This is a list of individual aircraft which are notable in their own right.
Name or designation | Manufacturer / Type | Role | Owner / Operator | Period | Notability |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aerodrome | Langley | Experimental | Samuel Pierpoint Langley | 1903 | Unsuccessful. The Smithsonian Institution later made fraudulent claims for its success. |
Akutan Zero | Mitsubishi A6M Zero | Fighter | US armed forces | World War II | Crash-landed on Akutan Island. It was recovered intact and test flown by the United States. |
Aluminum Overcast | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | Experimental Aircraft Association | 1945- | One of ten flyable B-17s. |
America (airship) | Private | 1906-1910 | Non-rigid airship. Attempted to fly to the North Pole and to cross the Atlantic. | ||
America (aircraft) | Fokker C-2 | Private | Flown across the Atlantic in 1927. | ||
Avro Avian G-EBOV | Avro Avian Type 581A | Experimental | Queensland Museum | 1927 | The first solo flight between England and Australia, piloted by Bert Hinkler. |
Balls 8 | NB-52B variant of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress | Research | NASA | 1955-2004 | Mothership for the Bell X-15 rocket plane on many of its flights. |
Bird of Paradise | Fokker C-2 | Research | United States Army Air Corps | 1927-1930 | First flight from California to Hawaii on June 28–29, 1927. |
Bockscar | Boeing B-29 Superfortress | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Dropped the Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki. |
Bremen | Junkers W 33 | Private | 1928 | First transatlantic flight from east to west by a single-engined aircraft. | |
Caesar's Chariot | Boeing 720 | Transport | Chartered by English rock band Led Zeppelin. | ||
Cape Cod | Bellanca Special J-300 | Transport | Russell Boardman and John Polando | 1931 | First nonstop flight of over 5,000 mi/8,000 km by a single-engined aircraft (New York City-Istanbul)[1][2] |
China Clipper | Martin M-130 | Transport | Pan American Airways | 1934-1945 | First commercial transpacific air service from San Francisco to Manila. |
City of Canberra | Boeing 747-400 | Transport | Qantas | 1989-2015 | Longest non-stop un-refuelled flight by an airliner, from London to Sydney in 1989. |
Clipper Victor | Boeing 747-121 | Transport | Pan American World Airways | 1969-1977 | Hijacked and flown to Cuba in 1970. One of two aircraft involved in the Tenerife airport disaster. |
Colditz Cock | Glider | World War II | Built by British prisoners of war being held in Oflag IV-C (aka Colditz Castle) for a proposed escape. Never flew. | ||
Columbia, also named Miss Columbia and later Maple Leaf | Experimental | 1926-1934 | Set several records, including one for endurance. | ||
Commando | Consolidated B-24 Liberator II | Transport | Royal Air Force | World War II | At one time the personal aircraft of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Disappeared over the North Atlantic with several government officials on board. |
Cornfield Bomber | Convair F-106 Delta Dart | Fighter | United States Air Force | 1958-1988 | After the pilot ejected during a flat spin, the unoccupied aircraft landed in a field, sustaining little damage. |
Cuatro Vientos | Br.19 TF Super Bidon | Private | 1929-1933 | Flew from Spain to Cuba in 1933. Disappeared on a flight over Mexico. | |
Curtiss NC-4 | Curtiss NC | Patrol | United States Navy | 1919-1920 | First aircraft to cross the Atlantic, making numerous stops along the way. |
Curtiss No. 1, also known as Gold Bug and Golden Flyer | Experimental | 1909 | Glenn Curtiss flew the aircraft to win the Scientific American trophy. | ||
Curtiss No. 2, also known as the Reims Racer | Experimental | 1909-1910 | Curtiss won the Gordon Bennett Cup air race in 1909. | ||
Dago Red | North American P-51 Mustang | Private | 1981- | Restored as a competitive air racer and set several world records. | |
Dauntless Dotty | Boeing B-29 Superfortress | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Led the first B-29 raid on Tokyo since the 1942 Doolittle Raid. |
Deperdussin 1912 Racing Monoplane | Private | 1911(?)-1912 | First aircraft to exceed 100 mph (161 km/h) in level flight. | ||
DZ203 | Boeing 247 | Transport | Royal Air Force | World War II | First aircraft to make fully automated hands-off approach and landing. |
