( like the GeeBee Racer)
• Beech 18, Ubiquitous *
• Beech Bonanza, Ubiquitous *
• Beech King Air,
• Beech T-34 Mentor, Basic U.S. trainer for over 40 years
• Bell 206 Jet Ranger, Ubiquitous *
• Bell 47/H-13, Ubiquitous *, first widely successful helicopter, first versatile production 'copter
• Bell AH-1 Cobra, First dedicated attack helicopter
• Bell UH-1 Iroquois "Huey", Ubiquitous *, platform for development of airmobile infantry, revolutionized airmobile combat during the Vietnam War
• Bell X-1, First controlled Mach 1.0 flight, first true supersonic a/c
• Bell XV-15,
• Bell/Boeing V-22, First production Tilt-Rotor aircraft, advanced multi-concept transport
• Blackburn Buccaneer
• Bleriot XI, First crossing of the English Channel
• Boeing 247, First modern all-metal airliner
• Boeing 307,
• Boeing 314 Clipper, Consolidated and expanded oceanic commercial flying, transatlantic airliner
• Boeing 377 Stratocruiser, Important part in the rebirth of air travel
• Boeing 707, First of the Boeing jet transports, first trans-oceanic jetliner, First commercially successful jet, First widely used long range jet airliner
• Boeing 727, Proved value of jet short-haul airliners, the first "airbus"
• Boeing 737, Most popular jetliner of all time, the DC-3 of the Jet age, the mass mover of the jet age, mainstay of the world fleet, creates market for Airbus
• Boeing 747, Proved value of high-capacity jet liners, first jumbo jet, led the industry to where it is today, changed large scale mass air travel for ever, Introduced wide-body high capacity long range flight
• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, First effective heavy bomber, first truly successful strategic bomber, the saviour of the suppressed countries in WW2
• Boeing B-29 / B-50 Superfortress, Hiroshima & Nagasaki, first atomic bomber, First round-the-world non-stop 1949 (B-50)
• Boeing B-47 Stratojet, first arrow-winged jet bomber
• Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, Ubiquitous *, nuclear deterrent bomber for 35 years, one of the longest service lives of any aircraft, Truly versatile airframe that outlived everyone's expectations, as threatening as ever
• Boeing C-135 series, Ubiquitous *, enabled the fighters
• Boeing Dash 80 (707 family proto)
• Boeing E-3 (AWACS), unique surveillance and command central
• Boeing Monomail,
• Boeing P-12/F4B,
• Boeing P-26 Peashooter
• Boeing Vertol CH-47 Chinook
• Breguet 14, Ubiquitous *
• Breguet XIX, Ubiquitous *
• Brewster F2A-1 Buffalo, First navy all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, best kill ratio
• Bristol Beaufighter, British "Jack of all trades"
• Bristol Blenheim, First aircraft fitted with Airborne Interception Radar
• Bristol F.2B, Most effective two-seater of WWI, plus long postwar service
• Burgess-Dunne AH-16, first naval tailless a/c
• Cessna 150, Very popular light plane
• Cessna 172, Ubiquitous *, Best selling general aviation aircraft worldwide
• Cessna Citation, very popular bizjet
• Cirrus SR 20, rebirth of US general aviation industry
• Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Ubiquitous *, longest-ranged allied bomber of WWII, Numerically most produced US Bomber WWII - Wide Range of Missions performed
• Consolidated PBY Catalina, Backbone of SAR in WWII and beyond, most important Allied flying boat, "Watchdog of the seas" - later used even as a firebomber, saved countless US pilots' life
• Convair 440 Metropolitan, pressurized cabin
• Convair B-58 Hustler, First supersonic bomber
• Convair F-102, Proved area-rule concept, cold war western frontliner
• Convair F-106, Fully automated cross country flight 1958
• Curtiss Condor, Last of the Biplane airliners
• Curtiss Flyer, Introduces ailerons for roll control
• Curtiss J4N Jenny, Brought aviation to American public, classic barnstormer, first stable trainer & utility a/c
• Curtiss Model D, First takeoff from an aircraft carrier 1911
• Curtiss NC-4, First Trans-Atlantic flight
• Curtiss P-36,
• Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, First mass-produced U.S. fighter, mainstay of the USAAF and overseas Allies in early WWII
• Dassault MD.450 Ouragan, First indigenous French jet fighter
• Dassault Mirage III/V, Most successful post war French fighter, one of the most worlwide exported fighters, six day war
• De Cierva Autogiro, predecessor of the helicopter
• DeHavilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, bushplane par excellence
• DeHavilland Comet Racer, Won London-Melbourne MacRobertson Trophy
• DeHavilland Comet, First operational jet airliner
• DeHavilland DH.4, Used even after WW I - as a mail and passenger plane, widely license-built
• DeHavilland DH.91 Albatross
• DeHavilland DH.98 Mosquito, Use of non-traditional materials, best WWII multipurpose airframe, could take alot of s**t thrown at it, beautiful plywood "Angel of Death", The Wooden Wonder
• DeHavilland Dragon Rapide, Icon of its time, beautiful plane, one of the first feeder airliners, one of the first serious passenger planes, Simply because it looks beautiful and delicate!
