My Top 5

1. P-51D Mustang - beautiful lines, awesome sound, effective

2. A-1 Skyraider - big, get's the job done

3. Thunderbolts I & II - P-47 & A-10 purpose built and very, very effective in what they do

4. SR-71 Blackbird - the lines, OMG!!

5. Sukhoi Su-27 and up - some of the most beautiful jet fighters ever

OK, I can't possibly pass this one up, so here goes:

Martin B-10


I've got a soft spot for anything between the wars, but from a modeling standpoint all that rigging intimidates me. Plus this has got to be the Grand-daddy of modern airpower, and it just looks cool.

Boeing B-17


This old girl is right up there with Mom and apple pie. If someone says American airpower this is what comes to my mind.

Boeing B-47


Right after the "Golden Age" of flight (between the Wars) the fifties are right up in the running (I was there). For my money this is one of the most elegant aircraft ever to burn holes in the sky. I still vividly remember the last time I saw one in flight (late summer 1963).

Boeing B-52


Nothing says bomb-truck like these babies! I had a couple of occasions in my youth I got to see these beauties (in an ugly sort of way) ply their magic up-close and personal (well, as up-close and personal as you can get and live to tell the tale).

Consolidated B-36


My date of issue was 1948 at Fort Worth, Texas, I was pretty little at the time (duh!), but these would have been the first aircraft I ever saw. The magnesium overcast.

I differ between props and jets. You cannot really mix them, because they are from different eras.

Props:
1. P-61 Black Widow - don't ask why, just remember my nick name here ....
2. P-38 Lightning - it was fast, powerful and had a unique design.
3. Spitfire (especially Griffon Spits) - well, no simplier reason, just because it's a Spit ....
4. Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (especially the A-8 version) - it looked aggressive, was heavily armed and powerful and could give and take heavy punches.
5. P-40 Warhawk - far too often underestimated it was there when it was needed from the first to the last day. Reliable with good fire power. Name the theater of war and I show you the P-40 there.

Missing closely the Top 5 for me are the Beaufighter, Ki-45, A6M Zero, P-47 Thunderbolt and Bf 109.

My favourite jets are:
1. F-4 Phantom II (especially E and F version)
2. Saab Draken
3. Mirage III
4. MRCA Tornado
5. Mitsubishi F-1/T-2

I don't have a favourite airliner, but if, I'm sure it would be Airbus A 340 and Boeing 747 because the have taken me safely around the world all the years.

Torsten

Now D wants photos!

Ok here's a Jaguar







All three are the same aircraft XZ367 from which this wing fence I own came from.





And now a Beau! Oh, one of only a few reverse lend lease aircraft, sold to the US as a nightfighter.
http://youtu.be/vsUdbzQCm_Y

Enjoy

I share Thorsten's opinion to differ props and jet, so here are my tops:

Props:
1. Messerschmitt Bf-109, cause this was the first kit, I got from my parents

2. The Spitfire, because of the beautiful lines and curves, but not the ones with the clipped wings

3. Messerschmitt Me 262, first jet figther, sharky look, nuff said

4. Vought Corsair, a design and construction that served many years

5. Heinkel 100, nice design and interesting features

The Jets are:

1. Lookheed Starfighter, plane or more a rocket?

2. BAe Harrier, especially the british carrier version

3. The F-16 A

4. Saab Viggen

5. F-86 Sabre

Oliver

Ok, as for Jets:

Grumman F9F - love the look of the fuel tanks on the wings and the bullet nose

English Electric Lightning - How can you not? Stacked engines and fuel tanks ON TOP of the wings!

