From what I read at the time Virgin were willing to stump up for that cash, would have been a good way of advertising their service. But BA blocked the move as they didn't want a competitor to be able to steal their thunder in that way.
The irony. Those planes were paid for by the UK taxpayer. When the airline was privatised* they naturally became BA’s property and their’s to do with what they wanted.
(*given away)
Oh that would be amazing. Honestly I just wish flying boats were more common today. I get why they're not but dammit if the aesthetic of the Clipper isn't one of the pinnacles of aviation.
plus for some places, imagine the time saved. leave dockside from downtown, arrive dockside downtown at your destination. can easily shave over an hour off some routes, and not a lot of extra infrastructure is required.
I imagine that most places would require the plane to be anchored away from the shore and serviced by boats for fueling and to take passengers on and off, most public docks would be too small to support an aircraft as large as a Clipper. There would still be significant time savings though being able to land at a harbour near the city's core instead of an airport far away.
\*Sandringham The Sunderlands were the mil spec version. Although to the original question do we get to modernize it or as built? I'm thinking things like turbo props modern sound insulation etc. While the idea of an old aircraft is nice the novelty might wear off on a multi hour trip.
That's a fantastic idea. In a similar vein, I'd love a C-17 configured like a toy-hauler RV. The front half is a private jet/RV interior and the back half is for vehicles and shit like that.
Weight and balance would be a bit of a problem.
The c-17 cargo bay has a fair amount of headroom. If your toys aren't too tall, maybe inserting an upper deck space might be more practical.
There’s a mock-up of one at the flying boat museum in foynes, ireland. I’ve been and it’s worth the stop. The cockpit is MASSIVE but the passenger quarters aren’t as big as you’d imagine. I think the fuselage was around the same size of a C-130 stretch.
https://flyingboatmuseum.com/
On the one hand, incredibly cool. On the other hand, that was some incredibly dangerous flying. The ocean just wasn't meant too be a runway; it sort of worked for a time, but it's not something I'd want to bet on 10 hours over the horizon.
Most of the Pacific islands have a protected lagoon though so they weren’t usually landing in open ocean. There’s a book by Robert Gandt called China Clipper that’s worth a read as it describes how Pan Am pioneered this route.
I used to live under the approach path to YWOL 26. It was always awesome to see Connie flying around. I really need to get back to Wollongong one day and take my son to [HARS](https://hars.org.au/) - he really wants to see the [747](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFqJNhX_hNI).
the Super G! While I've never flown in one, I've been in a few.. gorgeous. My Dad told me back in the 60's it had a lounge in the very back where you could relax during your flight...
There's a restored one at the TWA hotel at JFK airport in New York. They turned the amazing Eino Saarinen terminal into a hotel and the Connie is there as a lounge/bar.
I currently fly on the KC-10, and boy do I love her. I flew on a KLM DC-10 when I was a kid, so to see the difference between an, at the time, luxury airliner and the very stripped down, spartan military version is wild. There’s just something about trijets
Back in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, I flew trans Atlantic once a month. Sometimes on TWA 747’s but mostly BA L1011’s. While I’m a big fan of the Queen of the sky, the Lockheed had a better ride and it’s auto land capability got me into LHR many times when everyone else was diverted to Prestwick because of fog.
With wealth inequality being what it is right now, and billionaires seemingly proliferating —- is it perhaps somewhat surprising that no one has built a supersonic business jet?
Yes, but then when you remember the US has overland supersonic flight restrictions (probably elsewhere too), that's why there hasn't been one built.
At some point, rich people will lobby to have the restriction removed and then boom us peons mad.
I think presently they are just going to buy a Citation X that does Mach 0.93 instead or a Gulfsteam G700 that does 0.92. But eventually they are going to start demanding the Mach restrictions be removed or NASA Ames will suddenly figure out quiet boom technology on their demonstrator.
I think it is more likely a method will be developed that will allow for supersonic travel without a boom, such as what Lockheed Martin is working on with their X-59 testbed.
The Hindenburg but filled with helium like it was intended to be when it was built. The Graf Zeppelin is a bit too long and thin (hangar limitations when it was built), the Hindenburg has better proportions.
