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UGLIEST PLANE EVER?

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  • Member since
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  • From: UK
UGLIEST PLANE EVER?
Posted by gregers on Saturday, May 10, 2003 12:02 PM
Heres one to let the cat amongst the pidgeons. just what is the most pigs ****** ugly plane in the world ever? If no one answers i will give it to the airbus beluga on default. in case you doubt my sanity asking for the ugly vote i drive an old landrover (nuff said) Gregers
Why torture yourself when life will do it for you?
  • Member since
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 10, 2003 12:50 PM
Fairey Gannet

I hate to say a plane is ugly but... it's pointy, bumpy, bulgy, and somewhat porcine

edit: funny, I remember my brother saying that the wildcat was ugly... I love that plane so much I wanted to punch him in the face Big Smile [:D]
  • Member since
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  • From: Canada / Czech Republic
Posted by upnorth on Saturday, May 10, 2003 4:25 PM
Well, this poll has been done before and, as an avid wingnut, I must say there are no truly ugly aircraft, unorthodox perhaps but not ugly.

However, the afore mentioned Beluga is a real beauty in my book (no, thats not sarcasm) especially when you look at the Super Guppy it replaced.

For me, the top 5 list of less than aesthetically pleasing aircraft goes to this effect:

1: Shorts Seamew
2: Fairey Gannet
3: Super Guppy
4: Grumman C-2 Greyhound
5: Republic F-105 Thunderchief

One aircraft that, to my mind, looks so bizarre you just have to love it is the Edgely/Brooklands Optica. A bit of a rarity as it prooved quite sales proof . Its sort of like the VW Beetle with wings, threw a lot of design rules out the window and still came out with an eye catcher.

you can find photos of the optica on www.airliners.net
  • Member since
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 10, 2003 4:32 PM
How did the Thud get on your ugly list?! The Thunderchief is probably the prettiest airplane ever! It had a really feminine appearance, what with the area-rule fuselage, perfect!
As for an ugly aircraft? The RC-12 Gaurdrail. WAY too many antennaes!
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Canada / Czech Republic
Posted by upnorth on Saturday, May 10, 2003 4:40 PM
To each their own I suppose, I'll go with you on the Guardrail, but the Thud is still in my ugly books.

To my mind, the best looking combat jet that came out of America is probably the F-5 Freedom Fighter. Now there's a plane with double the feminine appearance that the Thud could ever hope to have. A svelte, petite hourglass figure, easy maintenance and a nasty disposition when she needs it. What else could you ask for in either women or planes? :-)
  • Member since
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hehe....
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 10, 2003 4:40 PM
sorry, all raptor lovers... i'll give ugly award to f22.... there are also few ugly breat babes, but my award goes to raptor
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Niagara Falls NY
Posted by Butz on Saturday, May 10, 2003 5:20 PM
Whaz up,
I would have to agree w/ upnorth, I really dont feel that there is such a thing as an ugly a/c.
There is possibly one a/c that you could call ugly and thats the T-2C Buckeye. But than again she has some great linesTongue [:P]
Flaps up,Mike

  If you would listen to everybody about the inaccuracies, most of the kits on your shelf would not have been built Too Close For Guns, Switching To Finger

  • Member since
    January 2003
  • From: Washington State
Posted by leemitcheltree on Saturday, May 10, 2003 5:34 PM
Have to agree with gregers -
The Fairey Gannet is just plain wrong in so many ways.......

Cheers, LeeTree
Remember, Safety Fast!!!

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 10, 2003 6:23 PM
No such thing as an ugly airplane... some are just prettier than others.
There are many at the lower end of the "pretty" scale:

1. Transavia Airtruk
2. Shorts Seamew (the Russians had a similar looking a/c, I believe it was the IL-20)
3. Any French between-the-wars bomber
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Canada
Posted by dogsbody on Saturday, May 10, 2003 6:24 PM
If you want to see ugly aircraft, look up French designed planes from the 1930's. Man, some of them are just nasty looking.

"What young man could possibly be bored
with a uniform to wear,
a fast aeroplane to fly,
and something to shoot at?"

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, May 10, 2003 6:38 PM
Another Fairey product I'm afraid!

Fairey Barracuda!

In their defence, they also produced one of the most beautiful - Fairey Delta 2.

Rob M.
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: UK
Posted by gregers on Saturday, May 10, 2003 8:22 PM
I must admit that i have worked on a Gannet. The most scary thing about it was climbing into the cockpit. One hell of a climb.....Gregers
Why torture yourself when life will do it for you?
  • Member since
    May 2003
Posted by rdxpress on Saturday, May 10, 2003 11:43 PM
Hey All,
Ithe new Boeing Xf-35 is the uglest U.S. AC yet. Anything Frog ah,er French
would be alltime ugly( xcpt the Spad 13)
Good Hunting,
rdxpress
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Oak Harbor, WA
Posted by Kolja94 on Sunday, May 11, 2003 12:28 AM
Hey, the C-2 doesn't look so bad when it's brining you cookies from home!! :)

My nomination is this Russian contraption from the 20s, I think it was called the Gorky (it's on Discovery Wings on a weekly basis). The thing was huge (if memory serves it had a dark room and printing press aboard) but just hideous looking...

