Top 10 Worst Aircraft Ever...

[OUSOONER]

For obvious reasons....

 

[eddie]

Almost anything the Italians tried to use in WW2... except that torpedo bomber kinda looks cool.

 

[Lawman]

The F-111 was not the premier attack platform it would become when they started developing the Tornado, and the F-15E was still 15 years away. I would never include it in any 'worst aircraft' list, especially with its fine combat record.

Flash my point in adding the Tornado was based on the fact that they didnt even fly the prototype till 1974 and it didnt enter service till 1980. Meanwhile when you look at its closest counterpart in the strike mission the F-111 we had already produced the F model in 1974. Hell a year after its introduction we were already looking to replace the F-111. The second reason was that if you look at all the aircraft it replaced in its partner countries its hard to find any real improvement in any catagory (especially the F-4). This aircraft could have been very impressive had it been developed a decade earlier.

 

[Xtndr50boom]

Set the standard for incredibly expensive, theoretically awesome, but utterly useless planes from the XB-70 to the A-12 the the F(not A)-22.

Huh? It may not have had the best safety record, and it's operational service was brief, but it's younger sister is usually counted in the top 3 aircraft ever built:

 

[phrogpilot73]

Huh? It may not have had the best safety record, and it's operational service was brief, but it's younger sister is usually counted in the top 3 aircraft ever built:

Being that you put emphasis on the A-12, what are you talking about? They're not talking about the Lockheed A-12, they're talking about the A-12 Avenger II, the non-existent aircraft that never saw the light of day.

 

[Blutonski816]

Flash my point in adding the Tornado was based on the fact that they didnt even fly the prototype till 1974 and it didnt enter service till 1980. Meanwhile when you look at its closest counterpart in the strike mission the F-111 we had already produced the F model in 1974. Hell a year after its introduction we were already looking to replace the F-111. The second reason was that if you look at all the aircraft it replaced in its partner countries its hard to find any real improvement in any catagory (especially the F-4). This aircraft could have been very impressive had it been developed a decade earlier.

I have to agree and disagree.
Yeah, the Tornado took forever to get off the ground (pun intended), and yeah we optioned them our hardware (Tomcats, Eagles, etc), and they, unwilling to have to be tied to our supply lines, kindly said "Sorry, chaps. not interested". And because of this, they ended up introducing a barely competetive machine.

However, to its credit, It managed to overcome its initial shortcomings and demonstrated itself to be a capable aircraft... Sure it took three distinct variants to do the jobs it was aked to do, but the fact that they've served almost as long as many of their comparable counterparts is testimony enough.

Perfect, far from it...
But like Flash, I wouldn't say it was the worst ever.

 

[Pugs]

The B-36 did exactly nothing. Ask yourself why?

Adaptability and flexibilty are good things, my friend.

B-36 entered service in 1948 and the Buff didn't come along until 1955 and in those dark times the B-47 entering in 51 didn't help much (but gets rep for introducing AAR). But SAC couldn't wait seven years for a long range bomber as they were working with B-50's, early 40's technology. Nope, the B-36 served in it's deterrent role just fine. It's like saying an Ohio boat did/does nothing.

No doubt it the B-36 was a one trick pony, although I understand there was a offer to outfit them with conventional loads for Korea (turned down by LeMay/SAC). Can't hate it for being a one trick pony though. Look at the B-58, Hustler damn near poke my eye out with a woody every time I see one and it lasted a very short time on a single (one way) mission. Even the B-47 evolved into a decent SIGINT bird and was even flown by the Navy (well, two of them on FIWC stuff)

 

[PropAddict]

More not-so-good German WWII engineering. A PILOTED V-1 Buzzbomb. Reportedly, Hanna Reitsch (famed female test pilot and astronaut) stood up a 70 pilot squadron ready to fly these and bailout just before hitting the target. Yikes!!

 

[Xtndr50boom]

Being that you put emphasis on the A-12, what are you talking about? They're not talking about the Lockheed A-12, they're talking about the A-12 Avenger II, the non-existent aircraft that never saw the light of day.

Learn something new every day. But why put an airplane that never even got off the drawing board on a list of top ten worst aircraft? That's like calling an aborted fetus a whore

 

[xj220]

It's a shame to see the Beech Starship on the list. I know it had it's problems and they ended up buying them back, but it's still one of my favorite looking airplanes.

 

[Ave8tor]

More not-so-good German WWII engineering. A PILOTED V-1 Buzzbomb. Reportedly, Hanna Reitsch (famed female test pilot and astronaut) stood up a 70 pilot squadron ready to fly these and bailout just before hitting the target. Yikes!!

What's probably more scary is trying to bail out with an engine right over your head. Gives a whole new emphasis to CROUCH, dive, pull!

Also, lest we forget, once you actually make it outta the plane, now you are in a country which you just blew a huge hole out of. I for one would probably go kamikaze than take my chances with a vengeful mob!

 

[BarrettRC8]

Here's a steamer for ya.....
"Senator Stennis, there is not enough thrust in all Christendom to make that plane a fighter!!"
-Admiral Tom Connelly

Thank you Mumbles, I believe we're on the same page.

F-104

You must be joking.

 

[FMRAM]

Technically it's a glider...

 

[Oh-58Ddriver]

But it doesn't achieve a mission that can't be achieved using a cheaper aircraft. It was way over budget. Anyways the Army needs to throw its money into infantry weapons not outrageously expensive aircraft. That's the job of the Air Force.

Ahem...ok I will forgive your ignorance seeing as you have never actually seen how a battlefield environment works...but I will say, don't confuse bad contract management with a bad aircraft. The Commanche would have been used in place of the Apache - the Apache has long been a maintenance $$ black hole. The program had higher start up costs with lower maintenance costs.

As for being the job of the Air Force...ugh, why even bother explaining it...go do some reading.

 

[Flash]

More not-so-good German WWII engineering. A PILOTED V-1 Buzzbomb. Reportedly, Hanna Reitsch (famed female test pilot and astronaut) stood up a 70 pilot squadron ready to fly these and bailout just before hitting the target. Yikes!!

Rietsch was never an astronaut.