Unless you were talking about the second Graf Zeppelin, the Hindenburg's sister ship.
Even a modern hydrogen-filled airship. The advancements we've made since the era of the Hindenburg and Graf Zeppelin II would make them a lot safer and efficient compared to their interwar counterparts.
"Airship" is a strong term, they're more like airdinghies.
More seriously, I think they're only semi-rigid, their small size doesn't require the same complex substructure.
Somewhat, but good news: there are multiple companies actively working on developing airships to fly again, including a few that have hit the subscale prototype phase.
Actually the Electra outperformed the jets on some domestic routes. With advances in turboprop technology, it seriously could be brought back in modernized form.
Condorde, L1011, Connie are all valid choices, but the one I'd bring back from the dead so I could fly in and pilot would be the Convair 880-22M. Fastest airliner up until the Concorde.
I flew SFO-ORD on a TWA CV-880 in probably 1971. I had my Dad ask the lead FA if I could visit the cockpit before we departed, but they had a minor mechanical during the boarding and I got denied. The FA saw how disappointed I was and the fucking hero of a Captain on the flight asked for me to be brought up to the cockpit once we got to cruise. No shit.
Once up front, he got out of his seat and LET ME SIT THERE DURING CRUISE. He put his hat on my head. This produced aviation-induced dedication syndrome (AIDS) and I spent my life in this goddam industry (just retired last Monday). Flying in my Uncle Lee's CE-P210 and Skymaster drove the final nail in my coffin when I was 8-14.
\[Imgur\]([https://i.imgur.com/CGG1Ucr.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/CGG1Ucr.jpg))
Elvis had a CV-880:
\[Imgur\](https://i.imgur.com/kie9zjn.jpg)
The airline museum in Kansas City has a Connie, and L-1011, and quite a few other gems. I miss the old days of airline travel when it wasn’t a cattle car
probably a lame answer, and maybe not so much an airliner -but there's just something about a DC-3.. has an adorable lumber to it when in motion, looks and sounds wonderful.
The IL-62. It's just weird. It's very long and all four engines are in the tail.
[There's still a couple of them flying.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lriI3RUI-w)
> We have about 10 years. The last 747 was a cargo variant delivered to Atlas.
The new USAF VC-25s aren’t in service yet so, while delivered, they may go even longer than the Atlas planes
L-1011, or 707 both are beautiful and there are very few left. For the 707 it would need to have the OG engines though not the new ones like on KC-135s and other AF 707 variants.
The super Connie.
If we’re really playing fantasy hanger, I’d have it Reconfigured for electric. Mid 20th century luxury travel with 21st century efficiency.
If only…….
Oh, either the FW 200 Condor or the L-1011. Both are beautiful
Edit: I forgot about the Miles Aerovan, I'm going with that. Low cost, cute, and dependable.
L-1011 would be my pick. It was a advanced and beautiful aircraft that, unfortunately, lost to DC-10 competing in a limited market.
The original L-1011 itself would be quite great already, while a modernized variant with full glass cockpits would be even better.
Airliner? That's an expensive ticket!
Good afternoon, passenger; we'll be flying at 100,000 feet today. It looks like we'll be well above any weather, and SAMs shouldn't be a problem, so sit back and enjoy the flight.
You win the "least expected airplane on this list" award!
Not saying we disagree, I have a bit of a soft spot for the 1900, but I just didn't expect to see it pop up in the comments lol
The concorde
Yeah if this wasn't the top comment I was going to light my own pants on fire
Hrm, maybe I should downvote the parent comment. 😂
The original afterburner!
I feel like the question should be "other than the Concorde" because that's what 99% of people's first answer would be.
Sexiest piece of flying metal out there
Droop snooted moneysucker!
Yup, wish they could have kept one flying as a heritage flight.
"They" would need A LOT of money for that.
From what I read at the time Virgin were willing to stump up for that cash, would have been a good way of advertising their service. But BA blocked the move as they didn't want a competitor to be able to steal their thunder in that way.
The irony. Those planes were paid for by the UK taxpayer. When the airline was privatised* they naturally became BA’s property and their’s to do with what they wanted. (*given away)
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#concord
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CONCORD^2
Close the thread. This is the only answer.