Enola Gay | Boeing B-29 Superfortress | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Dropped the first atomic bomb, on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. |
Ezekiel Airship | Experimental | Ezekiel Airship Company | Destroyed c. 1904 | Claimed to have flown in 1902, over a year before the Wright brothers' historic flight. | |
FIFI | Boeing B-29 Superfortress | Bomber | Commemorative Air Force | 1942- | One of only two B-29s flying. |
Flak-Bait | Martin B-26 Marauder | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Survived the most bombing missions in the war. |
G for George | Avro Lancaster | Bomber | Royal Australian Air Force | World War II | Surviving example. |
The Galloping Ghost | North American P-51D Mustang | Private | Won air races under various owners. Crashed in the 2011 Reno Air Races. | ||
Glacier Girl | Lockheed P-38 Lightning | Fighter | 1942 | Surviving example. | |
Glamorous Glennis | Bell X-1 | Experimental | United States Air Force | First to break the sound barrier in level flight. | |
Gossamer Albatross | MacCready | Experimental | AeroVironment | 1979 | First human-powered aircraft to cross the English Channel. |
GlobalFlyer | Scaled Composites GlobalFlyer | Experimental | Steve Fossett | 2005-2006 | Set a record for flying nonstop around the world. |
Gyroplane Laboratoire | Experimental | 1935-1939 | Helicopter. Set several records. | ||
Gyroplane No.1 | Breguet-Richet Gyroplane | Experimental | 1907-1909 | First quadcopter to fly. | |
Hawaii Clipper | Martin M-130 | Transport | Pan American Airways | 1935(?)-1938 | Disappeared with six passengers and nine crew en route from Guam to Manila. |
Helicopter 66 | Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King | ASW / SAR | U.S. Navy | 1967-1975 | Crashed in the Pacific Ocean while on a training exercise.[3] |
Honolulu Clipper | Boeing 314 Clipper | Transport | Pan American Airways United States Navy |
1939 World War II |
The prototype 314, it entered service in 1939 on transpacific routes. Forced landing in the Pacific Ocean on November 3, 1945. |
Ingenuity | One off by JPL | Experimental | NASA | 2021 - | First powered atmospheric flight on other celestial body |
Jason | de Havilland DH.60 Moth | Private | Amy Johnson | Johnson became the first female aviator to fly from England to Australia, in Jason. | |
June Bug | AEA | Experimental | Aerial Experiment Association | 1908-1909 | Won the first aeronautical prize ever awarded in the United States: the Scientific American Cup. |
Junkers Ju 52 WkNr 130714 | Junkers Ju 52/3mg8e | Transport | Quax Association | 1936-2019 | One of the oldest surviving Ju 52s |
Kookaburra | Westland Widgeon | Private | Set down in the Australian Tanami Desert to make repairs and the crew died of thirst before they could clear a runway long enough to take off from. | ||
Kuiper Airborne Observatory | Lockheed C-141A Starlifter | Research | NASA | 1974-1995 | Used for infrared astronomy research. |
Lady Be Good | Consolidated B-24 Liberator | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Surviving example. |
Lady Southern Cross | Lockheed Altair | Private | 1934-1935 | First eastward transpacific flight from Australia to the United States. Disappeared while attempting to break the speed record from England to Australia. | |
Lituanica | Bellanca CH-300 | Private | 1932-1933 | Attempted a flight from New York to Kaunas, Lithuania, but crashed in Germany. | |
LN514 | Vickers Wellington | Bomber | Royal Air Force | 1943-? | Constructed in under 24 hours for propaganda purposes. |
Lucky Lady II | Boeing B-50 Superfortress | Bomber | United States Air Force | 1948-1950 | First airplane to circle the world nonstop. |
LZ 1 | Zeppelin | Experimental | Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Luftschifffahrt | 1900 | First successful rigid airship. |
LZ 37 | Zeppelin | Bomber | Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) | World War I | First Zeppelin shot down by an enemy aircraft. |
LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin | Zeppelin | Transport | Luftschiffbau Zeppelin | 1928-1940 | Most successful airship in history; regular flights to North and South America; world tour in 1929, Arctic trip in 1931. |