• DeHavilland Moth / Tiger Moth, Ubiquitous *, trainer throughout the Commonwealth
• DeHavilland Vampire, First british useful jetfighter
• Dornier Do 17, Famous "Flying Pencil"
• Dornier Do 335
• Dornier Do X, Largest airliner of the 1920's
• Dornier Wal, established transatlantic postal service, innovative operational concept (relay tender ships along flight route), successful flying boat
• Douglas A-26/B-26, Ubiquitous *
• Douglas A2D Skyshark
• Douglas A-3D Skywarrior, Largest carrier-based aircraft
• Douglas A4D / A-4 Skyhawk, Ubiquitous *, successful application of simplicity to a modern jet
• Douglas AD / A-1 Skyraider, Ubiquitous *, last U.S. Navy and Air Force reciprocating engine combat aircraft
• Douglas C-124
• Douglas C-47 / DC-3, Revolutionized commercial air travel, breakthrough twin-engined airliner, 65 years of useful life, most famous liner, introduced the idea you didn't have to be crazy to go fly in one, the first viable commercial aircraft. The DC-3 changed the way the world flies and does business, first commercially successful airliner, Made air travel reliable and universal
• Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket, First to sustain Mach 2 in level flight
• Douglas DC-1, First plane of the DC hegemony
• Douglas DC-2
• Douglas DC-4 /DC-6 /DC-7, First family of transatlantic high-capacity airliners
• Douglas DC-8, Close competitor to the Boeing 707
• Douglas DC-9 / McDonnell Douglas MD-80, Ubiquitous *
• Douglas M series Mailplanes
• Douglas SBD Dauntless, Turned tide of the Pacific War single-handedly, sank four carriers at Midway, the plane that won the Pacific War, Midway!
• Douglas TBD, US Navy's first monoplane torpedo bomber
• Douglas World Cruiser, First round-the-world flight
• Douglas X-3 Stiletto
• Ekranoplan
• English Electric Canberra, First great jet medium bomber, classic jet bomber used even during the Falklands war, used for over 50 years and still in use!
• EuroFighter Typhoon, A quantum leap in technology
• Fabre seaplane, First successful seaplane 1910
• Fairchild A-10 Warthog, Re-emphasized protection and firepower, arguably one of the toughest CAS aircraft in the world
• Fairchild C-123 Provider, The only aircraft that has been flown as a glider, reciprocating engine aircraft, jet aircraft and a combination of recips and jets
• Fairey Gannet
• Fairey Swordfish, Taranto, Bismarck, English Channel 1942
• Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri, Most advanced helicopter of its time
• Focke Achgelis Drache
• Focke-Wulf Fa-61, First helicopter to demonstrate controlled flight
• Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Ubiquitous *, best German fighter of WWII
• Focke-Wulf FW 200 Condor
• Fokker D.VII, Best German fighter of WWI, what other a/c was mentioned in the treaty... , first cantilever wing in a fighter
• Fokker D.XXI, purely from a Finnish point of view
• Fokker Dr.1, Best known mount of Manfred von Richthofen
• Fokker E.I Eindecker, First effective fighter, first fighter with synchronized machine guns, superior in the early part of WW I, showed it could do something deadly and introduced the term "fighter"
• Fokker F27 Friendship
• Ford Trimotor series, The first American airliner produced in large numbers, Took aviation services to the far corners of the world
• Fouga CM170 Magister, A very popular trainer, graceful trainer, had a military role too
• Gee Bee, primarily because it seems to be the a/c that comes to mind with Golden Age racing
• General Dynamics F-111, Aardvark First variable-geometry bomber, played bigger role than anyone thought
