Top 10: Best-Looking American aeroplanes

The Hush-Kit aviation website asked its readers to decide the 10 best-looking American aeroplanes.

The results were a mouthwatering array of beautiful machines, with a couple of big surprises. Do you agree with the choices? Any list like this is extremely subjective by nature and we had to make some heartbreaking omissions to narrow it down to only ten (among them the gorgeous Staggerwing, F-106, P-38, Electra, B-1B, Vigilante and Constellation). Let us know in the comments section what else deserves a mention.   

10: Northrop YF-23

Though the Northrop YF-23 lost out to the Lockheed (later Lockheed Martin) YF-22 Raptor to become America’s premier fighter, many believe it was not only more capable but more attractive. It’s hard to deny that its combination of seductive curves and unorthodox features was not a delight to look at.

Northrop’s earlier experience with the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber had shown that smooth compound curves and a flat overall shape can provide a neat solution to the needs of both aerodynamics and radar stealth. The rival Lockheed design used a more angular solution, with repeated flat sections, to reduce the aircraft’s radar signature.

The massive V-tails of the F-23 are unconventional, as are the simple underwing air inlets for the engines. The combination of the unorthodox and the sleek gave the YF-23 a sinister look quite unlike anything else. Like the SR-71, the YF-23 has an exotic futuristic appearance that many observers found extremely exciting.

The YF-23 lost to the F-22 for several reasons, including the fact that the YF-23 would have likely been (even) more expensive than the F-22. The YF-23 design looked to have been more heavily optimised for radar stealth, and to achieve this, the wing design had been compromised; the result was a less efficient wing design.

9: North American XB-70 Valkyrie

Angular and distinctly space-age in appearance, the Valkyrie was also vast - at 185 feet it was only 17 feet shorter than the Concorde. And it’s perhaps the most impressive aircraft ever flown. Boasting a top speed exceeding three times that of sound, and an all-up maximum weight exceeding half a million pounds (227,000kg) , the North American XB-70 bomber was an extraordinary machine.

Answering a 1954 requirement for a replacement for the B-52 bomber, which required an aircraft of strategic reach that could attack the Soviet Union, with nuclear weapons, with impunity. Slowly the requirement grew in ambition calling for a higher and higher top speed.

Power for the aircraft came from no less than six General Electric YJ93-GE-3 turbojets. Each engine could generate 28,000-Ib-f of thrust with afterburning, totalling an astonishing 168,000-Ib-f of thrust. To put this into perspective this is more than 10 times more power than the Mach 2 capable F-104 Starfighter.

As well as the vast dramatic intakes and Star Wars-esque exhausts, key to the XB-70’s good looks were its huge delta wing with movable outer sections, and large canard foreplanes. Arguably, no other aircraft has ever combined aesthetics that combine aggressive power with elegance, and massive proportions, to such a degree as the Valkyrie.  Two were built, and the XB-70 project was cancelled in 1961.

8: Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

The fastest-ever air-breathing aeroplane is also one of the most attractive, if perhaps in an extremely sinister way. The SR-71 was built for strategic reconnaissance, proving immune to interception thanks to its exceptional ability to fly at extreme speeds and heights.

A chine is a term for a sharp change in profile; the Blackbird has fuselage chines where the fuselage goes from a curve into a pancaked leading edge. The chine both improves lift at supersonic speed, aids stealth, and helps controllability at lower speeds. It also gives the SR-71 its distinctly snake-like appearance.

According to pilot BC Thomas, “The aircraft was one of the first to employ stealth technology, thereby ensuring that the airplane was almost invisible to radar.  Its speed and altitude also cloaked its presence.  During this time of sparse reconnaissance satellite coverage over potential enemy targets, the SR-71 could sneak up, gather vital information, and leave the area without warning, and often without notice.”

With a top speed of over Mach 3.5 and the ability to reach altitudes sixteen miles, or 25,908 m (85,000 ft), above the Earth, the Blackbird was an astonishing machine in a league of its own. Even today, sixty years after its first flight, no jet is faster than the SR-71. 

7: Ryan ST

Whereas many of the aircraft on this list have predatory or menacing appearances, the plucky ST speaks of innocence and adventure. It first flew in June 1934 and soon proved itself a popular sport aircraft. The name ST stands for ‘Sport Trainer’.

Even in an era awash with beautiful aircraft, the ST stood as a machine of superlative beauty. The ST benefits from its timing, in 1934, the biplane-era was not over, and many of the characterful design features from this time were spilling into the next age of monoplanes.

Prior to the retractable undercarriage becoming popular, many aircraft designers opted for spats, especially in the 1920-30s. ‘Spatted’ fairings around the main undercarriage not only reduce drag but are exceptionally stylish. Another stylish period feature is the braced wing. The ST-3 floatplane could take off from the water, thanks to two very elegant floats.

A total of 1568 STs were made, and the aeroplane operated in many places around the world. As a military trainer they served with air forces in the Americas, Asia and Africa. The US Army Air Corps (later USAAF) were by far the largest operator employing 1224 aircraft from 1939 until 1946.

6: McDonnell XP-67 ‘Moonbat’

The Moonbat was one of three distinctly odd designs submitted to meet R-40C, the other two being XP-54 which had a twin-boom rear fuselage and pusher propeller and the sweptwing pusher Curtiss-Wright XP-55. The unusual shape of the Moonbat derives from the concept of a blended wing, whereby the fuselage blends seamlessly into the wing.