LZ 129 Hindenburg | Zeppelin | Transport | Luftschiffbau Zeppelin | 1936-1937 | Crashed and burned while landing, in one of the most famous air disasters of all time. |
Memphis Belle | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Surviving example. |
Miss Veedol, later The American Nurse | Bellanca CH-400 or Bellanca J-300 | Private | First non-stop crossing of the Pacific Ocean from Japan to the United States, crash landing in Washington State. Sold and renamed The American Nurse. Disappeared while attempting to fly from New York to Rome. | ||
My Gal Sal | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | 1942 | One of only three intact B-17Es. | |
N763A | Douglas R4D-3 | Transport | 1942- | Used by the US Navy during World War II. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. | |
N836D | Douglas DC-7B | Transport | 1958-1965 (commercial use); 1965-2013 (private use) |
||
NASA 515 | Heavily modified Boeing 737 | Research | NASA | 1967-2003 | First 737 built. |
Nine-O-Nine | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Surviving example. |
Norge | Private | Semi-rigid airship. First overflight of, and the first trip of any kind to, the North Pole. | |||
L'Oiseau Blanc | Levasseur PL.8 biplane | Private | 1927 | Disappeared while attempting the first non-stop transatlantic flight between Paris and New York, two weeks before Lindbergh's successful flight the other way. | |
Old 666 | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Surviving example. |
Old Glory | Fokker F.VIIa | Private | Lost while attempting to fly across the Atlantic from New York. | ||
PA474 | Avro Lancaster | Bomber | Royal Air Force | 1945- | One of only two Lancasters in flying condition. |
Pacific Clipper | Boeing 314 Clipper | Transport | Pan American World Airways | As the California Clipper, flew around the world. Renamed afterward. | |
Pedaliante | Experimental | 1936-1937 | Made one of the first human-powered flights.[4][5] | ||
Philippine Clipper | Martin M-130 | Transport | Pan American Airways United States Navy |
1935-1943 World War II |
Inaugurated passenger service between the United States and Manila, the Philippines. Crashed in 1943 with the loss of all on board. |
Piccadilly Lilly II | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | Edward T. Maloney | ?-1959; 1959-1971 |
Surviving example. Featured on TV show Twelve O'Clock High. |
The Pink Lady | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | 1944- | Surviving example. |
Plus Ultra | Dornier Do J | Private | 1926 | First transatlantic flight between Spain and South America. | |
PZ865 | Hawker Hurricane | Fighter | Royal Air Force | 1944- | Last Hurricane produced. Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. |
Question Mark | Modified C-2A | Transport | United States Army Air Corps | Modified for aerial refueling experiments. Set several world endurance records. | |
R34 | British R33-class airship | Military airship | Royal Air Force | 1919-1921 | First-ever aircraft of any type to make a transatlantic flight from east to west (July 2-6, 1919) |
Rare Bear | Highly modified Grumman F8F Bearcat | Private | Won many Reno Air Races. | ||
Red Baron | Modified North American P-51D Mustang | Private | 1967-1973 | Raced as Miss R.J. and Roto-Finish Special, winning the Unlimited circuit. | |
Red Wing | AEA | Experimental | 1908 | First public demonstration of a powered aircraft flight in the United States, crashed after 20 seconds and written off. | |
Sally B | Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress | Bomber | B-17 Preservation Ltd | 1945- | Surviving example. Featured in the 1990 film Memphis Belle. |
Santos-Dumont number 6 | Private | Alberto Santos-Dumont | 1901 | Airship. Won the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize for a flight from Parc Saint Cloud to the Eiffel Tower and back. | |
Santos-Dumont 14-bis Oiseau de proie | Private | Alberto Santos-Dumont | 1906 | First officially witnessed sustained flight by a heavier-than-air craft on October 23, 1906. | |
Sausewind | Private | 1925 | Won in several categories in the 1925 Otto Lilienthal competition. | ||
Sentimental Journey | Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress | Bomber | Commemorative Air Force | 1945- | Surviving example. |
Shady Lady | Consolidated B-24 Liberator | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Surviving example. |
