Boeing 747 family got to be on somebody's list.

 

Ray

Superglide beat me to it.

DC-3 / C-47. Arguably the best engineered aircraft of all time.

I'm sorry but going I have to disagree with you about the engineering thing. The best engineered aircraft would have to be either an aircraft that meets multiple mission purpose time and again (such as the C-130, yes it was better engineered. It's been almost 60 years they are still producing them in the same basic airframe) or an ultra efficient aircraft such as the 787 if you watch documentarys about it, it seriously is an engineering marvel.

Now don't get me wrong, the DC-3 revolutionized the fledgling aviation industry. But in all honesty that was it's place in history.

Superglide beat me to it.

DC-3 / C-47. Arguably the best engineered aircraft of all time.

 

This cant even be close to being true. With hover jet technology, composite materials technology, new airfoil technology, etc., no way the DC3 gets that label.

 

Concorde, F15, F22 Rptor, SR71, Extra 300 (+10G), B747, just a few that you might consider for that title

Most are talking about technological improvemnts, not legendary and most influencial. As Superglide said. DC-3, DC-3,. DC-3. And just in case anybody misses the point DC-3 (C-47 included). The others may have made modern airtravel better, the DC-3 made it possible and practical.

Probably worth bearing in mind that the DC-3 is one of the few aircraft which is still being remanufactured even today. Which means you can still buy what amounts to a new one:

 

http://www.baslerturbo.com/

 

Thus, quite apart from the DC pretty much revolutionising air travel, playing a major part in the logistical abilities of the Allies in WW2, and still flying commercial, research and military flights even today, the fact that what is essentially a 78 year old design can still be made commercially viable with the addition of new engines, a bit of a fuselage stretch and a tweak to the control surfaces certainly does make it fit the appellation 'legendary'.

 

Al

Influence?

B747: Even when I worked on the ramp people (workers and PAX alike) would still glance at it during takeoff or approach. No other airliner I saw got that attention.

Cessna 152/172: People who don't necessarily know much about aviation can sometime guess a small plane is a "Cessna" and I think it's due to being a popular GA plane

SR71: Looks and style! For younger people it's that plane from X-Men. Older folks, the one that got hit with a missle.

B52: THE Bomber. If I said B52 to a ceratin age group they would know what I was talking about.

 

For me personally, I'd say 777 & 787 for being technological feats and I've always had a love for the An225.

Again, the DC-3 is IMHO the most legendary. Think about this: The Model T Ford made highway travel possible for nearly everyone. The DC-3 did the same for air travel. Eveything, everything else that has followed has simply been an engineering tweak.

Again, the DC-3 is IMHO the most legendary. Think about this: The Model T Ford made highway travel possible for nearly everyone. The DC-3 did the same for air travel. Eveything, everything else that has followed has simply been an engineering tweak.

 

As an enthusiast, I can't diagree.

As Joe Citizen, I don't know what a DC3 is.

I guess it boils down to Legendary enough to be known by the masses or Legendary to people who are into aviation and its history.

SR71: Looks and style! For younger people it's that plane from X-Men. Older folks, the one that got hit with a missle.

Just a correction.

The SR71 has never been shot down!(Over 4000 SAMS have been fired at it)

Are you referring to the U2?

Just a correction.

The SR71 has never been shot down!(Over 4000 SAMS have been fired at it)

Are you referring to the U2?

I stand corrected! :)

Probably worth bearing in mind that the DC-3 is one of the few aircraft which is still being remanufactured even today. Which means you can still buy what amounts to a new one:

 

http://www.baslerturbo.com/

Saw the freeware project on that one, Alan? http://forum.aerosoft.com/index.php?/topic/53724-basler-bt-67-x/page__pid__366546#entry366546 It's on my watchlist for Antarctica X.

Yeah, that's gone a bit quiet of late. I do have the payware Dirk Stuck BT-67, which is not that great, although I've tarted mine up by sticking the JF DC-3 VC in it and repainting the textures (the ones which come with it are truly crap, probably the worst I've ever seen on a payware aircraft).

 

Al

I didn't know there was payware for that one. I have high hopes on that freeware though, looks nice so far and I would love some turbine DC-3.

Probably the Spitfire as even people who have absolutely no interest in aviation would still probably have heard of the Spitfire.

Again, the DC-3 is IMHO the most legendary. Think about this: The Model T Ford made highway travel possible for nearly everyone. The DC-3 did the same for air travel. Eveything, everything else that has followed has simply been an engineering tweak.

 

That is exactly the point made for the DC-3/C-47. A lot of folks are confusing "Most Technologically Advanced" or "Highest Performing", etc. There is a reason why so many choose the DC-3 whenever the discussion of Most Influential or Most Legendary comes up.

 

Obviously, there are innumerable aircraft far more technologically advanced, higher performing, and certainly more spectacular than the DC-3. However, virtually to a plane, every single modern aircraft design flying today of similar configuration (stressed-skin, multi-engine, passenger/transport, low wing cantilevered monoplane), can trace it's design and engineering fundamentals, and basis of reliability and practicality, as well as performance, down to the DC-3. Of course, it wasn't the first of it's type, but at the time it was by far the best-designed and built, and as Wookhick said, "Eveything, everything else that has followed has simply been an engineering tweak." The DC-3 literally set the standard for which every aircraft after followed.