We see planes nearly every day of our lives, passing through the sky taking passengers from point A to point B. But planes are so much more than this: they have expanded our world knowledge, taken a fundamental part in wars, and have pushed the bounds of technological advancement time and time again. So to honour these wonders of the sky, we have found the most awesome planes of all time.
Concorde
Sadly there are no Concorde's still in service; but these planes can be seen throughout the UK and abroad at museums [1]. In fact, people taking off from Manchester airport may have seen one there, or those passing through Heathrow. The Concorde is such a legendary plane due to its supersonic status, and its record flight from New York to London in 2h 52m. If you were wondering about the dipped nose on the plane, it is so pilots could have better visibility during takeoff and landing. The last of the transatlantic Concorde flights was on October 24th, 2003.
Harrier
The Harrier is one of the most prolific RAF planes of all time. It is models like this which inspire memorabilia like RAF watches, as well as drawing many guests to transport museums all over the world. The Harrier jump jet uses the force of jet engine thrust pointed downwards for a vertical liftoff. It can also hover for 90 seconds whilst being able to turn left, right, forwards or backwards [2].
Antonov
If you believe that size is impressive, you will surely agree that owning the title of the world's largest plane is enough to get it on to this list. The AN-225 is the biggest plane in the world, and even has the capacity to carry a space shuttle in between its wings [3]. There is only one of these planes in use, as its twin was never completed. However, the one that is in operation was used recently to get construction machinery to the Dominican Republic to assist in efforts to help Haiti get over the devastating earthquake.
Orlyonok WIG
This plane is something completely different to the others - as it appears to be sailing on water like a boat. WIG is an abbreviation of Wing In Ground-effect, and one of these planes looks like a hovercraft crossed with an aircraft. During design, the WIG was top secret, probably due to its unique abilities. Some of these planes are even amphibious, meaning they can work over land as well as over water.
[1] British Airways. (2010). About Concorde. http://www.britishairways.com/concorde/aboutconcorde.html
[2] RAF. (2010). Harrier GR7/7A. raf.mod.uk/equipment/harriergr7.cfm
[3] Antonov. (2010). AN-225. antonov.com/products/air/transport/AN-225/index.xml
Concorde
Sadly there are no Concorde's still in service; but these planes can be seen throughout the UK and abroad at museums [1]. In fact, people taking off from Manchester airport may have seen one there, or those passing through Heathrow. The Concorde is such a legendary plane due to its supersonic status, and its record flight from New York to London in 2h 52m. If you were wondering about the dipped nose on the plane, it is so pilots could have better visibility during takeoff and landing. The last of the transatlantic Concorde flights was on October 24th, 2003.
Harrier
The Harrier is one of the most prolific RAF planes of all time. It is models like this which inspire memorabilia like RAF watches, as well as drawing many guests to transport museums all over the world. The Harrier jump jet uses the force of jet engine thrust pointed downwards for a vertical liftoff. It can also hover for 90 seconds whilst being able to turn left, right, forwards or backwards [2].
Antonov
If you believe that size is impressive, you will surely agree that owning the title of the world's largest plane is enough to get it on to this list. The AN-225 is the biggest plane in the world, and even has the capacity to carry a space shuttle in between its wings [3]. There is only one of these planes in use, as its twin was never completed. However, the one that is in operation was used recently to get construction machinery to the Dominican Republic to assist in efforts to help Haiti get over the devastating earthquake.
Orlyonok WIG
This plane is something completely different to the others - as it appears to be sailing on water like a boat. WIG is an abbreviation of Wing In Ground-effect, and one of these planes looks like a hovercraft crossed with an aircraft. During design, the WIG was top secret, probably due to its unique abilities. Some of these planes are even amphibious, meaning they can work over land as well as over water.
[1] British Airways. (2010). About Concorde. http://www.britishairways.com/concorde/aboutconcorde.html
[2] RAF. (2010). Harrier GR7/7A. raf.mod.uk/equipment/harriergr7.cfm
[3] Antonov. (2010). AN-225. antonov.com/products/air/transport/AN-225/index.xml
Richard Nottingdon has an interest in the Royal Navy and collects Royal Navy memorabillia such as RAF watches.
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