Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aircraft and Vehicles => Topic started by: Gianlupo on April 22, 2005, 12:32:11 PM
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This thread (MC-200 saetta (http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148233)) quicly became a race to find the ugliest plane one has ever seen.
That gave me the twisted idea of posting this poll: which is, according to your opinion, the ugliest plane ever built?
Post here the picture of your candidate (both photos and drawings), keeping in mind that it has to be a craft that actually flew (even once), built after 1903, either civil or military and it must be a plane (no helicopters, autogyros or other strange flying machines).
And, above all, remember to judge only by aesthetical canon.
Here are some candidates, casually picked up on the Net. I wait to see more!
Tupolev TB-3
(http://www.shift.sk/military/test_page_10/tb3/tb3_1.jpg)
Bloch 210
(http://wmilitary.neurok.ru/wwii/france/mb210-f.jpg)
Caproni Ca.4
(http://www.finn.it/regia/immagini/prima/caproni_ca4.jpg)
Farman 222
(http://avions.legendaires.free.fr/Images/Gf222.jpg)
Amiot 143
(http://avions.legendaires.free.fr/Images/Gamiot143-2.jpg)
(Personally, I think that the last one is one of the most serious contenders!)
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(http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gannet/gl_xl502.jpg)
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Thanks for posting Grunherz!
Just one more thing for everyone: please, when you post the picture, write even the name of the plane. Thanks!
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Westland Lysander P.12
http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/farmer/120/lysander.jpg
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Here is the Lysander
(http://home.cinci.rr.com/estople/weirdair/lysander.jpg)
And here it is another good contender
SNECMA C.450 Coléoptère
(http://home.cinci.rr.com/estople/weirdair/c450.jpg)
P.S. Jb, nice avatar! :D
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I think the P38 is pretty ugly.
It's only pretty while disintegrating.
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Yo' Mama Mk.1a
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Friday nite + garage + group of friends + (3xcases of beer) = Lysander
That one has my vote!
I just cant help thinking about the fact that someone at one time had to carry that design in and sell it to his employer. I wish I had footage of that meeting.
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My question about the Lysander is this... What the **** is sitting on its bellybutton end?
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P-38
(http://www.military.cz/wallpaper/page5/p38.jpg)
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Originally posted by Wolfala
My question about the Lysander is this... What the **** is sitting on its bellybutton end?
Gun turret. If i remember rightly (i probably dont) it was designed as a desperate measure if the germans ever landed on british beaches.
plane would fly low over the beach with the tail turret shooting the crap out of the would be invading krauts.
the twin tail was so the turret had a big field of fire.
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Originally posted by Furball
Gun turret. If i remember rightly (i probably dont) it was designed as a desperate measure if the germans ever landed on british beaches.
plane would fly low over the beach with the tail turret shooting the crap out of the would be invading krauts.
the twin tail was so the turret had a big field of fire.
Thank god for Napalm. Praise thee o Dow Chemical Company
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(http://www.popularaviation.com/PhotoGallery/1152.jpg)
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http://image36.webshots.com/36/1/77/33/297617733eafxEy_ph.jpg
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Originally posted by Furball
Gun turret. If i remember rightly (i probably dont) it was designed as a desperate measure if the germans ever landed on british beaches.
plane would fly low over the beach with the tail turret shooting the crap out of the would be invading krauts.
the twin tail was so the turret had a big field of fire.
That Lysander is the bomber gunner trainer version, not meant
for combat.(http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Lysander.jpg)
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Thanks everyone for posting! It's even a good way to discover planes you didn't even imagine could exist!
Minipokel, nice picture, it's a Farman 120, but the link you posted right below returns a "403 forbidden" error.
Here are a couple of other beatiful planes!
Aeronca C3
(http://www.popularaviation.com/PhotoGallery/1157.jpg)
Transavia Airtruck
(http://www.popularaviation.com/PhotoGallery/1156.jpg)
Lun ekranoplan
(http://www.popularaviation.com/PhotoGallery/593.jpg)
(I don't know if we may consider this last one an airplane: it was designed to fly in ground effect. However, it actually departed from water. See (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/row/rus/903.htm))
Keep posting, guys, and try to stay on topic! (A good place to look for candidates (http://www.popularaviation.com/UgliestPlane.asp?Page=1)
And I thought I had an original idea!;) )
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Originally posted by Rino
That Lysander is the bomber gunner trainer version, not meant
for combat.(http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Lysander.jpg)
reports i have read are the contrary. they tried fitting two hispano's on it on gear stubs to strafe invasion barges, even read they tried it as a nightfighter. It was also considered as a bomber trainer but none were ordered.
