Comments for Something not politics...

Something not politics...

2004-10-01T12:45:30Z

Seems there are some aircraft buffs amongst us. We heard about some favorites, let's go the other way - what are the ugliest?

If you don't know airplanes, you can still play - surf the 'net. Find pictures of ugly planes. Make a nomination.

I'll offer up three, just to get you started. I know their names, but I'll leave 'em blank and let anyone who wants to compete for bragging rights to name 'em. One will be pretty easy, the other two may present more of a challenge.

This is the easy one.

Another view (of a variant)

A hi-res here, if you want it.

These will probably be tougher, except for geeks - though it won't be horribly hard to find 'em on the web.

Run with it!

Comment from Air on 2004-11-26

2004-11-26T15:14:53Z

I would say Amiot 143 is "the best"... It's not just ugly, it's absurdly ugly :)

Comment from Crusader on 2004-10-04

2004-10-04T18:42:50Z

Curtis Seamew: http://navalhistory.flixco.info/images/PLANE%20Curtiss%20SO3C.jpg Boeing JSF entry: http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2000/photorelease/jsf-dvd-2-010.jpg

Comment from Evan Mayerle on 2004-10-04

2004-10-04T17:50:59Z

Heh, I'd nominate just about every French fixed gear, multi-engined bomber designed between 1930 and 1938 for the ugly aircraft list; they manaaged to design uglier bombers than any other country during that time period, though the LWS -4,-5,& -6 "Zubr" gives them a run for the title. There've been whole sites on the net dedicated to this subject and there are no lack of contestants. The first two pictures are Fairey Gannets, the third is, if I remember correctly, a Caproni 'tween-wars design, and the last one is the Caproni "flying houseboat" from just after WW I - it never took off to the best of my knowledge.

Comment from King of Fools on 2004-10-04

2004-10-04T13:11:42Z

Some find the warthog ugly but I think it is a beautiful example for form following function. And boy are those things ever functional...even so long after they were commissioned. Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3

Comment from Mythilt on 2004-10-03

2004-10-03T05:03:01Z

The AF Museum is a nice resource, isn't it? :) Even nicer to visit now that the new hangar has been added. Next year they are supposed to start adding another set of hangars for the presidential fleet and class rooms.

Comment from steveH on 2004-10-02

2004-10-03T02:38:16Z

Blohm und Voss Bv-141 (assymmetrical) http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/bv141.html Curtiss XP-55 Ascender (It's going the other way) http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/p55.htm There are *lots* more, but for now...

Comment from illbill on 2004-10-02

2004-10-02T05:37:00Z

Corsair 2

Comment from Justthisguy on 2004-10-02

2004-10-02T05:09:49Z

The Triple Triplane is also a Caproni production. I think it flew, slightly, once, after which they "had a fire." Wonder if it was insured.

Comment from Cowboy Blob on 2004-10-01

2004-10-02T03:37:45Z

Yeah, the Gannet is hideous. Let's add the Nimrod, which has an ugly name to the American ear. http://homepages.tesco.net/~paul.crossley/rafpast/aew-a.jpg

Comment from Mythilt on 2004-10-01

2004-10-02T03:33:55Z

Nah, can't really count Tacit Blue, it was never anything more than a proof of concept vehicle really. Me, Lets see.... The Fisher P-75A was pretty ugly. http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/annex/an33.htm But the ugliest of all... The XF-85 Goblin. Short, stubby and butt Fugly. http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/air_power/ap38.htm

Comment from wolfwalker on 2004-10-01

2004-10-01T22:23:15Z

Oh, and we mustn't leave this one out: Tacit Blue, known to its pilots as "the Whale" but personally I think it looks more like a loaf of bread with wings. http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/modern_flight/mf37a.htm

Comment from wolfwalker on 2004-10-01

2004-10-01T22:12:13Z

I thought that the second photo was of something from Curtiss... the profile has some similarities to the SB2C Helldiver as well as to Curtiss's small seaplanes. Anyway, I have three nominations for "ugliest airplane:" 1) Focke-Wulf FW-189 Uhu -- http://www.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/LRG/fw189.html 2) Supermarine Walrus -- http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Aircraft/Walrus.htm 3) Fairchild/Republic A-10 Warthog -- http://www.strategic-air-command.com/aircraft/attack/a10_thunderbolt.htm

Comment from Kilabe on 2004-10-01

2004-10-01T22:05:18Z

A-4 SkyHawkasaurus gets my vote as the u-gliest plane.

Comment from Roger Ritter on 2004-10-01

2004-10-01T18:44:33Z

Woohoo! Ugly airplanes - I love 'em. First, for the ones posted. The flying barrel thing (hard to even call it an airplane) is the Stipa-Caproni. It's a ducted fan, so that barrel-shaped fuselage is hollow and open at both ends. The two-fer is the Fairey Gannet. I recognize the triple-triple-decker flying houseboat, but don't remember what it was called. Now for my nominations. It's hard to beat the French bombers of the '20s and '30s. Pretty much any Farman design from this era, but I call your attention to the F.121 (http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/farmer/120/farman.html), F.222 (http://www.russian.ee/~star/air/france/farman_f-222.html), and F.223 (http://world.std.com/~Ted7/french3.pdf). Then there was the LeO 208(http://www.eichhorn.ws/html/body_liore_et_olivier_leo_208.htm), or the Amiot 143 (http://avions.legendaires.free.fr/amiot143.php), and let's finish up with the Potez 540 (http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Reviews/allies/potez-540.htm). I think, of those, my vote would go to the Amiot 143. Roger

Comment from Geoffrey on 2004-10-01

2004-10-01T18:02:13Z

Me 163B.

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2004-10-01

2004-10-01T17:19:45Z

CAPT H, has, via email, correctly named all three (really four since the it is two variants of the first bird), cementing his geekiness. Master MunDane has yet to win a cookie, but get's credit for a nomination! The rest of you are slackers (thus far, anyway)

Comment from MunDane on 2004-10-01

2004-10-01T17:02:34Z

I nominate the Brewster Buffalo as the ugliest warbird evar! Isn't the third one a LeMay Racer, squishified by the PS job? The contra-rotating RAF jobbie, though...

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2004-10-01

2004-10-01T13:47:57Z

Then I strongly suggest you reconsider the design. That one broke on it's first landing!

Comment from Flea on 2004-10-01

2004-10-01T13:15:36Z

That last one strongly resembles my plans for an airborne Flea Fortress.