Lockheed F-104 - It looks fast

Grumman F-14 - I like a wing that swings

Douglas A-4 - I like the boosted cockpit look and the delta wing combo

1. P-3a/b Orion the airplane I was aircrew on in the Navy and lots of air time over the big pond. Like the avatar above.

2. P-40 it was the airplane that I learned about early in life due to the AVG.

3. Piper PA-18 the airplane I took my first lessons on.

4. P-47 just a BEAST

5. C 118 the first time I took a military ride in 1969

Now with pictures as I remember them from my first encounters:
Dakota:

Schweizer 2-33

Boeing 747

Damian,
This is almost impossible for me to name a top 5. I grew up 15 min from the main gate of Grumman's in Bethpage LI, and about 30 min in the other direction (east) was the main gate for Republic. So I spent my youth either biking with my brother to either plant to see what we could see, or looking up all day long when we heard an aircraft. In the 1970s I lived in Newport News Va. So I got to see everything that flew into and out of Langley, as well as Oceana Naval Air Station.

Grumman's
1-F6F Hellcats
2-F4F Wildcats
3-F9F Panther/Cougars
4-A6 Intruders
5-F-14 Tomcats


Republic
1-P-47 Thunderbolts
2-F-84 Thunderjet/Thunderflash
3-F105 Thunderchief
4-A10 Thunderbolt 11

My favourites.

1) Fokker Dr.1. Ok, this ones a replica but it's owned and flown by Iron Maidens Bruce Dickinson!

2) Stampe SV4. Looping in an open cockpit was an experience I will never forget.

3) DH Mosquito.

4) Gloster Meteor.

4) B-29 Superfortress.

5) Mirage III.

6) F-4 Phantom. This photo was on the front cover of the very first aeroplane picture book I was given to from my grandparents. And I still have it.

7) SEPECAT Jaguar.

8) Bae Hawk.

9) HP Victor. Looking every bit like Ming the Merciless's War Rocket Ajax. A truly evil looking bomber.

10) EE Canberra.

I understand perfectly Joel, for quite a few of us the list will have changed by the time we finish typing a response here!

As I said, this is just a discussion thread for interest sake, I'm sure a lot of folks have never even really considered narrowing their interest down in such a way.

Thanks for your input everybody, keep the posts coming. Some brilliant images being shared as well, love it!

Cheers, D

Since most otheers are making a list of top 5 here's mine (subject to revision)

1. AVRO Arrow

2. Albatros D.V

3. Supermarine S6B

4. Heinkel He 70

5. Stinson Reliant Sr-10

Pics to follow...

Any of the 'tween war Boeing and Curtiss fighters but above the Avro Bison. It looks so ungainly that you wonder if it really could fly

okay, I'll play:

1. Hawker Hurricane-the unsung hero of the BOB!
2. Hawker Typhoon-a brutal beast!
3. Spitfire-need I say anything?
4. P47D Bubbletop-another brutal beast!
5. F15-odd one out being a modern jet, but love the look of 'em!

Wow, cool thread!

I've always been fascinated by those darn flying machines and I guess that it was this fascination that got me into modeling for sure around the age of 8 or so with a Airfix Chipmunk.

My top 5 planes, no order of favour intended, are:
1- Bf 109 (the E and F versions)
2- F-16 (any version single seat)
3- FW 200 C
4- Hawker Hurricane
5- Albatros D.V

Guess naming up to 12 would be a simple affair :-)

Cheers

Richard, Steve, Russ, Pedro, thanks for chiming in with your (current) favourites, once again some interesting types listed.

Steve, that Avro Bison sure is an awkward looking unit!

Pedro, I've always had a liking for the Condor as a long range heavy, great choice.

Keep them coming folks.

Cheers, D

From childhood memories:

1. F-104 Starfighter
2. Mirage V
3. Fouga Magister

Not by coincidence the planes that roared above Belgium in those days.

Then, of course, the most beautiful post war aircraft

4. F-16

And of today's newest developments

5. Rafale

Besides that, I definitively have aweak spot for the F-14 (nothing to do with Tom Cruise) , the A-7D and the fantastic A-10.

Hi guys and gals. I don2t know about you but personally favorite to build and favorite to admire are two different things for me. For example I don't like Mustangs taht much, I find them overrated, spoiled cheep knock-off planes but I love building P-51B and Cs both in 1/72 and 144. So I think I will have a mixed up list.