(http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/images/Hlysan_mod.jpeg)
(http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/images/Hlysan_sch.jpeg)
http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/lysander.php
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ROFL check this out: -
(http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/images/Hb17_24_1.jpeg)
(http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/images/Hb17_24_2.jpeg)
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Originally posted by Furball
ROFL check this out: -
(http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/images/Hb17_24_1.jpeg)
(http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/images/Hb17_24_2.jpeg)
that took some work to pull that off.
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Nice (! ) hybrid, but, please, guys, when you post pictures, post the name of the plane, too. It's a bit boring having to find it out looking at the picture's url.
Thank you.
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The B-24 with the B-17 nose is a F-7A. The F-7A was converted from B-24J-15-COs.
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Ugliest plane ever made was made by General Motors.
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Which was that, Pongo?
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(http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/p75-7.jpg)
(http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/p75-6.jpg)
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Eww. Looks like a P-51 and a P-63 copulated and had a deformed child.
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Originally posted by Ecliptik
Eww. Looks like a P-51 and a P-63 copulated and had a deformed child.
it sort of was. IIRC the design was basically put together from existing components by the Fisher coach body company a subsidiary of General Motors.
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Really, for WWII ugliest, with the tail to end all tails, gotta add my vote for the Delanne mod Lysander.
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blenhiems are pretty ugly
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Originally posted by Ecliptik
Eww. Looks like a P-51 and a P-63 copulated and had a deformed child.
Quite effective, yet disgusting, metaphor!
Originally posted by YUCCA
blenhiems are pretty ugly
(http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/equip/grfx/equip_gallery/historic_gallery/wallpaper/blenheim.jpg)
(http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Blenheim_WMZ_preserved_flying.jpg)
(but I personally think there are uglier planes out there!)
Originally posted by Halo
... for WWII ugliest ...
Poll is not limited to WWII, you can choose from every year of this century of flight: even today they build ugly planes...
(http://image16.webshots.com/17/9/6/55/221090655gQifoo_ph.jpg)
Boeing X-32B (maybe it looks better this way... ;) (http://images.google.it/images?q=img20040619160054.jpg&hl=it&btnG=Cerca+con+Google): unfortunately the original image is no longer available!)
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Boeing submission for the JSF X-32
(http://www.aerofiles.com/boe-x32a.jpg)
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Vickers Fb27 Vimy ambulance
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/68_1114641014_1919.vickers.fb27.vimyambulance[1].jpg)
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Originally posted by Furball
Boeing submission for the JSF X-32
(http://www.aerofiles.com/boe-x32a.jpg)
This one I agree with. I have a couple family members who are engineers for boeing, and they both thought this thing was ugly. The best one I heard was that this plane "resembles an upside down frog with its mouth open"
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said 'nuff ;)
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/68_1114721336_spitfire[2].jpg)
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Ty for posting, Frank3!
The Vimy ambulance is really ugly, so as the Boeing is (btw, howitzer, I liked very much the frog thing!).... but Spitfires! I can't agree with you about this!
However, de gustibus non disputandum est, as Romans said (in english we can say: there is no accounting for tastes)
Here you have other candidates:
Modified Boeing Stratocruiser:
Super Guppy
(http://www.air-and-space.com/guppies/821016al.jpg)
Pregnant Guppy
(http://www.allaboutguppys.com/pg/guppy86.jpg)
If you want to learn more about them, check All about Guppys (http://www.allaboutguppys.com/aag.htm)
And look at this:
Stipa Caproni, the original model (1932)
(http://www.seqair.com/Hangar/Zuccoli/Legends/OrgStipa2.jpg)
(http://www.seqair.com/Hangar/Zuccoli/Legends/OrgStipa1.jpg)
and the 3/5 replica (2001)
(http://www.seqair.com/Hangar/Zuccoli/Legends/stipa4.jpg)
(http://www.seqair.com/Hangar/Zuccoli/Legends/stipa1.jpg)
The story of this replica is worth reading, you may find it here (http://www.seqair.com/Hangar/Zuccoli/Legends/Legends.html)
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This depends on if it is a regular spit or the uber stip-coptor :D
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Not really ugly but somewhat surprising ;)
Have you seen this one Gianlupo :
http://www.aerei-italiani.net/PEGNAPC7.htm
Just because you're italian Gianlupo :)
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Yes, Straffo, I knew it. IIRC, it was designed for the Schneider Trophy, but it couldn't be ready before UK won it. (it's midnight, too late to dig among my papers and find the info I need! ;) )
Anyway, I don't know if it may be considered ugly... let people judge it!
(http://www.aerei-italiani.net/Alifoto/Piaggio%20Pegna.jpg)
it took off from water, as you can see
(http://www.aviogatti.it/piaggiopc7bn.jpg)
and here is a drawing
(http://www.aviogatti.it/piaggiopc7r.jpg)
P.S. I didn't mean to offend, posting all these french planes' photos! :)
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Was that thing supposed to use the water-prop to hydroplane, in order to get the front prop out of the water?
