Most beautiful fighter ever built?

[Whofan]

3 hours ago, TallBlondJohn said:

 I thought long and hard about the 262 - but are German aircraft beautiful in the same way as a Hunter or a Spitfire? Some are stunners, certainly, but its a different aesthetic. 262 is the nearest to beautiful, but still something else. Too many triangles maybe?

 

To be honest, I think the beauty of the 262 lies in the triangle shaoe, but as was said earlier, it's all in the eye of the beholder.

[stevehnz]

To my eye, the Me 262 has a sinister beauty which is very much derived from its shape rather than its decoration, sinister in a Great White Shark sort of way.

Steve.

[Ossington 2]

A-5A Vigilante. And it's not even a fighter. No bout adout it!

[Paul821]

4 hours ago, 72modeler said:

All I wanted feedback on was which of the two RAF classic fighters, the Spitfire or the Hunter, was the most beautiful;, in your opinion.

A problem with the Spitfire is the huge number of variants, especially if you include the Seafire. To me some Marks have more aesthetic appeal than others. To me the Vb Tropical is ugly and the clipped wing models are just wrong. Then there is colour is a Pink Spitfire as attractive as a silver one?

 

While thinking about this problem I came across this web site:

 

https://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/pmag/exhibitions/which-spitfire/

 

which pointed to

 

https://www.spitfiremarkbymark.co.uk/index.php

 

which shows the number of variations.

[TallBlondJohn]

2 minutes ago, Paul821 said:

A problem with the Spitfire is the huge number of variants, especially if you include the Seafire. To me some Marks have more aesthetic appeal than others. To me the Vb Tropical is ugly and the clipped wing models are just wrong. Then there is colour is a Pink Spitfire as attractive as a silver one?

 

Yes - coz it's pink.

 

Seriously, Spitfire is (IMO) that rare plane that doesn't look so good in silver. A lady needs a proper frock.

[hairystick]

6 hours ago, Alan P said:

 Thanks for the belly laugh, up to now I didn't believe there were people who didn't think Concorde was the most beautiful aircraft ever built. 

 

But to place second after the ever so butch Tomcat was a level of hilarity I hadn't expected 🤣🤣🤣

Thamk you, thank you. I'm here all week.

Please try the veal!

 

1 hour ago, Ossington 2 said:

A-5A Vigilante. And it's not even a fighter. No bout adout it!

Careful... It has a giant triangle poking out of its back...

[RAF4EVER]

Just being pedantic, but Concorde was a civil airliner,nothing like a fighter. If you are talking about speed and looks,try this:

 

 

[Karearea]

3 hours ago, Paul821 said:

To me the Vb Tropical is ugly and the clipped wing models are just wrong

 

I can live with clipped wings, but can't stand the pointy high altitude ones.

[upnorth]

On 3/20/2024 at 11:38 AM, -Ian- said:

The Hunter's definitely a looker but I've always been quite partial to the F-5/F-20/T-38 family too.

 

The F-5 is one of my favorite American post WWII fighter designs. For me it's just the right balance of aesthetics to purposefulness along with a minimalist appeal.

 

The T-38 was a nice looker too. However, the F-20 had a bit too much of that "Once too often to the same well" look about it to me.

[exdraken]

20 hours ago, Lord Riot said:

Here’s the winner.

 

 

 

That is a good and very esthetic photo indeed!

BUT: 😉

the nose is a bit short ...

What about the simitar style  bulbous wings that are a bit too far forward? And the protrusion at the rear?

 

Now I guess I am gonna get thrown out here for blasphemy 

So please take it all with a grain of 🧂 and 🌶 😉

It is the Mirage 2000... period 😀 

 

[VolkerR.]

I have only read the last 2 pages of this thread and yet no one has mentioned the most beautiful fighter plane of all ages:

 

F-104 Starfighter!

[upnorth]

7 hours ago, exdraken said:

Now I guess I am gonna get thrown out here for blasphemy 

So please take it all with a grain of 🧂 and 🌶 😉

It is the Mirage 2000... period 😀 

 

 

I thought blasphemy these days was saying the F-35 is a beauty. 😈

Having said that, the F-35 has grown on me over time. The A model particularly.

[tempestfan]

7 hours ago, exdraken said:

 

It is the Mirage 2000... period 😀 

 

Where have you been for the past 5 pages that you still believe the 2000 is more beautiful than the IIIC?

[TallBlondJohn]

9 hours ago, exdraken said:

BUT: 😉

the nose is a bit short ...

 

That's the Airfix kit for you. The Revell is more accurate 😉

[hairystick]

On 3/25/2024 at 11:11 AM, RAF4EVER said:

Just being pedantic, but Concorde was a civil airliner,nothing like a fighter. If you are talking about speed and looks,try this:

Well, there was the long range air-to-air missile fitment on those... so potentially a "fighter"...