1 and 2...well you place them I can't chose between. F-4(specially short noses)Phantom II and Bf.109(G-6,10 and AS are favorates) both to admire and build. Phantom is my childhood hero since I saw one buzzing off over the sea infront of our house when I was a kid. Fast, heavy, tough, carries the hell out and without exeption and regardless of nation all riders are crazy. Bf.109 is a titanium operation scarpel for me. Can't break it no matter how hard you push it always (or at least tries to) keep up.
2-AH-1 Cobra(specially Q) Both to admire and build. Mean and dangerous looking bastard as the name suggests.
3-Fw.190(A6+) Also a mean and beautiful punchbag.
4-P-38. I love'em but not to build much. Probably because not very accessable to decent kits in my scale of interests.
5-...oh hack! did I run out of numbers?....ok Spitfire.
Also I love Broncos, F-8 Crusader, A-10s, Ju-87s and Ju-88s but don't like building them. I have no qlue why. On the other hand I hate F-16, same reason with P-51 but I like building a model, always fun.

Okay I don't post much lately but this is fun.

In no particular order:

The Spitfire. Because it's beautiful. And because it forms one half of aviation's greatest dyad. (photo unnecessary)

The bf109. Because it isn't beautiful per se. The perfect counterpoint to the perfect aircraft (Spitfire) and the other half of the dyad. (photo unnecessary)

The MC200. Because it's so very good looking despite looking so bad. Had its engine, armament, support and radio been better it could've been a contender.


The SM79. Because it was fast, rugged and effective. And I love to look at it.

The Nakajima B6N (Tenzan). One of the best looking airframes ever.

The F14. Because of course.
The Supermarine Scimitar because ditto.

Richard, great to see that you are still with us! Thanks for your input, those Italian airframes have an undeniably attractive line.

Cheers, D

Top 5 aircraft,lets see.
1. DH Mosquito
2. Avro Arrow
3. Any Canadian Dehavilland aircraft from the lowly DHC2 Beaver to the DHC6 Twin Otter
4. Canadair Argus
5. Canadair CL215/415 water bomber
I realize that because the third choice contains more than one aircraft this may put me over the top 5 limit. The why is that Canadian aircraft companies are leaders in the field in many ways. besides I am a little biased.

five, only five, YGBSM.
F4U Corsair
B-17 Flying Fortress
A-7 Corsair II
F-16 Fighting Falcon
Then there's the Mustang, Saber, Super Saber, Panther, Cougar, Vigilante Strato fortress, Superfortress, Stratojet, Skyraider, Warhawk, Thunderbolt, Lightning, Hellcat.

I know, I know. It is just so hard to try to nail down a top 5, and as I said earlier it is likely to change by the time you finish posting a message here! That is just part of the fun. No right or wrong, just personal favourites.
Anyway, it is now 6.30 on Christians eve here in Great Southern Land, I am going to sit down with the tribe and enjoy some dinner and a nice apple cider.

Cheers, D

I'll put in my two penn'orth
1. Jodel D150 Mascaret, only flown one once but a lovely aircraft
2. Rollason Condor, again only once but responsive and beautifully harmonised controls
3. Bristol F2B, not the prettiest but purposeful and deadly looking
4. Hawker Fury, Elegant perfection.
5. Joint award for the last DH Tiger Moth and Stearman. I have flown the Stearman and loved it, I have yet to fly a Moth but it is on the bucket list.
Also rans- Miles Gemini, Percival Proctor, Spitfire, Avro Lancaster, Avro Vulcan, Fiat CR42, Macchi MC200, Polikarpov I-15, Grob G109B, Grob G103 Twin.
I can't agree with Jessica in one respect, I trained on a PA-38 Tomahawk and that does not make my favourite list but only days after I soloed a Tomahawk I soloed the G103, that does.