Karl

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Poway, Ca.
Posted by mostlyjets on Sunday, May 11, 2003 12:28 AM
Nimrod! With a name like that, It's got to be ugly! That and any other nornal airframe which gets "bubbled". USAF transports of the 50's come to mind.
All out of Snakes and Nape, switching to guns...
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Planet Ten
Posted by John Howling Mouse on Sunday, May 11, 2003 11:20 AM
Check out an entire web-site devoted to the world's ugliest aircraft:

http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/farmer/120/
"No, no, no, don't tug on that-----you never know what it might be attached to."
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, May 11, 2003 5:17 PM
Canberra.. Definately. The Martin B-summatorother with the long F14-ish canopy looks better, but it still looks like a pile of (rather lumpy) poo..

As for the Gannet.. Well, imagine saying down the pub that you fly a fairey. They'll think wrongly of your sexual orientation, wouldn't they?
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Third rock from the sun.
Posted by Woody on Sunday, May 11, 2003 8:20 PM
This topic back again! It's a dead end subject as all A/C have their fanciers. I think it's a form follows function thing. When people single out an A/C as ugly it sounds well, weak.Sad [:(]

" I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." --John Paul Jones
  • Member since
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  • From: UK
Posted by gregers on Monday, May 12, 2003 6:16 AM
Hiya Woody I didnt know this had been done before (new to the forum) one of the main reasons for asking is I was looking for other peoples thoughts on what is a wierd model subject when i get into the modeling doldrums i will shelve what i am working on and build something totaly different, the more different the better i.e ugly, wierd or just plane bizare but got to be a plane.Thats how i ended up building a hawk trainer in thunderbirds livery and armed to the teeth!!!!. I am now pondering on building a design by fairey not the gannet (built one already) but the rotodyne and putting it in an RAF transport command sand/stone scheme , got the old airfix kit somewhere. i think you will agree that form definitly follows function on that odd bird but i must admit i dont think its ugly, just weird. Thanks or all your replies....GregersClown [:o)]
Why torture yourself when life will do it for you?
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Third rock from the sun.
Posted by Woody on Monday, May 12, 2003 12:12 PM
gregers it sounds like a lot of fun. Why don't you post some pictures? There are some weird airplanes out there. I build experimental fighters so I've seen some strange birds Big Smile [:D]

" I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." --John Paul Jones
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 12, 2003 10:01 PM
My nod for the most aesthetically unpleasing would be the Boeing X-32. How can you take any plane seriously that constantly grins at you like Bozo the Clown?
The Bronco's no peach, either.

demono69
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Monday, May 12, 2003 11:37 PM
for me it's Hurricane , I-153 , Beluga , Langcaster
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Brazil
Posted by Fabio Moretti on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 7:31 AM
Take a look in this planes....
















Next on the workbench 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Brazil
Posted by Fabio Moretti on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 7:44 AM
More strange planes...
















Next on the workbench 

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: UK
Posted by gregers on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 11:34 AM
Hi Woody unfotunatly i cant post pics no scanner or digital camera. it can be fun just thinking about the possabilities. one that have been thinking of doing is thunderbird 6 fram the tv series. it was only used on one episode and i cant remember which one but it was a tiger moth in a thunderbirds scheme it looked good but i need to see the episode again to make some drawings. cheers. Greg
Why torture yourself when life will do it for you?
  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: UK
Posted by gregers on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 11:43 AM
Hi Fabio thanks for the pics. I especialy like the first 2 British aircraft. I belive that they were built by the Miles aircraft company and would both make good kit subjects. again many thanks to everyone for there replys....Greg
Why torture yourself when life will do it for you?
  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 1:01 PM
The F-22 takes it, it is just so plain, so vanilla. It looks even worse when you compare it to its competition, the YF-23, arguably one of the most elegant and intimidating a/c ever.

The Boeing XF-32 is an ugly little pig too, I'm glad it lost the competition for JSF.
  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Third rock from the sun.
Posted by Woody on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 4:49 PM
Fabio, what is the canard wing US navy fighter? Is it just a mock up? Big Smile [:D]

" I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm's way." --John Paul Jones
  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Brazil
Posted by Fabio Moretti on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 7:31 AM
You´re welcome Gregers...
Woody ...I think it isn´t a mock up...but ..take a look at this site
http://www.strange-mecha.com

Next on the workbench 

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 14, 2003 7:59 AM
If the FAA flew it , it was a prerequisite to be ugly...

I think they have the MoU within the aircraft certification department of the FAA. The Ministry of Ugly (MoU) is staffed by a John Cleese-looking character who demands, on presentation of the plans for a new plane, "Right then, is it ugly..." and proceeds to add bumps, bulges, assymetric fairings, odd angles, extra strakes and complex operating features if not already incorporated.

I think he was on holiday when the Seafire was presented, though.

Mongo
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