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I cant believe people started an ugly plane thread without mentioning the 'Hog, and the 'Frog...
Sukhoi Su-25 Frogfoot (AKA Rook)
(http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/su-25-08p02.jpg)
Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II (AKA Warthog)
(http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/a10_1.jpg)
And here are some helicopter honorable mentions:
(http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/mi-24-DASC9202557.jpg)
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(http://www.dw-world.de/dw/image/0,1587,1342577_6,00.jpg)
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Originally posted by Gianlupo
P.S. I didn't mean to offend, posting all these french planes' photos! :)
I'm not offended :) even completly drunk I won't say anything other than : those planes are ugly :D
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Originally posted by Tails
Was that thing supposed to use the water-prop to hydroplane, in order to get the front prop out of the water?
Exactly. It was supposed to do so, but the project was really advanced for its times, so it couldn't be ready for the last race of Schneder Trophy. They had mechanical problems with the water prop/front prop friction, and cavitation problems with the front fins (I hope I explained it well, I'm not very good with englishtechnical terms :p)
It was dubbed "Pinocchio", after its long nose. :D
I cant believe people started an ugly plane thread without mentioning the 'Hog, and the 'Frog...
Personally, I don't think they are ugliest, there were built uglier planes than these two... anyway, your candidates are welcome!
Helicopters are excluded from this poll, sorry!!
Originally posted by Straffo
even completly drunk I won't say anything other than : those planes are ugly
Indeed, they are! :D The Farman 120 became one of my favourite (Farman himself shouldn't have had good taste, looking at his planes ;) )
However, we too did our share of ugly planes:
Breda Ba.88 Lince (Lynx)
(http://www.aeromodel.de/images/Planet/CM72093.jpg)
(http://www.mv-agusta-club-schweiz.ch/Breda%20Ba88%20Agusta.jpg)
Breda Ba.65
(http://www.histoiredumonde.net/images/20_eme_siecle/avions/ba65/intro.jpg)
(http://hsgalleries.com/images/ba65lb_01.jpg)
(http://hsgalleries.com/images/ba65lb_05.jpg)
(in the last two pictures it is a plastic model, not the actual plane, but it was so well done....)
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(http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Visschedijk/2583L.jpg)
Vickers Viscount
"This Viscount is used by Pratt & Whitney of Canada for flight-testing PW124 turbo engine with six-bladed Hamilton Standard advanced propellor to power the British Aerospace ATP."
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(http://1000aircraftphotos.com/AmateurBuilt/Quickie.jpg)
Amateur built plane "Quickie" by some crazy Canadian. It flys believe it or not.
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(http://1000aircraftphotos.com/GeneralAv/1439.jpg)
Republic "Seabee"
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The Viscount is really awful! At first, I thought the picture was a fake...
And the homebuilt... well, let's say it is, at least, original...!
it remembers me a prototype I've seen somewhere... or maybe it was just a project... I'll look for it and, if I find it, I will post it!
Thanks for your posts, "Jochen" ;)
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Originally posted by spitfiremkv
I think the P38 is pretty ugly.
It's only pretty while disintegrating.
Here ya go, this one's for you and Furby
(http://1000aircraftphotos.com/MilitaryProp/355L.jpg)
F-5G variant of the P-38.
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(http://1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/VanTilborg/2599L.jpg)
Portsmouth Aerocar Major
I think thats enough from me :)
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Originally posted by Gianlupo
Helicopters are excluded from this poll, sorry!!
I did say they were only honorable mentions, didn't I? :confused:
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Originally posted by Tails
I did say they were only honorable mentions, didn't I?
Oooops! Sorry! You did it, but i misinterpreted what you mean. :( however, it was only a reminder, not a reprimand! Sorry again!
I found it! It's just a prototype, it didn't fly yet, but I think it's worth to take a look at it, anyway
(http://www.amvaircraft.com/48-lg.jpg)
it was presented at Oshkosh in 2003
(http://www.amvaircraft.com/assets/images/db_images/db_06280021-600-wm3.jpg)
(http://www.amvaircraft.com/assets/images/db_images/db_06280009-600-wm3.jpg)
StarOfAfrica2, your posts are really amazing! And they kept reminding me of airplanes I have seen anywhere... i'm sure there were another flying car, designed here in Italy about in the 50's... I'll look for it!
