If you could own any plane, what would it be?

[Chantry]

With just me as a pilot: Fairey Swordfish.  Historically significant, almost absurdly easy to fly and reliable

 

With a co-pilot:  PBY-5A Catalina.  Another reliable aircraft, easy aircraft to fly and imagine all the places you could go in an amphibian aircraft with a 2500 mile range

 

On edit: For purposes of discussion money is not and never will be an issue.

Edited May 4, 2023 by Chantry

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

P-51 or P-38, my Mom was a WASP and those were her two favorites. 

She did say the P-51 would kill you faster than any other airplane she ever flew.

She was also a P-51 instructor pilot. 

[Pat Riot]

Whichever one I could easily trade for something cool on 2 or 4 wheels. 
 

I used to fantasize about owning a plane and flying until I had coworkers that did and I learned that BOAT means “Break Out Another Thousand”. Plane means BOAT is kid stuff. 

[Cypress Sun]

A P-47. The tank of the skies. I guess that since I could afford the plane, I could afford to feed those 8 - .50 machine guns in the wings also.

[Blackwater 53393]

SR71. Go fast! Fly high!!

[Eyesa Horg]

A biplane, like a Waco!! Or maybe an old Taylorcraft. A J3 cub would be cool too! Flying an Ultralight has been on my bucket list for decades, but I think that one will never happen either!!

[Rip Snorter]

Boats are bad, planes are awful.  The required checks for airworthiness become increasingly expensive, so much so that at the final level, it is so expensive that planes are often scrapped.

[Dogmeat Dad, SASS #48563L]

Ever since the TV show Baa Baa Blacksheep, I have always had a hankering for a Corsair F4U...

 

 

[PowderRiverCowboy]

Love the F4U , The SR71 would be cool , and would a F18  and always liked the AV8 Harrier  

 

However my vote goes to the A10 why because miniguns
 

Edited May 4, 2023 by PowderRiverCowboy

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

Velocity.  Single or Twin.

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Erocoupe in a mono. 

A Beech Stagger wing if a bi-plane.

Dad had a Super Cub before he had a car and had a Spitfire in the backyard.

In Mother's garden!

They were married 68 years, so she must have loved him.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

1 hour ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

P-51 or P-38, my Mom was a WASP and those were her two favorites. 

She did say the P-51 would kill you faster than any other airplane she ever flew.

She was also a P-51 instructor pilot. 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

I would love to fly any of the above. But to own and fly frequently? That's a little harder. I've flown a lot of civilian aircraft but a few stand out for overall utility and cost of operation. I'm partial to single engine

 

Single engine: 

Beech A-36 Bonanza. Still sexy after 70 years and sweet handling

Cessna 206 Stationair. Sweet handling and a great SUV

 

Twins:

Beech Baron: Like a Bonanza with two engines

Cessna 310: Sexy, plus Sky King flew one. 'Nuff said

 

Cool Factor:

Dehavilland Beaver. Old school SUV. Just wow!

Beech 18: Gots round engines and can land anywhere. 

North American T-28 Trojan. Just because...

 

Bucket list ride & fly:

Boeing Stearman

Curtis Jenny

 

Arghhh! Too many choices! 

 

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

50 minutes ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

Velocity.  Single or Twin.

I like your style! Kinky!

 

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by Abilene Slim SASS 81783

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Beech D-17 Stagger Wing.  Had a friend of a friend in California who owned one.  Rode in it many times and love it.  Just elegant and classy.

 

Doesn't even have to fly because I'm too old to learn to fly it and can't afford the operating costs any more.

 

I'd put it on a concrete pad in my back yard and just sit in it and grin a lot.

[Guest]

Boeing 314 Clipper (aka Pan-Am Clipper)

Live in it and fly most anywhere there is water.

Plus, it's gorgeous.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_314_Clipper

[Marshal Dan Troop 70448]

only one plane I would want to own after flying one many times in the past. A B17.

[DocWard]

2 hours ago, PowderRiverCowboy said:

Love the F4U , The SR71 would be cool , and would a F18  and always liked the AV8 Harrier  

 

However my vote goes to the A10 why because miniguns
 

Not to be pedantic, but the GAU-8 Avenger 30mm cannon ain’t no minigun.

[Tennessee Trapper Tom]

Wish I could fly. For me it would be a J3 piper cub

[PowderRiverCowboy]

5 minutes ago, DocWard said:

Not to be pedantic, but the GAU-8 Avenger 30mm cannon ain’t no minigun.

