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

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

4 hours ago, Hedley Lamarr, SASS #14478 Life said:

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

For years, Jimmy Buffet did the same with his Grumman Albatross. Man, I was envious!

[Rye Miles #13621]

I have no idea but I would need a really good pilot to go along with it!

[Trailrider #896]

CamAir Twin Navion with 265 hp engines & full panel, but with electric flaps and gear. When I was in college, I flew a Reily Twin with a pair of 150's and hydraulic flaps and gear. Hydraulic pump on the left engine, generator on the right.  In cold weather, it took forever to get either to go up and down.  So underpowered that if you lost an engine with the gear and flaps down, at 800 ft MSL it would NOT maintain level flight!  FBO I rented it from couldn't find a twin-needle for the RPM gage when it went out, so we flew it with a single needle gage off the left engine. Run the pitch levers up together, then the twin-needle throttles and tuned out the beat with the throttles instead of the pitch levers!  FBO had one of his instructors get his light twin rating with the FAA inspector. Inspector pulled one throttle back on takeoff to simulate a loss of power...and the prop feathered!  Fortunately, it was on the initial takeoff, so they had the flaps up so they could successfully return to the field.  When that was done, and the governors were swapped between props, I went for my light twin rating.  Same inspector, same airplane. First time, on runup we got a 200 rpm drop on one engine on runup, so we aborted that flight.  Second time, same inspector, he asked for a straight-ahead stall in landing configuration.  Except we couldn't get a left main down-and-locked light.  Finally figured out it was the switch in the gear well, NOT the gear...it was down.  He signed me off on my rating, and when we got back to the field, gave the FBO hell!  When Mac wanted to qualify another twin student, the inspector arranged to be somewhere else!    

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Just looking at this one.

It could be a bargain!

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

1 hour ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

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

 

 

 

 

+1 on the Storch ~ or even one of the 3/4 scale replicas!  

 

I'm simple.  I'd be happy with a Cessna 172.  Even a 152.  Heck... I'd be happy with an Ercoupe*!  

*Almost bought one with a buddy many years ago... then wisely backed away when I realized that he'd likely kill us both.  

[Horace Patootie, SASS #35798]

Douglas A1 Skyraider.  Always thought it was a cool plane.

Horace

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

21 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

+1 on the Storch ~ or even one of the 3/4 scale replicas!  

 

I'm simple.  I'd be happy with a Cessna 172.  Even a 152.  Heck... I'd be happy with an Ercoupe*!  

*Almost bought one with a buddy many years ago... then wisely backed away when I realized that he'd likely kill us both.  

I would never fly an Ercoupe without rudder pedals. (There was a conversion for adding them.) I know it was designed that way, but touching down on the runway with a crab angle for a crosswind just ain’t natural! 
 

SWEET looking plane, though! I have a miniature that’s a Hallmark Christmas ornament. 

[Yul Lose]

Well I’d have a hard time choosing just one. These Lie Nielsen block planes are hands down the best tools that I’ve ever used. The fixed mouth brass block plane has been in my shop apron for over 20 years and still makes that sing when I use it and it is a joy to use. The larger adjustable mouth block plane was a gift from my wife on our 30th anniversary and the more I use it the fonder I grow. OH, you mean airplanes!!

[DocWard]

2 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

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.

 

First aircraft I ever took the controls in was a Tiger. Took a flight with a CFI that owned one, and he let me fly. Been hooked ever since. Yeah, the roll back canopy makes it feel like a fighter. 

[DocWard]

54 minutes ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

I would never fly an Ercoupe without rudder pedals. (There was a conversion for adding them.) I know it was designed that way, but touching down on the runway with a crab angle for a crosswind just ain’t natural! 
 

SWEET looking plane, though! I have a miniature that’s a Hallmark Christmas ornament. 

 

I agree, the Ercoupe is a sweet looking aircraft. There's a fly in locally every year, and a couple Ercoupes make it. I'm always drawn to them.

[Bailey Creek,5759]

DC-3

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

Just about anything so I could have parties in the sky.

And I would need me a pilot too.

Best

CR

 

[Montana Mike]

I started off flying a Quicksilver MX ultralight airplane. I then moved up to a Cessna 172 that I had for a number of years. My dream is to fly a P51 Mustang.

[Major E A Sterner #12916]

Supermarine Spitfire , Messerschmidt BF-109 or a Mustang P-51!

[Sawyer]

AIR Force One!

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

4 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

I would never fly an Ercoupe without rudder pedals. (There was a conversion for adding them.) I know it was designed that way, but touching down on the runway with a crab angle for a crosswind just ain’t natural! 
 

