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Many people have favorite airplanes. Some of them may not be in our fleet, some may be already in and some may be added in future. Below You can get some information what and why i've put specific airplanes in my top list. Share Your top list with others. Here is place for all airplanes, including military fighters and experimental machines (but let's limit experimental machines to at least flying prototypes).
My list will be sorted in alphabetical order, because i have strong opinions on many of those aircrafts and i can't tell with is exacly 1st and witch is exacly 2nd on my top list. List is limited to 10 aircrafts with photos included if available.
A318 then A319 then A320
Small regional jetliner. Smallest Airbus available and one of it's kind. Exacly A318 is certificated for step approach, witch allows it to land in London City airport. Still have range and speed comparable to A320, with lower pax capacity. Pilots certificated for A320 can fly A318 without further training.
Why this time i've mentioned 3 airliners as one? Because if A318 is not available i can pickup slighty bigger version with same cockpit design and fly. A319 is still smaller than A320, and A320 is something that i can still fly. A321 is not my favorite one, it's little too long for it's specifications. I like smaller airliners, and much bigger ones (as You can read below).
AN-255
One of the biggest cargo transports in world. Slighty larger than 747F. If we will have cargo version of A380 it will be simmilar, but still will be better, because of volume capacity. In original designed as Buran space shuttle transporter, currently only one AN-225 is flying.
B747 then A380 then A340
Queen of the skies. Cargo and PAX versions. Much more beautifull (in my opinion) than A380. Big plane that can approach quite slowly, majestic...
Next type is A380, more ugly and little bigger, anyway in pax number on board. Most complex glass cockpit in current airplanes, comparable only with military-grade equipment and 787. More and more airlines have this plane in fleet.
Last is A340, smaller sister of A380, but with much older cockpit design, much more simmilar to already known Airbus series airplanes. Only 2 engines more. Unfortunately A340 is ugly. Streched long fuselage, little to wide engine spread under wings make it strange, something like watching pax version of B-52 with some engines removed. But still like to fly 4 engine jets, and A340 is on thet top part of short civil 4 engine jet list.
BAe 146/Avro RJ
Small regional jet airliners called Avroliner. Not very high speed, not very big pax capacity. No longer in production, but still used in many airlines. Big advantage? STOL capacity, step approach certificate and low noise pollution. And no thrust reversers Small, fun airplane for trips around 1000-1500nm, something that can replace ATR or small jets from Fokker or ERJ. That little bird have 4 turbofan engines and nice shape.
Boeing 787
One of my most favorite ones. Full glass cockpit with HUD. Vey nice wing line and overall shape of ircraft, with unique design. It looks small, if is alone on apron, but with other airplanes we can clearly see, that this bird is quite big. High speed, range, capacity... And nice glass cockpit easy to reproduce as home cockpit.
Boeing C-17
Hmmm... Big, 4 engine, heavy lifter. STOL capacity, unpaved airstrips ability, powerfull reversers that can push airplane uphill (2% degree), air-refueling. Ideal for charity operations around the world, or moving tanks to battlezone, or whatever You need.
C-130 then ATR42-500/72-500
How about carrier landings without arrester cables? Thats one little bird that can do that. And that bird can do some other things also. But have low speed. Same as ATR. ATR have nicer shape. Both types (C and ATR) can fly regional routes and land/start on short strips, so they can find few nice places over the world to visit. Not all, but many.
Cessna Citation X
As far as i know this is fastest civil bizjet available on market. Dolphin shape fuselage (anyway i call that shape that way). Can lans on small airfields, fly higher tham most airliners and way faster. Can't take much cargo or passengers, but have nice speed We are waiting for Gulfstream 650 to check if it will beat Cessna speed or not.
Lockheed Tristar L-1011 then Douglas DC-10/MD-11
Unique design of trijet. We have only few airplanes of this configuration, including Tristar, MD-11, DC-10, B727, Tu-154 and few bizjets. Trijet can be flown without use of steering column or rudder, only with engine thrust. It's not easy but possible, and few pilots tried with success that style after losing steering ability. In some cases 3rd engine can give additional power to airplane. Like empty MD-11 can fly almost like fighter. Tristar and 727 have "s-duct" for 3rd engine, DC-10 and MD-11 have engine mounted in tail section above fuselage. S-duct is more beutifull so Tristar is my favorite one.
V-22 Osprey
Is that airplane? Or helicopter? It's both. Can fly like airplane and land vertically everywhere. It's cargo plane, or can take some soliders or other persons on board, take them faster than heli to any place, then land vertically on helipad. No need of airstrips, just flat surface without obstacles. It may be sand or grass or whatever. Best from heli + best from airplane in single machine.