• General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, First production fly-by-wire aircraft, modern fighter-bomber, Ubiquitous *  
• Gloster E.28/39 Pioneer, With He 178, first jet turbine a/c
• Gloster Meteor, contemporary of the Me 262 in squadron service
• Gossamer Albatross, First man-powered a/c
• Gotha WW1 bomber
• Grumman A-6 Intruder, First low-level precision bomber
• Grumman F-14 Tomcat, First operational variable-geometry carrier plane; longest striking range, invincible after 30 years
• Grumman F4F Wildcat, First successful monoplane fighter, mainstay of USN in early war; later used off escort carriers to good effect
• Grumman F6F Hellcat, Most victories in the Pacific in WWII, best combat ratio for a WWII fighter, Pacific workhorse
• Grumman F9F-2 Panther, First U.S. Naval jet in combat
• Grumman X-29
• Handley Page H.P.42 Heracles, giant of its time, comfortable travel
• Hawker Hunter, The first GB plane to break the sound barrier in level flight at sea level
• Hawker Hurricane, Destroyed more aircraft than any type of WWII, backbone of RAF during Battle of Britain, Ubiquitous *, workhorse
• Hawker Sea Fury, The best piston-engine fighter - even better than other jet-propelled contemporaries (e.g. Mig-15)
• Hawker Siddeley HS 125
• Hawker Tempest, Pre-eminent RAF fighter-bomber
• Heinkel 219, First operational aircraft with ejection seat
• Heinkel He 111, versatile
• Heinkel He 178, With Gloster E.28/39 Pioneer, first jet turbine a/c
• Henry Farman III, Broke many records 1909 - 1914
• Henschel Hs 129
• Horten 229, First flying wing, 50 years ahead of its time
• Hughes 300, Widely used training helicopter
• Hughes 500, Classic helicopter
• Hughes HK-1 "Spruce Goose", Biggest, the largest aircraft of its time and it actually flew...sort of. Could have had a greater impact on history, but Howard Hughes lost interest in it and WWII (it was supposed to help ferry troops) was over before it was finished
• Ikarus Comco C42, trained thousands of ultralight pilots
• Ilya Mourometz, Sikorsky's Russian heavy bomber of WWI, behemoth even before the war, world first four-engine aircraft, fully enclosed cockpit/cabin, capable for both airliner and bomber/recce service. Series built, (probably) sole bomber with positive score against fighters
• Ilyushin Il-2, Ubiquitous *, most numerous aircraft of WWII, the only WW-II attack aircraft to be deadly effective even under total enemy air superiority
• Ilyushin Il-28, Backbone of Warsaw Pact tactical bombing force for 30 years
• JSF, Although it isn't in production yet, the JSF is significant because a common airframe will be used for Air Force, Marines, and Navy with the specific versions for each branch being "customized" for their needs. It is the first aircraft to successfully mimic the VTOL characteristic of the Harrier and it can go supersonic. Also, it is the largest military contract to date
• Junkers F13, First viable commercial plane, an all-metal plane ahead of its time, one of the first passenger planes with cantilever wing
• Junkers Ju 52/3m, Most successful German transport of WWII, Ubiquitous *, on wheels and floats, in war and peace, civilian and military career comparable to DC-3
• Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, Pre-eminent dive bomber, first successful close-support aircraft, first dedicated dive bomber, symbol of the Blitzkrieg, horror for millions - to be remembered
• Junkers Ju 88, Most versatile aircraft of WWII, a medium bomber with incredible stretch
• Karhumäki Karhu 48, Combination of Finnish private enterprise and know-how in very confused situation (just after World War II).