SWEET looking plane, though! I have a miniature that’s a Hallmark Christmas ornament. 

 

+1 on the rudder pedals!

 

Does your ornament look like this...?  

 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

10 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

There is (or was) one of those monsters, and dark red one, at Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, CA.  Biggest biplane I ever saw and they flew wit a time of two.

 

It is absolutely spendabulous.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

I'd like to add one, a Bede BD-5J single seat mini jet like James Bond flew in one of his movies.  One flew into a small airport (can't remember the name, but they had a great little cafe there) in Upland, CA.  It's just beautiful designed plane and cuter than a chihuahua puppy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

40 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

 

+1 on the rudder pedals!

 

Does your ornament look like this...?  

 

 

Yup, but different paint scheme like this. 2008 edition. Hallmark’s aviation ornaments are nicely detailed. I’ve bought about 20 of them through the years. I used to get them at a discount when I worked for Hallmark Cards! 

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

30 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

I'd like to add one, a Bede BD-5J single seat mini jet like James Bond flew in one of his movies.  One flew into a small airport (can't remember the name, but they had a great little cafe there) in Upland, CA.  It's just beautiful designed plane and cuter than a chihuahua puppy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I saw one of those at an air show doing amazing aerobatics. Could only hold enough fuel for 15 or so minutes of flight. Coors sponsored it. 
 

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

A Constellation-for travel, A AH-1 Cobra -for macho, aF4U-for speed and a Ryan PT 22 cause Dad had one.

 

Imis

[Chili Ron]

Howdy

 

could be Octopussy???

 

Best

CR

 

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103]

(groan)

That's like asking a sheikh his favorite of the hareem!

 

[Rye Miles #13621]

One of these would be kinda cool!!

[Waxahachie Kid #17017 L]

My choice would be the: OS2U Kingfisher. 

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

1 hour ago, Waxahachie Kid #17017 L said:

My choice would be the: OS2U Kingfisher. 

 

Excellent!

[John Kloehr]

On 5/4/2023 at 7:27 PM, Yul Lose said:

Well I’d have a hard time choosing just one. These Lie Nielsen block planes are hands down the best tools that I’ve ever used. The fixed mouth brass block plane has been in my shop apron for over 20 years and still makes that sing when I use it and it is a joy to use. The larger adjustable mouth block plane was a gift from my wife on our 30th anniversary and the more I use it the fonder I grow. OH, you mean airplanes!!

I saw the title and thought about how much I appreciate my Stanley smoothing plane. I used it again last month. And will be pulling it out gain soon. That combined with my chisels results in some fine joinery.

 

Alas, airplanes will not happen this lifetime. But while I might have been lured by the romance of a Learjet in my youth, a little Piper or Cessna would be nice to take my lady to nice restaurants a bit further than normal driving distance. Or a day trip to Nashville maybe.

 

But still, I do like my Stanley smoothing plane.

[DeaconKC]

Waco Biplane floatplane

DC3

Grumman Avenger [it's the only one my shoulders fit it, no P40 for me ]

Cessna 195

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

6 minutes ago, DeaconKC said:

Cessna 195

Nice choice!

[Dusty Devil Dale]

B-29

But I know some folks I'd like to visit with an A-10

[Duffield, SASS #23454]

Grumman  OV-1A   Mohawk

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 5/4/2023 at 3:20 PM, Horace Patootie, SASS #35798 said:

Douglas A1 Skyraider.  Always thought it was a cool plane.

Horace

They were still using them in Vietnam in the '60s.

 

I saw a pilot take a fully battle loaded Skyraider up into vertical climb and hang it on the propeller.  POWERFUL beyond my belief.  And they carried enough armament to sink a a battleship, either by blowing it out of the water or overloading it and just pushing it under.

[The Blarney Kid]

B-24 Liberator,  my dad flew on them during WW2 in the Pacific.

[Clay Mosby]

Way too many great ones to pick just one! 

From the very end of WWII would have to be the F7F Tiger Cat!

Post WWII fighter would have to be the F-14 Tom Cat!

For pure speed would have to be the SR-71 Blackbird!

And finally, from the Never made it to production group, the mighty XB-70 Valkyrie

 

[Horace Patootie, SASS #35798]

9 hours ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

They were still using them in Vietnam in the '60s.

 

I saw a pilot take a fully battle loaded Skyraider up into vertical climb and hang it on the propeller.  POWERFUL beyond my belief.  And they carried enough armament to sink a a battleship, either by blowing it out of the water or overloading it and just pushing it under.

That would have been something to witness, yes sir !