 

But Concorde was just "svelt" and sexy, in a supersonic way. Almost as good as a Turkey!

[Fukuryu]

 

I can't believe the Ki-46-III hasn't been mentioned yet.

 

You're welcome.

[Scooby]

On 3/22/2024 at 7:06 AM, Chrisj2003 said:

Can't beat a jet with a pointy nose: F-104, particularly a late F-104S ASA-M in pale grey.

 

Chris

Starfighter has my vote. With Maple Leafs and Red Ensign.

[junglierating]

19 hours ago, VolkerR. said:

I have only read the last 2 pages of this thread and yet no one has mentioned the most beautiful fighter plane of all ages:

 

F-104 Starfighter!

🤔You are Biased....since you had an awful lot of them.😄

[Giorgio N]

On 3/24/2024 at 10:27 AM, Paul821 said:

Althoughthis is a very subjective subject my vote would go to the Supermarine Spitfire  SWIFT. It might also be the only aircraft nominated that had.a leading role  in a Feature Film as the Prometheus in the movie Sound Barrier.

 

The Tomcat played quite a big role as itself in both The Final Countdown and Top Gun. In the latter particularly the whole story was just an excuse to show how cool the US Navy fighters were and how great it was to be a US Navy pilot... The Tomcat was the main character much more than Tom Cruise and I remember well how when the movie hit the theaters everybody wanted a model of the F-14, a guy who had a shop told me that everydays folks of every age entered the shop asking for a Tomcat, any brand and any scale as long as it was a Tomcat

.

[stalal]

If it just the looks only, then to me these are the aircraft that stand out 

 

- F-16 

- Mirage III & V series 

- Rafale 

- F-4 Phantom

 

F-14 looks great but only from certain angles. It looks like a serious and daunting aircraft. 

Edited March 26, 2024 by stalal

[junglierating]

4 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

 

The Tomcat played quite a big role as itself in both The Final Countdown and Top Gun. In the latter particularly the whole story was just an excuse to show how cool the US Navy fighters were and how great it was to be a US Navy pilot... The Tomcat was the main character much more than Tom Cruise and I remember well how when the movie hit the theaters everybody wanted a model of the F-14, a guy who had a shop told me that everydays folks of every age entered the shop asking for a Tomcat, any brand and any scale as long as it was a Tomcat

.

I'm impressed with your British 1950s film knowledge 😋 

 

 

 

Sorry Giorgio got my cuttin' pastin' mixed up although I'm sure your 1950s film knowledge is also superb 🤭

Edited March 26, 2024 by junglierating
Spellin'

[Nachtwulf]

Hmm....lets see which is the better looking aircraft between the Spitfire and the Hunter? That's easy.......Hawker Sea Fury!

 

 

[AV O]

On 25/03/2024 at 05:43, Ossington 2 said:

A-5A Vigilante. And it's not even a fighter. No bout adout it!

Then, her follower, though she never came out of a wood model :

http://aviadesign.online.fr/various/rapier+arrow.htm

[kiseca]

Early Spitfire gets my vote, with classic eliptical wings, high back and original rounded rudder. A mk 9 for me is the best, with the twin radiators and 4 blade prop, though I think the shorter nose of a mk 1 or 2 is nicer.

 

Unpopular opinion, but I've never found the Hunter attractive. I just find the proportions odd looking. From that era I thought the Sabre was more attractive (and the Sabre and F100 Super Sabre are the only two jets with a nose intake I'll say that about. Actually, maybe the F-8 too but that's kind of a chin intake).

 

For the rest, I have a few all time favourites that I love the look of to join the Spitfire. In no particular order:

P-51D

MiG-3

Hawker Tempest

Starfighter

Mirage F.1 (Another vote for the one wearing too many dresses😅)

F-16, best in XL form IMO.

And lastly I think the Tornado ADV (F.2 or F.3) is a gorgeous aircraft too.

 

Personally I find the MiG-29 prettier than the Sukhoi 27 family, I think the larger aircraft looks a bit sprawled out in comparison, but for that style of aircraft, with the two engines slung under the fuselage and the lifting body in the middle, is the Tomcat.

 

I think the F-15 is a beautiful aircraft too, looks right from any angle. Just for some reason, it's never in my top list. I don't know if it's just a bit too clinical looking, it doesn't have a kind of style, or character, whereas all of the others do. Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder, etc. 

 

But for the original question, Spitfire gets my vote.

 

 

Edited March 27, 2024 by kiseca

[RAF4EVER]

1 hour ago, AV O said:

Then, her follower, though she never came out of a wood model :

http://aviadesign.online.fr/various/rapier+arrow.htm

I get a dangerous website warning for this link.

 

@AV O