
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!
Piper Super Cub
With the inclusion of the J-3, is the Super Cub repetitive? Hardly. The Piper PA-18 Super Cub is a “version” of the J-3 Cub in the same way that the Cessna 210 Centurion is a “version” of the Cessna 170. Compared to the non-Super Cub, the PA-18 is more powerful, carries a bigger load, is stronger, seats the pilot in the front seat and can be shoehorned into and back out of the roughest runways, or things barely resembling runways. A perennial favorite, the Super Cub has spawned an entire industry of copycats, some of them even better than the original.
Photo by Bill Brine – from PNP web gallery