Shoo Shoo Baby | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | 1944-1961 | Surviving example. | |
Silver Dart | Experimental | 1909 | First powered, heavier-than-air machine to fly in Canada. | ||
Southern Cross | Fokker F.VIIb/3m | Private | 1928 | First transpacific flight to Australia from the mainland United States. | |
Spirit of St. Louis | Private | 1927 | Charles Lindbergh's aircraft for the first solo non-stop crossing of the Atlantic. | ||
Spirit of Texas | Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II helicopter | Private | 1982 | First helicopter to complete a staged round-the world flight. | |
Spruce Goose | Hughes H-4 Hercules | Experimental | Evergreen Aviation Museum | 1947 | The largest flying boat ever built, and the largest wingspan of any aircraft that has ever flown. |
St. Raphael | Fokker F.VIIa | Private | 1927 | Lost while attempting the first Atlantic crossing from east to west. | |
Stargazer | Lockheed L-1011 TriStar | Research | Orbital ATK | 1994- | Used as a mother ship to launch Pegasus rockets. |
The Starship | Boeing 720 | Transport | Singer and actor Bobby Sherman and his manager, Ward Sylvester | 1970s | Leased to touring musical artists. |
Supermarine Spitfire prototype K5054 | Supermarine Spitfire | Fighter | Royal Air Force | 1936 | Only prototype of iconic aircraft. |
Swamp Ghost | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | 1941 | Surviving example. | |
The Swoose | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | United States Army Air Forces | World War II | Oldest surviving B-17. |
Texas Raiders | Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress | Bomber | Commemorative Air Force | 1944-2022 | Destroyed in Mid Air Collision November 12, 2022 |
That's All, Brother | Douglas C-47 Skytrain | Transport | Commemorative Air Force | 1944- | Led the formation of aircraft in the D-Day landings. |
Thunderbird | Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress | Bomber | 1943-1945 | Surviving example. | |
Tingmissartoq | Lockheed Model 8 Sirius | Private | Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh | 1929-1933 | |
Vega 1 balloon | Lavochkin | Research | USSR | June 1985 | First unpowered atmospheric flight on another celestial body |
Vin Fiz Flyer | Modified Wright Model B (Model EX) | Private | Calbraith Perry Rodgers | 1911 | First to fly coast to coast in stages across the United States. |
VS-300 | Vought-Sikorsky | Experimental | 1939-1943 | First successful single-rotor helicopter in the United States, first successful use of a single vertical tail rotor to counteract torque and, with floats attached, first practical amphibious helicopter. | |
Voyager | Experimental | 1984-1987 | First aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. | ||
White Knight | Scaled Composites | Experimental Research |
Scaled Composites | 2000s | mother ship for the SpaceShipOne and Boeing X-37 experimental spaceplanes. |
Worry Bird | North American P-51 Mustang | Fighter | 1944-1957 (military use); in airworthy condition at the Air Combat Museum |
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. | |
Wright Flyer | Experimental | Wright brothers | 1903 | First successful heavier-than-air powered flight, on December 17, 1903. | |
XH558, aka Spirit of Great Britain | Avro Vulcan | Bomber | Vulcan To The Sky Trust | 1960-1993; 2007-2015 |
Restored to flight in 2007, finally grounded in 2015. |
Yankee Lady | Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress | Bomber | Yankee Air Force | 1945- | Surviving example. |
References
[edit]- ^ "'Cape Cod's' Success Climaxes 5 Years [of] Bellanca Records". The Sunday Morning Star, Wilmington, DE. August 2, 1931. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Polando, Johnnie (2000). Wings Over Istanbul: The Life and Flights of a Pioneer Aviator. Portsmouth, NH: P.E. Randall Publisher. ISBN 0914339842.
- ^ Day, Dwayne (September 17, 2017). "It's time to recover Helo 66". The Space Review. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
- ^ Muscle Assisted Flights Before 1939 Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, humanpoweredflying.propdesigner.co.uk (recovered November 9, 2015)
- ^ Rea, D.A.; "The History of Man-Powered Flight", Pergamon, 1977, Page 111