discussion Ugliest Aircraft ever put into production?

[Dave Ward]

Got the dithers this morning, so it looks like I won't get any benchtime today.
What is, in your opinion the ugliest aircraft that has ever gone into production?
By production I mean 10+ made! So no prototypes, or one-off conversions!
(All pictures purely for discussion purposes)
Here's my nomination - the Short Seamew!

24 made in the 50's. Cheap alternative to the Gannet - for Navy Auxiliary Squadrons. Scheme abandoned, and aircraft scrapped without operational service!
Dave
ps No, it's not April 1st!

 

[boatman]

HI Dave I havnt got a pic but I think its the saunders roe I think there is one at duxford
chris

 

[Guest]

The Short Sturgeon TT.2.
Another Short, but in my opinion much uglier!



Perhaps the fact that they clearly chose function over form (no bad thing either) had something to do with the lack of commissioning?

The below is the last iteration of this, the SB.3. What were they thinking....?

 

[Guest]

Hi Dave.
I think only five of these were made but it is in regular service.
I quite often see it flying above or near our house
I hope you don't mind me including this as it is one ugly brute.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Dave
Hope you feel better soon. My vote goes for the Blackburn Beverley. A bit unfair really as my dad was a young aircraft designer at the Brough factory and was involved in it's development.

Jim

 

[Ian M]

Not sure how many built but it was a production aircraft.
Farmen F120 Jabiru. French I think, which explains a lot.

 

[Ian M]

A good thing you didn't ask for the best looking. I think you would have ended up with 100 pictures of Spitfires and Me 109E

 

[rtfoe]

I thought this was ugly...Wildebeest...



But you guys have some really ugly ones...how did it get past the head of design. :astonished:

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Guest]

Antonov AN-72

 

[Neil Merryweather]

I was thinking of the Wildebeest but it looks positively elegant compare to these horrors.
how about this -the Ekranoplans?

only its mother could love it!

 

[Guest]

I was thinking of the Wildebeest but it looks positively elegant compare to these horrors.
how about this -the Ekranoplans?
only its mother could love it!

Yuk! Surely this wins!

 

[Dave Ward]

Ah, the Ekranoplan - prototypes only, I think!, jet, or prop driven. Also, it doesn't really qualify as an aircraft! - It's a ground effect vehicle!
The Beluga - only 5 made, but function totally dictates it's form
The Farman company seemed to specialise in aircraft that had the aerodynamic appearance of a barn door!
The Beverley? - well, plain, but not ugly!
The Antonov - doesn't look that bad.
With the Wildebeeste, I think you have to look at it's contemporaries - it's not too different!
As for Ian's comment about the most beautiful - well, I imagine that there would be as many nominations as members ( my personal choice would be the Su-27 )
Dave

 

[rtfoe]

This is another...the Bristol Superfreighter. The funny thing is we got a friend to buy the Airfix kit in the pretex that we were going to do an ugly plane GB. he is now stuck with it. :tears-of-joy:



Cheers,
Richard

 

[Guest]

Ah, the Ekranoplan - prototypes only, I think!

Quite a lot of different models of ekranoplan have been built in the USSR and Russia. What Neil posted is a Lun-class of which only one was ever made, though.

jet, or prop driven. Also, it doesn't really qualify as an aircraft! - It's a ground effect vehicle!

It comes completely off the ground and stays up, so I’d say it’s an aeroplane. Just one with a very low ceiling

 

[Dave Ward]

I go with wikipedia - it calls the ekranoplan a GEV - a ground effect vehicle - you could defend against it by putting up telegraph posts! Think of the wind farms at sea!
Dave

 

[Gern]

A good thing you didn't ask for the best looking. I think you would have ended up with 100 pictures of Spitfires and Me 109E

Sorry Ian but you got it wrong. Sure the Spit and Me 109 (and any others folks consider worthy of a mention) can compete for second place, but there's really only one possible winner:

 

[Tim Marlow]

Love the expression on the sturgeon SB3, how can you call that ugly :angry:

 

[Guest]

The Beluga - only 5 made, but function totally dictates it's form

24 of the TT.2 were manufactured.

 

[Tim Marlow]

How about this one....Kaman K-Max, the rotor arrangement alone does my head in.....

 

[Gary MacKenzie]

Not the most beautiful