Swan or Kestral?

[garyfrogeye]

Seeing the Spitfires and Concord in the Raymond Baxter tribute tonight, reminded me that these two great icons are possible the best looking machines ever created.
One like a Kestral and the other like a swan.
Which do you think is the most stunning?
To me the look of Concord on takeoff and the sound of the Spitfire both take my breath away, but Concord just edges it on sheer beauty.

[Boorish Grobian]

Hmm, don't necessarily agree.  The Spit is lovely in every way, but the Concorde?  Always looked kind of gawky and odd.  As someone said after the Concord service ended, "it was a hell of an adventure, but a lot of people paid a big price for that program".
The Spitfire was beauty born of necessity, the Concord?
Fax

[Fran]

but a lot of people paid a big price for that program

In what way?

I love the Concorde by the way - we have one here at Manchester airport, a thing of beauty in the eye of this beholder.

F

[oldtimer]

Concorde is/was indeed a beuatiful piece of machinery, particularly when cruising at altitude - nose up and sleek - unlike its slightly awkward appearance on take-off/landing (sorry Gary).  BUT the Spitfire has to judge edge it - small but perfectly formed and what a sound!

[mgmark]

Both are pretty much up there at the top of my Hall of Fame for different reasons:

The Spitfire - designed to fight, and fought well, but still looks gorgeous from every angle.  And the sound of a Merlin or Griffon on full chat is just so smooooooth on the ear.

Concorde - not as pretty or as smooth to the ear, but a feat of technology at the time and even when it retired, and it looks supremely fast, even just standing there on its awkward looking, spindly undercarriage.   And the sound of four Olympus engines in reheat was awesome.

MG Mark

[Nobby Diesel]

As a kid, I had the good fortune to fly from London to Washington on Concorde (or the SST) as the American airport announcer called it.
It was a absolute masterpiece of engineering in my opinion; as was the Spitfire in its day I guess.
The feeling you got inside the Concorde as it accelerated down the runway and into the air, with the fuselage twisting and bending was absolutely incredible. I know most people are aware it was only 4 seats wide, plus the aisle, it was actualy incredibly cramped.
I still have a photo of myself as a grinning teenager, posing next to the Machmeter, as it hit 2.00.

For looks though, the Spitfire just takes it.

[Ferrari Spider]

Difficult choice, as they are from different era's of aviation development and both at the cutting edge from their respective designers.

The Spitfire, Mitchell BTW thought it was a terrible name, didn't have a straight edge anywhere on it, was difficult to build  and really started performing when Stanley Hooker at Rolls Royce got to work on the Merlin turbocharger.  Beautiful looks and sounds and I've yet to meet anyone who flew it that didn't enjoy the aircraft.  So could be a candidate.

The Concorde, the only viable SST commercial aircraft to be built and operated, equal to getting a man on the moon, and finished off by the French when they refused to release the aircraft's design authority.  Used occasionally by the military for high level supersonic intercepts. I can remember the first commercial flight from LHR, not a car or person moved, the whole area was at a standstill for the takeoff.  Can't imagine another aircraft having that affect on us lot? Beautiful, beautiful looks, sadly missed and maybe never renewed.

My vote would go with the Spitfire, probably the Mk IIa, still very clean looking, retaining much of Mitchell's original lines and before it was given the steroids in later marks.

[oldtimer]

Difficult choice, as they are from different era's of aviation development and both at the cutting edge from their respective designers.

The Concorde, the only viable SST

Forgive my ignorance... SST? Super-sonic something or other I guess, but what?

[Ferrari Spider]

Difficult choice, as they are from different era's of aviation development and both at the cutting edge from their respective designers.

The Concorde, the only viable SST

Forgive my ignorance... SST? Super-sonic something or other I guess, but what?

Sorry Bill!,  you know what it's like with us young upstarts, SST, Supersonic Transport, I believe it was an American abbreviation, poor yanks, had a couple of goes trying to build one themselves, gave it up as a bad job took their ball home and forbade us ever to darken their doorstep ever again with the machine, except for Washington.  Oh yes, they also insisted that the the first class fare should have a 20% hike in it as well, just to kill the aircraft off completely.

[garyfrogeye]

I've added a poll although from your replies so far, it looks like a clear winner is emerging.

[Bob U]

Talking of aircraft Peter, has your stealth bomber been Smoked or did you remove it ?
If it was our beloved moderator who spotted the wing message he should apply for a job in the Iraqi air defence

I prefer the Concorde to the Spitfire for looks, in fact I always thought that the Focke Wolfe 190 was better looking than the Spitfire.

[Ferrari Spider]

Talking of aircraft Peter, has your stealth bomber been Smoked or did you remove it ?
If it was our beloved moderator who spotted the wing message he should apply for a job in the Iraqi air defence

I prefer the Concorde to the Spitfire for looks, in fact I always thought that the Focke Wolfe 190 was better looking than the Spitfire.

Bob, I don't know what has happened to the bottom panel, no contact from management, but there again you don't expect the niceties from the squigglies, do you.  Its the same with PM's you write them till you're blue in the face and do you get a reply, NOPE.

BTW, I've got some more!!  he he

[Steve Pyro]

Peter,

Both your avatar picture and your stealth bomber picture are now just little red crosses for me.  I assume your upload server is having a bad day.

There has been NO moderator intervention on my part, that is merely a result of a vivid imagination 


Oh, I'm rather partial to the P-51D Mustang.

[garyfrogeye]

Steve,
The question was Spitfire or Concord, NOT Johnny come lately interloper, but I must admit that's it up their along with the P38 Lightning

[Ferrari Spider]

Ahh, a moderator has surfaced   you're right its the server.  can we take it that this thread has now evolved?  I shan't use the term fallen to thread creep or degenerated etc.

Is it open season on pretty aircraft?

My all time choice/fav is the de Havilland, arhhh, Hornet.  Prettiest aircraft EVER to grace our skies.  What a shame none are left, all gone to the scrappy in the skies.