Tha is my top list. Some of them we have in fleet ready to jump in and fly (A320, MD-11, B747, ATR, L100). Some are available as X-plane secrets (A380, Citation X). Some i would like to see in our fleet (BAe-146, A318, V-22)...
What is Your toplist?
My list will be sorted in alphabetical order, because i have strong opinions on many of those aircrafts and i can't tell with is exacly 1st and witch is exacly 2nd on my top list. List is limited to 10 aircrafts with photos included if available.
A318 then A319 then A320
Small regional jetliner. Smallest Airbus available and one of it's kind. Exacly A318 is certificated for step approach, witch allows it to land in London City airport. Still have range and speed comparable to A320, with lower pax capacity. Pilots certificated for A320 can fly A318 without further training.
Why this time i've mentioned 3 airliners as one? Because if A318 is not available i can pickup slighty bigger version with same cockpit design and fly. A319 is still smaller than A320, and A320 is something that i can still fly. A321 is not my favorite one, it's little too long for it's specifications. I like smaller airliners, and much bigger ones (as You can read below).
AN-255
One of the biggest cargo transports in world. Slighty larger than 747F. If we will have cargo version of A380 it will be simmilar, but still will be better, because of volume capacity. In original designed as Buran space shuttle transporter, currently only one AN-225 is flying.
B747 then A380 then A340
Queen of the skies. Cargo and PAX versions. Much more beautifull (in my opinion) than A380. Big plane that can approach quite slowly, majestic...
Next type is A380, more ugly and little bigger, anyway in pax number on board. Most complex glass cockpit in current airplanes, comparable only with military-grade equipment and 787. More and more airlines have this plane in fleet.
Last is A340, smaller sister of A380, but with much older cockpit design, much more simmilar to already known Airbus series airplanes. Only 2 engines more. Unfortunately A340 is ugly. Streched long fuselage, little to wide engine spread under wings make it strange, something like watching pax version of B-52 with some engines removed. But still like to fly 4 engine jets, and A340 is on thet top part of short civil 4 engine jet list.
BAe 146/Avro RJ
Small regional jet airliners called Avroliner. Not very high speed, not very big pax capacity. No longer in production, but still used in many airlines. Big advantage? STOL capacity, step approach certificate and low noise pollution. And no thrust reversers Small, fun airplane for trips around 1000-1500nm, something that can replace ATR or small jets from Fokker or ERJ. That little bird have 4 turbofan engines and nice shape.
Boeing 787
One of my most favorite ones. Full glass cockpit with HUD. Vey nice wing line and overall shape of ircraft, with unique design. It looks small, if is alone on apron, but with other airplanes we can clearly see, that this bird is quite big. High speed, range, capacity... And nice glass cockpit easy to reproduce as home cockpit.
Boeing C-17
Hmmm... Big, 4 engine, heavy lifter. STOL capacity, unpaved airstrips ability, powerfull reversers that can push airplane uphill (2% degree), air-refueling. Ideal for charity operations around the world, or moving tanks to battlezone, or whatever You need.
C-130 then ATR42-500/72-500
How about carrier landings without arrester cables? Thats one little bird that can do that. And that bird can do some other things also. But have low speed. Same as ATR. ATR have nicer shape. Both types (C and ATR) can fly regional routes and land/start on short strips, so they can find few nice places over the world to visit. Not all, but many.
Cessna Citation X
As far as i know this is fastest civil bizjet available on market. Dolphin shape fuselage (anyway i call that shape that way). Can lans on small airfields, fly higher tham most airliners and way faster. Can't take much cargo or passengers, but have nice speed We are waiting for Gulfstream 650 to check if it will beat Cessna speed or not.
Lockheed Tristar L-1011 then Douglas DC-10/MD-11
Unique design of trijet. We have only few airplanes of this configuration, including Tristar, MD-11, DC-10, B727, Tu-154 and few bizjets. Trijet can be flown without use of steering column or rudder, only with engine thrust. It's not easy but possible, and few pilots tried with success that style after losing steering ability. In some cases 3rd engine can give additional power to airplane. Like empty MD-11 can fly almost like fighter. Tristar and 727 have "s-duct" for 3rd engine, DC-10 and MD-11 have engine mounted in tail section above fuselage. S-duct is more beutifull so Tristar is my favorite one.
V-22 Osprey
Is that airplane? Or helicopter? It's both. Can fly like airplane and land vertically everywhere. It's cargo plane, or can take some soliders or other persons on board, take them faster than heli to any place, then land vertically on helipad. No need of airstrips, just flat surface without obstacles. It may be sand or grass or whatever. Best from heli + best from airplane in single machine.
Tha is my top list. Some of them we have in fleet ready to jump in and fly (A320, MD-11, B747, ATR, L100). Some are available as X-plane secrets (A380, Citation X). Some i would like to see in our fleet (BAe-146, A318, V-22)...
What is Your toplist?