The result of this blended wing was an aircraft of smooth and sleek appearance. The XP-67 (later dubbed ‘Moonbat’) was cancelled, it appeared just as the jet age was dominating future fighter concepts, and was considered risky. Though unsuccessful, the attractive XP-67 was the first aircraft design from the McDonnell company which would later create such famous and successful designs as the F-4 Phantom II.

5: North American F-86 Sabre

Following hot on the heels of the superlative P-51, the North American Aviation F-86 was arguably the best jet fighter of its generation. Like the Mustang, its uncluttered balanced design made it a very beautiful aircraft. Also, like the Mustang it was often unpainted, sharing the brilliance of shiny aluminium.

As with the Mustang, the Sabre was the work of the brilliant German-born designer Edgar Schmüd (1899-1985). Notably, the F-86 utilised the then-new technology of the jet, and a swept-wing, combining it with the innovation of radar ranging for its guns. The result was a fast agile fighter that proved itself again and again in Korea against the similar Soviet MiG-15. 

Over 9800 North American F-86 Sabres were manufactured serving with 31 air arms from the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe and Australia. On 18 May 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first female pilot to break the sound barrier, flying a Canadian-built F-86 Sabre Mk 3.

Key to the Sabre’s good looks, were its uncluttered lines combined with the brutal simplicity of its ‘mouth’ intake. Again, the combination of polished aluminium and a sleek low-drag shape created an aircraft of unquestionable beauty. And it was far more than a pretty face, no less test pilot than Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown, loved the Sabre, describing it as a ‘jet Spitfire.’

4: Grumman F-14 Tomcat

Few other aircraft have been so successfully glamourised as the Grumman F-14 Tomcat was in the 1986 film Top Gun. Even before then, the aircraft had a dedicated following that appreciated its impressive size and muscular good looks, often further heightened by colourful unit markings, but after the movie, it became a superstar in its own right.

Aggressive shoulder-mounted air intakes, twin-vertical tail and variable geometry (or swing-wing) combine in generally massive proportions giving the F-14 Tomcat an appearance as formidable as it the aircraft itself.

Another distinctive feature of the F-14 Tomcat is the wide ‘valley’ between the engines which provides room for large air-to-air missiles, notably the extremely large and long-ranged AIM-54 Phoenix. Another distinctive feature is the large raked-back rectangular air inlets which feed the jet engines, they feature moving parts to slow the air sufficiently for the engine to process it efficiently.

The handsome canopy (the glass above the cockpit affording the crew a view of the world) of the F-14 may look familiar to avid aviation historians, this is because it is based on that of the earlier two-seat trainer version of the Grumman F-9 Cougar. Retired by America in 2006, the F-14 remains in service with Iran.

3: Republic XF-12 Rainbow

The sleek Republic XF-12 Rainbow is a strong contender for the title of the most impressive piston-engined aircraft ever flown. First flying in 1946, the XF-12 was described as "flying on all fours" referring to its four engines, 400mph (640 km/h) cruise, 4,000-mile (6,400 km) range, and 40,000 ft (12,000 m) altitude.

It was built to fulfil a requirement for a long-range reconnaissance aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces, and it was in competition with Howard Hughes’ very different XF-11 (which resembled a scaled-up Lockheed P-38 Lightning). The Rainbow has an extremely low-drag design with huge attention paid to every design detail.

The Rainbow featured a radical turbo supercharger arrangement, where spent exhaust gases were channelled through a narrow oval jetpipe providing an extra 300 horsepower of thrust.

Though immensely capable, by the time the Rainbow had flown, the war had ended and the modified B-29s were performing the long-range reconnaissance mission. Additionally, the Rainbow was not a jet aircraft, and the jet engine was about to dominate high-speed flight. With a likely top speed over 460mph, it was, however, the fastest four-engined piston aircraft ever flown.

2: General Dynamics F-16XL

The leading edge of Concorde’s wing reduces in sweep as it runs from the fuselage to the wingtip. The reason is that a traditional delta (triangular) wing, like that of the Mirage III has pretty ropey low-speed handling qualities. A delta wing can have some of its worst vices rectified with a varying angle at the front of the wing.

The F-16XL began life as an effort to see if technologies from supersonic transport, such as the cranked delta, could benefit military aircraft. The first of two F-16XLs flew in 1982 and the results were dramatic: there was a 25% improvement in maximum lift-to-drag ratio in supersonic flight and an 11% while in subsonic flight.

Compared to a regular F-16 the ride was smoother at high speeds and - somewhat surprisingly – at low altitudes. The baseline F-16 was already the longest-range fighter in USAF, but the fuel load could now be increased by a hefty 82%. The F-16XL could carry twice the ordnance weight of the F-16 and deliver it 40% further.

The USAF wanted a fighter-bomber capable of deep air interdiction missions without fighter or jammer support. A design based on F-16XL was offered, eventually losing out to the F-15E. After various research for NASA in support supersonic transport research, including sonic boom characteristics and engine noise, the XLs ceased flying in 1999.

1: North American P-51 Mustang

The war-winning P-51 Mustang is the most iconic of all US fighter aircraft. Like the British Spitfire, it combined great beauty with exceptional performance. Slim and sleeker than the P-47 Thunderbolt, arguably more handsome than the P-38, and more distinctive than the rather plain P-40, the Mustang came to symbolise American air power like no other wartime fighter.

When we asked supercar designer Peter Stevens why aerodynamic objects tend to look so good he opined that when we look at something we (mostly unconsciously) imagine running our hands over it, and that a sleek form would feel good to touch. Perhaps proof of this theory is the beauty of the P-51 Mustang, an aircraft designed to be as smooth as possible to minimise drag, which of course boosted both its speed and range.