Hardest Looking Aircraft

**Big King Sanctaphrax** · 02-10-2005, 17:49

The F7F Hellcat is another tough looking aircraft.

The Hellcat is indeed an extremely nasty looking plane. I keep expecting it to head-butt me.

However, personally I think it's successor, the Bearcat, pips it by a nose.

The design philosophy seems to have been 'put the largest possible engine into the smallest possible airframe'. It had phenomenal performance but was just too late for WWII.

**Scurvy** · 02-10-2005, 19:01

some of those WW1 planes look pretty tough, if you forget the paper wings and joints held together by spit and prayer...

they have been around for ages, and some for example the German Pfalz D III or the British Sopwith series have foguth through 2 wars (if only for a very small part of the second)

**Big King Sanctaphrax** · 02-10-2005, 19:13

Originally Posted by Scurvy

some of those WW1 planes look pretty tough, if you forget the paper wings and joints held together by spit and prayer...

they have been around for ages, and some for example the German Pfalz D III or the British Sopwith series have foguth through 2 wars (if only for a very small part of the second)

Thanks for reminding me, I can't believe I forgot the Sopwith Camel.

The Camel holds a special place in my heart, actually, because I first got into aviation by reading Capt. W.E. Johns' Biggles books. It was one of Biggles's primary mounts.

**The Wizard** · 02-10-2005, 19:33

The superplane of WW1 was a Fokker triplane, built in the Netherlands but mainly used by the Germans -- the Red Baron flew one. I forget what its name was though, pity...

~Wiz

**Scurvy** · 02-10-2005, 20:47

Richthofen (Red baron) flew a Fokker D.VII, i think it was designed by a guy called Platz.

Sanctaphrax- i also read the "Biggles" series, and they are very intesting, although i dont claim to be overly intrested in aviation (just WW1 really), how many versions of the sopwith series were actively used win WW1?

btw. how do you quote?

**Scurvy** · 02-10-2005, 20:50

just saw the obvious quote button, no worries :D

**Tribesman** · 02-10-2005, 21:15

how many versions of the sopwith series were actively used win WW1?
Sopwith
Pictures of most of them , the Cuckoo and Salamander are two that are definately missing .

Hardest looking , one of the Ju.88s with the 75mm cannon , slow and useless , but what a gun . How about the Drakken or the Viggen ? they look mean yet graceful .

**Big King Sanctaphrax** · 02-10-2005, 21:56

Originally Posted by Scurvy

Richthofen (Red baron) flew a Fokker D.VII, i think it was designed by a guy called Platz.

Sanctaphrax- i also read the "Biggles" series, and they are very intesting, although i dont claim to be overly intrested in aviation (just WW1 really), how many versions of the sopwith series were actively used win WW1?

btw. how do you quote?

Off the top of my head...1 and a half strutter, Pup, Camel, Dolphin, Salamander, Cuckoo, Snipe.

The superplane of WW1 was a Fokker triplane, built in the Netherlands but mainly used by the Germans -- the Red Baron flew one. I forget what its name was though, pity...

The DR.1? Richthofen was famous for flying a DR.1, but in fact the vast majority of his victories were achieved on Albatros Biplanes.

As for it being the 'superplane' of world war one, that's contentious. It could turn on a dime, but it found diving very difficult, due to the lift and drag caused by its three wings. It was also underpowered.

Much as I love the Camel, the best all-round fighter of world war one was probably the Fokker D.VII.