Two of the most popular questions, at least for pilots and other students of aviation history, are: What are the top 10 planes of all time, and which one’s the greatest of them all?
Seems impossible, but we think we did it. Here’s how.
We started with a group of really great airplanes, which automatically turned into cross section of airplane types.
Then we narrowed things down even more by asking if there was a top dog among them. Usually, surprisingly, there was. That one made the list.
We think you’ll agree with at least two-thirds of our picks.
After our Top 10 Planes Of All Time, we present 25 others that a lot of you will argue belong on the main list. In many cases, you’d have a strong argument. Enjoy!
Boeing B-29
The Superfortress was a first in many ways, including being the first and hopefully only aircraft to ever drop a nuclear bomb in wartime—two, in fact, when it was used to bomb Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which effectively ended the war in the Pacific. As an aircraft, it was revolutionary, featuring a huge payload, a pressurized forward section, and extraordinary range. It had a short life, as turbine-powered bombers soon made it obsolete, but it remains one of the most significant aircraft in history.
