Hush-Kit Top Ten: The ten best-looking American airplanes
In choosing the ten best-looking US airplanes, where should you begin? Some aircraft are very beautiful in the real world, but are not so photogenic. The Constellation is wonderful in reality, but looks awkwardly hump-backed in pictures. The F-15 has enormous presence and dynamic lines, but something in the way its sections fit together, give its overall shape a lack of coherency. Several of the aircraft selected have beautifully curvy lines, particularly the sensuous Panther and ‘Moonbat’. The B-1B should be viewed at dawn, when its aquatic body and intelligent face give it an exotic, almost temple-like grace. Some US aircraft are pure Roger Ramjet- these unapologetically brash, flag-waving lunatics are a world of fun, and are typified by the likes of the B-58 Hustler and XB-70 Valkyrie. The Lockheed Electra Junior, the third star of Casablanca, is perfection. I hope you enjoy my selection, I’m sure you won’t agree with all my choices, but no doubt your favourite (or favorite) would have made it in, had I space for eleven.
10. Northrop YB-35
9. North American XB-70 Valkyrie
8. McDonnell XP-67 ‘Moonbat’
7. Grumman F9F Panther
6. Convair B-58 Hustler
5. Rockwell B-1B Lancer
4. Lockheed 12A Electra Junior
3. Convair F-106 Delta Dart
2. North American P-51 Mustang
1. Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
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If you enjoyed this, have a look at the top ten British, French, Swedish, Australian, Soviet and German aeroplanes. Wanting Something a little more exotic? Try the top ten fictional aircraft.
interesting list but hey, where’s the A-10?!?
May I ask what was the paper project depicted in the first picture? Looks very similar to Gloster Javelin
A-10 is certainly a contender. The aircraft at the top is the Grumman D-1118 concept.
Left up to me, the Northrop F-5 and T-38 family would get a top three placement on this list.
Great choices here all the same.
They are pretty..no F-20?
The F-20 was nice, but the single engine took away that near perfect “Coke bottle” fuselage the F-5 and T-38 have. That fuselage is a lot of what made that family of aircraft beautiful.
I heartily concur with most but I would have to add a few.
F6F Hellcat
A-1D Skyraider
B-26G
A-7E Corsair II (luv me the SLUF!)
That’s a really interesting set of choices. I agree with some (the Moonbat, the Electra), disagree with some (the F9F, the F-106), but, hey, de gustibus non disputandem est!
What would I put on the list? The Connie, the Beech Staggerwing, the F-86 Sabre, the XR-12 Rainbow, and the B-47 for starters.
Thanks for encouraging the discussion. How about posting the converse — your take on the 10 least attractive American airplanes?
Best regards,
Frank