• Kawasaki Ki-61
• Learjet, Practically synonomous with the term "bizjet", first business jet
• Lockheed A-12/YF-12/SR-71 Blackbird, Fastest operational military a/c, fastest production aircraft, first stealth aircraft, huge advancement in weapons tech. (role model), no other aircraft was farther ahead of its time in more disciplines (flight physics, materials, engines, low observables, to name a few)
• Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Most successful military transport of all time, best tactical transport ever, world's most reliable transport aircraft, Truly versatile airframe that outlived everyone's expectations, Ubiquitous *, the mother of post-WW2 tactical air transport. In production for more than 40 years now, unsung workhorse, set the pattern for all following transport airlifters
• Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, Pre-eminent strategic transport, the really big transport
• Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star, First successful AEW platform
• Lockheed Electra, Amelie Earhart's flight
• Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, First plane designed for optimal flight over Mach 1.0, Ubiquitous *
• Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, Introduction of Stealth technology, first operational "stealth" a/c, leading the way in stealth fighting
• Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, Close competitor to DC-6/DC-7 series, cult plane of the piston airliner era
• Lockheed L-749 Constellation, first pressurized airliner
• Lockheed Neptune, widely used successful ASW plane
• Lockheed P-38 Lightning, First true fighter-bomber, first operational turbo-charged interceptor; also effective heavy fighter, easy to recognize, used to shoot down Yamamoto
• Lockheed P-80 / F-80 Shooting Star, First US jet fighter
• Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, Most successful U.S. Jet trainer
• Lockheed U-2, Cold-war recon plane
• Lockheed Vega family (Altair, Orion, Sirius, Air Express), first solo round the world flight
• Macchi M.C.72, Fastest Schneider racer
• Martin 130 China Clipper, First to run real commercial service across Pacific, first scheduled trans-Pacific airliner, Pioneered the Pacific routes for passenger travel
• Martin B-10, First modern monoplane bomber
• Martin B-26 Marauder
• McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, Precision attack/fighter, rolled up into one package - highly versatile, Air Forces most widely used fighters today
• McDonnell Douglas/Boeing F-15 Eagle, Pre-eminent contemporary interceptor, Air Forces most widely used fighters today, show me another a/c with a win/loss ratio like that...
• McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, Ubiquitous *, most widely used western jet of 1960s-1970s; reintroduced idea of "observer" to fighters, proven design, widely exported, truly versatile airframe that outlived everyone's expectations
• McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, First fully-functional multirole jet
• Me 323 Gigant, Largest transport in WWII
• Messerschmitt Bf 109, Ubiquitous *, most numerous fighter of WWII, widest produced aircraft of WWII, First fighter of the WW 2 generation of technologies, legend
• Messerschmitt Me 163, First production rocket aircaft
• Messerschmitt Me 262, First operational jet fighter, first combat jet aircraft, unsurpassed at its time - grandfather of modern jets in squadron service, the first jet fighter to see combat. Could have turned the war if Hitler and the German military had stuck to the original plan for it
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 / MiG-15UTI, Korea, first successful swept-wing jet fighter (tie), first mass produced Soviet jet, Most successful Soviet jet trainer (UTI)
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17,
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19, First supersonic fighter
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, Ubiquitous *, most numerous Eastern fighter of the 1960s-1970s, most widely produced combat jet to date, "THE" Russian fighter
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25, Fastest Soviet interceptor
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29, So graceful and so fast
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9, First indigenous Russian jet
• Mil Mi-24 Hind
• Mil Mi-26 Halo, Heaviest helicopter
• Mil Mi-8, Russian "workhorse", everywhere
• Mitsubishi A6M Reisen "Zero", Proof of the value of the lightweight fighter, first carrier-based fighter to equal or exceed land-based opponents, Ubiquitous *, initial success for Japan
• Nakajima Ki.43, Most important JAAF fighter
• Nakajima Ki-27 "Nate", First JAAF monoplane fighter
• Nieuport 17, Important WWI French fighter , best French fighter of WWI, good all-round fighter
• North American AJ Savage, First nuclear-capable carrier plane
• North American B-25 Mitchell, Ubiquitous * medium bomber of WWII, Pacific and MTO tactical bomber; also Tokyo raider; long postwar use
• North American F-100 Super Sabre, First U.S. jet to go Mach 1 in level flight
• North American F-86 Sabre, Korea, first successful swept-wing jet fighter (tie), last of the true gun fighters