I know ,But same concept , Meant for for joke but loose that in print

[Big Gus, SASS# 66666]

AN-2 Colt

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAntonov_An-2&psig=AOvVaw0u61R3o4hu83bSCLe_F6js&ust=1683308812857000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjRxqFwoTCIjgi46c3P4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

[Eyesa Horg]

1 hour ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

Beech D-17 Stagger Wing.  Had a friend of a friend in California who owned one.  Rode in it many times and love it.  Just elegant and classy.

 

Doesn't even have to fly because I'm too old to learn to fly it and can't afford the operating costs any more.

 

I'd put it on a concrete pad in my back yard and just sit in it and grin a lot.

You'd need to be able to at least start it and listen to it run!

[DocWard]

That’s a difficult question to answer for me. There are so many aircraft I like. But if push came to shove, I’d go with the following:

 

Warbird: P-38 Lightning, always has been my favorite warbird. 
 

Civil Aviation: Either a Grumman American Tiger or Cessna Skymaster.

 

if I had been able to fly for the Air Force, I would have wanted to fly Warthogs.

[Subdeacon Joe]

23 minutes ago, Big Gus, SASS# 66666 said:

AN-2 Colt

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAntonov_An-2&psig=AOvVaw0u61R3o4hu83bSCLe_F6js&ust=1683308812857000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjRxqFwoTCIjgi46c3P4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

 

Yep.  That right there.

 

Wouldn't turn down a Jug or a Dakota either.

 

If you are going to include rotary wing, either an Iroquois or a Bell 409.

[Tex Jones, SASS 2263]

P61 "Black Widow".

 

 

 

[DocWard]

34 minutes ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

Yep.  That right there.

 

Wouldn't turn down a Jug or a Dakota either.

 

If you are going to include rotary wing, either an Iroquois or a Bell 409.

If I were going to have an aircraft with a copilot, a C-47 would be my choice. Rotary wing is a no-brainer. Gimme a Huey.

[WD Farren]

Ultralite, fixed wing Canard, with an emergency chute.

[Sawhorse Kid]

F-4 Phantom

P-51 Mustang

F 4U Corsair

[One Gun Jimmy]

A-10 warthog if the munitions are intact.

 

SR-71 Blackbird if not.

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

2 hours ago, Big Gus, SASS# 66666 said:

AN-2 Colt

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAntonov_An-2&psig=AOvVaw0u61R3o4hu83bSCLe_F6js&ust=1683308812857000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjRxqFwoTCIjgi46c3P4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

A real workhorse, but bu-tugly...

[Chantry]

2 hours ago, Big Gus, SASS# 66666 said:

AN-2 Colt

 

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FAntonov_An-2&psig=AOvVaw0u61R3o4hu83bSCLe_F6js&ust=1683308812857000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CA0QjRxqFwoTCIjgi46c3P4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

 

Another of those very few aircraft designs that will be flying for the foreseeable future.*

 

Short of some major technological break through, I expect the DC-3/C-47, AN-2 and the C-130 to fly for decades to come.

 

 

[Lone Spur Jake SASS #7728]

SR71 loaded with nukes and flying west over the Pacific!!!!!!!

I know they never had nukes, just spy wear stuff, but it would be nice just once.

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

Spruce Goose

Scale comparison to a DC3

Edited May 4, 2023 by Dirty Dan Dawkins

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

I just love STOL aircraft (short take-off and landing). Any of these would be ultra cool...

 

Fieseler Storch - Takes off in under 200 ft, lands at 25 mph in 50 ft. Saw one landing at a local airport a few years back. I was awestruck.

Pitcairn Gyrocopter or Kellet Autogyro - pure nostalgia. A Kellet can be seen in the movie, It Happened One Night.

Helio Courier - Also lands in 50 ft, has a range of 950 miles carrying 5 people!

Pilatus PC-6 - Can be seen in the movie Air America

Rockwell OV-10 Bronco - One of my friends flew these Vietnam as a FAC. Said the power to weight ratio was incredible.

Grumman OV-1 Mohawk weird looking - like a dragonfly

 

 

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

2 hours ago, DocWard said:

Civil Aviation: Either a Grumman American Tiger or Cessna Skymaster.

I have some time logged in a Tiger. Sporty and speedy little thing. Sorta like a Mazda Miata, but with 2+2 seating. Had a castering nose wheel so you turn it inside its own wingspan like a tail dragger when taxiing. The roll back canopy was cool.