Great idea for a thread, Ithikial (and there's nothing uninspiring about a Spitfire! It's a very elegant aircraft). Where to start. Too many favorites from different eras. If I listed them all I'd be photobombing this thread, so I'll just pick six or seven.
First, the C-5A/B Galaxy. My dad was a pilot in the USAF for 20+ years, and this is what he flew. In fact, he's flying the one in the picture below. Spent many a hour clambering over them, and I never tire of seeing them in flight. They're HUGE (The first time I saw a 747 I thought it looked small), so they almost appear to be hanging in the sky as the fly over. It's
awesome, in the true sense of the word, especially when combined with the roar of those GE TF39 engines.
The soundtrack to my childhood:
Second, the T-38 Talon. Such a sleek and trim looking aircraft with graceful lines. It just looks fun to fly, and it looks right at home plying through the skies. It's a trainer that is solely used for fighter lead-in now. Back in the day, when my dad went through pilot training, all student pilots got to fly it. He's in the picture below waving at the camera. Anyway, one of my favorite memories involving this aircraft was getting to ride in a chase truck that would chase these aircraft upon landing when they came back from their test flights. They were test flown after having gone through depot maintenance (depot maintenance is where they tear the aircraft apart and put it back together, replacing anything that needs to be replaced).
Third, the Bone, or B-1B Lancer as it's commonly called. Love it's graceful appearance, the swing wing, and the raw power of its GE F101 engines. Freakin' cool bomb truck. This is the aircraft I wanted to fly. Had I been able to finish ROTC, receive a commission and gone through UPT, this is what I'd be flying right now. I even had pictures of this plane posted up in my dorm room at college as motivators for when I got sick of studying. Alas, life throws curve balls at you, but I still have a huge soft spot for this bird. I also had the opportunity to crawl around these while growing up. One of the bases we were stationed at had an Air National Guard bomb wing that flew B-1s. We'd go over to their hangars every once in awhile to check the Bones out. Good times.
Fourth, Habu. Need I really say more?
Fifth, the F-105D Thunderchief, or Thud as it was called by those who flew her. I've always been fascinated with this aircraft and the stories of the men who flew them over Vietnam. I also like the unique appearance of the F-105, especially with how the intakes look.
Sixth, the F4U Corsair. Always liked the unique gull wing design.
Seventh, and by no means last, the B-17F Flying Fortress. Whenever I see the F, it reminds me of some of the darkest days of the 8th AF's daylight bombing campaign over Europe; a time when the men flying and fighting in them had a much, much greater chance of being killed than living to see their 25th mission.
