What is or was the best aircraft ever built in the world

Spitfire!

Concord. Easily. First ever super-sonic commercial airliner. And it is effin' British...ish..!!

Or perhaps one of the American planes. The Blackbird or B2 Bomber.

v/stol harrier.......the only vertical takeoff aeroplane..and british made

SR-71 Blackbird. Fast freaking thing.

P-51D Mustang.

http://warbirddepot.com/dbimages/5/5-a-1280.jpg

This has to be a matter of taste - but l pick the Spruce Goose

A question with a lot to chew on.
There are so many that were the best in there own time.
It is got to be the first one.The Wright Flyer#1

The Hawker Hurricane designed by Sir Sidney Camm. It outnumbered the Supermarine Spitfire during the Battle of Britain by TWO to ONE ! It went for the German Bombers leaving the Supermarine Spitfire to deal with the German Fighters ! It was SLOWER than the Supermarine Spitfire & the German Fighter Messerschmitt Me 109E (?) but it was more manouverable & a more stable Machine Gun Platform ! It was incredibly TOUGH & it could take a lot of punishment in War Damage & still be able to fly & to return back to the United Kingdom ! It was a lot less complicated to construct being mainly of wood & fabric & therefore did not need specialised construction techniques ! It had a wide track undercarriage, whereas the Supermarine Spitfire had a narrow track undercarriage & was more liable to Ground Loop & to veer off on take-off because of this with the power of the Rolls Royce Merlin Engine & with so many of the gallant young pilots having very little flying experience !

Ted Smith or Piper Aerostar 601P 0r 602P

SR 71

Comerical- 737 or 747

WWII- P51

Helicopter -Huey

Fighter- F 18 (F-22 has not be proven yet)

Cargo- C -17 or C -130

Personal- C 172

Recon/Spy- U2 or SR -71

Bomber- B-52

Trainer T 45

A lot of these folks jumped straight to fighters - a few didn't. l love the old fighters myself. But l saw that NOVA on PBS did an entire show devoted to the DC-3. That was really interesting. It was first produced in 1937, & thousands were built as cargo transports in WW 2. It could land & take off on very short dirt runways. It did well in cold climates, jungle humidity, & everything else. Did not need extensive maintenance. And many r still flying today! There r companies that restore, rebuild, & customize only DC-3s. They r attractive to both citizens & companies because, unlike other planes, a DC-3 does not cost the owner anything if it is not being used & just sits. They r very tough, rugged, durable, & can shake off the worst landings. They're as old as a steam locomotive, & just as tough.

Having flown all of the classic Douglas DC series (for a living), l can understand why so many real pilots consider the DC-3/C-47/R4D to be the best all-around airplane ever built.

The DC-3 has survived more crashes & mishaps of all kinds than any other airplane. In wartime, they routinely flew home with more bullet holes than any fighter or bomber ever took. One C-47 flew home with the vertical tail fin & rudder completely shot away.

The C-47 is easy to fly & very forgiving. It was fun to fly.

The DC-4/C-54 & DC-6/C-118 series were more modern designs derived from the DC-3, & were actually better overall airplanes. The C-118 was a joy to fly, & would keep u out of trouble in many situations.

In my own experience, the Douglas DC series r the best airplanes ever built, & the best of them all is the DC-6/C-118.

Mine!

My votes go to the
DC-3
C-130
B-52

For their longevity, for the missions they flew and their successes. It looks like the C-130 is will still be around for another 40 years, as will the B-52. Eighty years is a long time for a boat or an aircraft.

Regards,
Dan

Yeah, l suppose you would have to have been there, but my favorite is the Piper Cub. l know, not very awe inspiring, and not fast and in fact very uncomfortable, however, it is a delight to fly, and if you want to really have a blast, find some thermals, throttle back on those 45 horses, and SOAR!! Finest Kind!

DC-3

There is no such thing as the best aircraft ever built. There could be best fighter, airliner, cropduster, trainer, and every other classification which you could come up with and still someone else would find one you missed.

There is no ''best aircraft''. It depends on what the aircraft was designed to do and how well it does its job. It also depends a lot on people is opinions of how an aircraft looks, sounds, etc.

My 1969 Piper Cherokee 160!!! Greatest plane ever.

Boeing 707, i'm bias since l fix them!

De Havilland Mosquito.
Made from wood, super fast, very versatile, a high flier and a treat to fly. (So l am told)

Other that that, the P51 Mustang.

TSR 2 was by far the best aircraft designed and built. It was the first trans-sonic aircraft and was the basis for the design of the Concord. The project was scrapped after a handful were built because they were believed to be ''too advanced for the time period''. The TSR could also fly faster than the RAF is Lightening aircraft on just one engine.

In my opinion, its either the Boeing 737 or the 777.

DC-3.

it has to be the harrier ''jump jet''...i mean a aircraft that can take off and land vertically...none better.