• North American P-51 Mustang, Ubiquitous *, long-range fighter that made daylight bombing possible, helped win WWII and regarded as the best fighter during that time period, able to escort the bombers to Berlin, war-winning combination of technologies
• North American SNJ / T-6 Texan, Most important allied trainer of WWII, Ubiquitous *, still widely used and a popular Warbird
• North American X-15, Speed and altitude records, unlimited speed champion, introduced space flight
• North American XB-70 Valkyrie
• Northrop B-2A Spirit "Stealth Bomber", First operational flying wing with no vertical control surfaces, more expensive than its weight in gold, first high sub sonic speed Bomber
• Northrop F-5, Ubiquitous *
• Northrop flying wings, Led the way to B-2, First workable radical departure from "traditional" design
• Northrop P-61 Black Widow, First US purpose-built night fighter
• Northrop T-38 Talon, First supersonic trainer
• Panavia Tornado, Most successful multi-national developed warplane
• Petlyakov Pe-2, Second in numbers produced only to Il-2
• Pietenpol Air Camper, role model for the homebuilt movement
• Piper Cherokee, Ubiquitous *
• Piper J-3 / L-4 / O-59 / NE-1 Cub / PA-18 Super Cub, The classic 'grasshopper', first widely-purchased general aviation plane, first mass produced, introduced anyone who ever flew in one to the fact the air is an ocean and that flying is Fun, Ubiquitous *
• Polikarpov I-16, First Soviet monoplane fighter, retractable undercarriage as early as in 1933
• Polikarpov Po-2, Most widely-built aircraft of all time, Ubiquitous *
• Potez 25, Ubiquitous *
• PZL P.7/11/24, Innovative Polish fighter series of mid-30s
• Republic F-105 Thunderchief, First practical nuclear capable long range fighter bomber
• Republic F-84 Thunderstreak / Thunderjet, Widely used fighters, successful switch from straight wing to arrow-wing
• Republic P-43
• Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, Most numerous U.S. fighter of WWII, pre-eminent USAAF fighter-bomber, famous "Flying Barrel"
• Robinson R22, classic trainer helicopter
• Rutan Voyager, First non-stop unrefueled round-the-world plane
• Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis", First New York-to-Paris solo flight, Biggest aviation landmark until breaking sound barrier
• Ryan PT-20 series, First use of monocoque fuselage construction
• SAAB J-35 Draken, First double-delta fighter, a marvel in engineering
• SAAB Viggen
• Savoia S.55, Formation transatlantic flight
• Savoia-Marchetti S.M.79 Sparviero, Alfa Romeo of the skies
• SE5A
• Seversky P-35
• Short Empire C-Class, Mainstay of Imperial Airways' overseas routes, first aircraft to open up de world to scheduled flight
• Short Skyvan,
• Short Sunderland, The most important production heavy flying boat of WWII, best example of the short lifetime of the flyboat
• Sikorsky R-4, First practical single-rotor helicopter
• Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly,
• Sikorsky S-55, First helicopter nonstop Transatlantic
• Sikorsky S-58 / H-34 / Wessex
• Sikorsky S-61 / SH-3 Sea King, First dedicated ASW helicopter, classic in SAR, the maritime SAR machine, most widely used heliliner (S-61)
• Sikorsky VS-300A, First single rotor helicopter with variable cyclic pitch
• Sopwith Camel, Leading allied fighter of WWI, best English fighter of WWI, legend
• SPAD VII / XIII, Important WWI French fighter, most produced fighter in WW I
• Stearman N2S / PT-17 Kaydet, Basic trainer in WWII and beyond, Ubiquitous *, america's tiger moth
• Sud Aviation Alouette, First turbine powered helicopter
• Sud Aviation Caravelle, very popular european jetliner, best european jet
• Sukhoi S-37 Berkut
• Sukhoi Su-27, Quite possibly the world's most capable fighter, try to dogfight it..., so graceful and so fast
• Supermarine S.6B, Retired Schneider Cup
• Supermarine Spitfire, Ubiquitous *, record-setting development from Mk. I to FR.47, fast plane, legend of the BoB
• Tupolev SB-2
• Tupolev Tu 154, Russian "workhorse"
• Tupolev Tu 95 "Bear", long service
• Weisskopf Nr.21 - First US powered flight
• Westland Wyvern, first operational turboprop attack plane
• Vickers Wellesley, first plane to introduce geodetic construction
• Vickers Wellington/Warwick, long and versatile service
• Vickers Vimy, Alcock and Brown's transatlantic flight
• Vickers Viscount, First widely-successful turboprop airliner
• VL Pyörremyrsky
• Vought F4U Corsair, Best naval fighter of WWII; also excellent for attack, last U.S. production prop fighter aircraft
• Vought F-8 Crusader, Last of the single seat navy fighters, last of the low-tech "gunfighters"
• Wright Flyer III, First practical aircraft
• Wright Flyer, First sustainable controlled powered flight, for obvious reasons, excellent research and development for 1903, first successful combination of biplane glider and gasoline engine, first powered alone
• Yakovlev Yak-1 through -9, Ubiquitous *
• Zeppelin Staaken

* = Ubiquitous means here, that the aircraft fits one or more of the following qualifications: built in very large numbers, served with many air forces, operational for more than 20 years, or in production for more than 15 years. Obviously, to meet any of these criteria, they must have been exceptional in their class and time.

Back

Last updated December 11th, 2002