What's your favourite military aircraft?

[toxicpixie]

Two pages and NO ONE has mentioned the TSR.2?!



Like the Lightnings sexier cousin. Although I do like the Lightning. Must have been like riding a rocket!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAC_TSR-2

Go to Cosford if you want to one in the, errr, flesh. She's lovely up close.

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

No Lightening - so ugly it's beautiful, and with an exhaust flame longer that the airframe on a burner QRA.

IanS

[Matt J]

Has to be the Vulcan. Watched one lazily fly over my back garden at not very much height a couple years ago. Friggin' awesome.

Also second Cosford to see some great cold war kit - also it's free entry, and they have a centurion 

[Westmarcher]

Fieseler Storch at Cosford also, I seem to recall. Having seen it featured in the odd Commando comic, it was quite exciting to see it for real (I know .... I'm a geek  )

[toxicpixie]

The Vulcan is awesome, too. Basically any early to mid Cold War UK aircraft are awesome

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Except the Javelin - completely out of proportion, and effectively never finished. Ugly beast.

IanS

[toxicpixie]

Out of proportion, yeah, barely ever actually finished, considerably incapable of its role and outclassed by only marginally newer aircraft, but ugly? I dunno, I rather like the Thunderbirds look!

[Wulf]

The Vulcan is certainly my favourite aircraft to LISTEN to... The Vulcan Howl is unique as far as I've heard.

Wulf

[Westmarcher]

 .... and so we get back to the Gripen!     How's this for a great sound?

[toxicpixie]

Sounds like a jet powered kazoo

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

But you can hear the Lightening from inside an airbourne Wessex, and Wessi are effing noisy.

IanS

[Westmarcher]

Sounds like a jet powered kazoo

  Naw! This is a kazoo ....

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

https://youtu.be/H_ARSE8jEHQ

Just okay it LOUD!

[toxicpixie]

The Lightning is loud enough you could probably hear it in a helicopter from another county, never mind Wessex

[Wulf]

I remember an old TV show where various military pilots got to fly one another's aircraft types. A Harrier pilot was in a 2-seat Lightning. It took off, pointed the nose into the air and the commentry said "And now he experiences a different form of vertical takeoff..."

I also remember a fast flypast at RAF Leuchars. Commentry: "That was a fast flypast at Mach 0.97. I know it was Mach 0.97, because that's the fastest he's allowed to fly..."