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I forgot: if you want to learn more about the AMV 211, the plane shown above, here's the website
(http://www.amvaircraft.com/)
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It never flew (actually, it crashed after take off in his first flight), but you have to see it:
Caproni Ca.60 "Transaereo"
(http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/mig_exp/caproni-60.jpg)
(http://members.aol.com/wwatrans/images/Ca60.jpg)
It had 9 (!) wings, 8 400hp engines, and was meant to transport on oceanic routes 100 passengers. It was built in 1920... and it looks like a winged boat house!:D
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(http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Hanisko/3424L.jpg)
Boeing KB-50J Superfortress. I dont think its ugly at all really, but first one I ever saw with both jet engines AND prop engines.
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This one, however, IS ugly.
(http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/APS/3050L.jpg)
The Fairchild C119 "Flying Boxcar". I thought they were all dead and gone, but not so lucky. They ressurrected at least one for that recent remake of Flight of the Phoenix. I hope that one was the last and it can die and leave us in peace.
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(http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Hodgson/4015L.jpg)
Airtech CN-235 MPA Persuader of the Irish Air Corps.
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Though this one is more Ultralight than airplane, its still ugly.
(http://www.1000aircraftphotos.com/Contributions/Peterson/3506L.jpg)
The Crosley Flea.
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B-36 also mixed propulsion
(http://www.military.cz/usa/air/post_war/b36/b36infl.jpg)
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Originally posted by bunch
B-36 also mixed propulsion
What was the expression? "6 Turnin' and 4 burnin' ?
-Sik
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24 hour flight time, 10,000 mile range without refueling.... over 22,000 horsepower AND and 20,000lbs jet thrust......Wing roots so big that you could literally stand inside........real-life 45,000 foot ceiling in the late 1940's....16x 20mm defensive cannons......could carry it's own fighters (experiementally) and "spawn" recon planes (FICON project)
Perk estimate in MA?
Priceless :lol
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Wasn't there discussion about restoration of a B-36 to flight status?
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I dont even want to think about operational costs for that beast....
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Yea, with 100 LL being close to $4.00 per gal - R4360 burns around 180 GPH in cruise + the 4 aux turbines - yea ... yea, bend over.
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When i was looking for photos of a mixed engines B-36 i came across an image of an experimental passenger conversion.
Was a double decker for 240 passengers.
What is the relative difference of leg & elbow room standards from 1950 to today? in other words how many 2005 passengers does a 1950 passenger =, or how would a B-36 passenger plane stack up against a 747 or A380?
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Originally posted by GREENTENERAL
Friday nite + garage + group of friends + (3xcases of beer) = Lysander
That one has my vote!
I just cant help thinking about the fact that someone at one time had to carry that design in and sell it to his employer. I wish I had footage of that meeting.
Lysander = the Short Bus of the avaition world :rofl
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I have the guliest plane ever built for ya it's called the Messerchspit.
That's what I would call ugly specially the fact that it combined the ugliest pinkiest girlie plane around with a manly sturdy aircraft to make the most horrible abomination known to aeronautics afficionados everywhere
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Could have been worst ... imagine a mighty 190 with a merlin in the nose ...
My god that would have been a real abomination !
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This picture does not do justice to the pure essence of
stomach churning hideousness of this aircraft :)(http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/outdoor/od15.htm)
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I'm not sure if the picture above is showing or not, getting a
red x at work.
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/outdoor/od15.htm
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Here is the Messerspit
(http://hsfeatures.com/images/beuteflugzeuge.jpg)
(http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid/images/Hdbspit_1.jpeg)
(just keep watching this thread, Straffo, I'll make a Superfocke Spitwulf for you!)
and, Rino, here is your plane, the Northrop YC-125B
(http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/outdoor/yc125b.jpg)
(I don't know why, but, to me, it looks like a sitting goose... am I nut? :confused: )
Plus, a flying box....
(http://www.buran.ru/images/jpg/mol1.jpg)
(http://www.buran.ru/images/jpg/mol2.jpg)
(the Russian plane Molniya-1)
.....and a microlight
(http://www.popularaviation.com/PhotoGallery/1149.gif)
(I don't know what plane it is and I really doubt it can actually fly, however, though maybe not really ugly, it's funny to see!)
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Originally posted by Gianlupo
The Viscount is really awful! At first, I thought the picture was a fake...
And the homebuilt... well, let's say it is, at least, original...!
it remembers me a prototype I've seen somewhere... or maybe it was just a project... I'll look for it and, if I find it, I will post it!
Thanks for your posts, "Jochen" ;)
When I worked at Teterboro, NJ in the late 80s we used to
get rock stars flying in on a Viscount regularly. Not only was the
base airframe hideous, but the paintjob was awful as well.
I can still remember the tail number...N150RC, which we said
stood for Ray Charles as only a blind man would have picked
those colors :)
Also, thanks Lupo for posting the Norseman for me.