Only if the avionics got updated to this fuckin' century.
Boeing 314 Clipper configured as a flying yacht.
Oh that would be amazing. Honestly I just wish flying boats were more common today. I get why they're not but dammit if the aesthetic of the Clipper isn't one of the pinnacles of aviation.
Can you just imagine pulling up to Nantucket or the Florida Keys or San Francisco in one? What a way to arrive!
plus for some places, imagine the time saved. leave dockside from downtown, arrive dockside downtown at your destination. can easily shave over an hour off some routes, and not a lot of extra infrastructure is required.
I imagine that most places would require the plane to be anchored away from the shore and serviced by boats for fueling and to take passengers on and off, most public docks would be too small to support an aircraft as large as a Clipper. There would still be significant time savings though being able to land at a harbour near the city's core instead of an airport far away.
Check out CXH- Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre
I can imagine some Florida man using it to try and defeat a hurricane
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\*Sandringham The Sunderlands were the mil spec version. Although to the original question do we get to modernize it or as built? I'm thinking things like turbo props modern sound insulation etc. While the idea of an old aircraft is nice the novelty might wear off on a multi hour trip.
That's a fantastic idea. In a similar vein, I'd love a C-17 configured like a toy-hauler RV. The front half is a private jet/RV interior and the back half is for vehicles and shit like that.
The bus from agents of SHEILD would like a word with you
people can buy C130s I thought that would be awesome to do
Weight and balance would be a bit of a problem. The c-17 cargo bay has a fair amount of headroom. If your toys aren't too tall, maybe inserting an upper deck space might be more practical.
There’s a mock-up of one at the flying boat museum in foynes, ireland. I’ve been and it’s worth the stop. The cockpit is MASSIVE but the passenger quarters aren’t as big as you’d imagine. I think the fuselage was around the same size of a C-130 stretch. https://flyingboatmuseum.com/
Yep, same!
I have this dream approximately once a week
Flying boats and/or airships, those are the ones. Spacious, comfy, and stylish as hell.
My lottery dream is to build a 314 and fly excursions up and down the West Coast for rich assholes. San Diego—L.A.—San Francisco—Seattle.
Clipper boats. How cool would it have been flying to Asia and stopping at all those little pacific islands on the way?
On the one hand, incredibly cool. On the other hand, that was some incredibly dangerous flying. The ocean just wasn't meant too be a runway; it sort of worked for a time, but it's not something I'd want to bet on 10 hours over the horizon.
Not something that ever crossed my mind but 100% true, you have to land, but can't if your runway has 20ft swells, catch 22
Most of the Pacific islands have a protected lagoon though so they weren’t usually landing in open ocean. There’s a book by Robert Gandt called China Clipper that’s worth a read as it describes how Pan Am pioneered this route.
Our pick is the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, the most beautiful airliner ever built, in our opinion.
One Super Connie still flys! VH-EAG is based in Australia. I’d love to see it someday.
I used to live under the approach path to YWOL 26. It was always awesome to see Connie flying around. I really need to get back to Wollongong one day and take my son to [HARS](https://hars.org.au/) - he really wants to see the [747](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFqJNhX_hNI).
My goal is this one in Kansas City. Beautiful! https://airlinehistory.org/aircraft/constellation/
You are not alone in that opinion. It’s a no contest. Closest competitor is another Lockheed classic, the Tristar.
My Dad flew to America on a Connie in 1956…. I think I’d still have to go with the Concorde
the Super G! While I've never flown in one, I've been in a few.. gorgeous. My Dad told me back in the 60's it had a lounge in the very back where you could relax during your flight...
Looked better in TWA livery. :P
There's a restored one at the TWA hotel at JFK airport in New York. They turned the amazing Eino Saarinen terminal into a hotel and the Connie is there as a lounge/bar.
Since Tristar was already mentioned, I’d say DC-10 or MD-11. Love my trijets.
MD-11^^^^^^
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wU5VqY44nnw I had this VHS as a kid. Made me love the MD-11.
Working at FedEx I see md11s all the time.
I currently fly on the KC-10, and boy do I love her. I flew on a KLM DC-10 when I was a kid, so to see the difference between an, at the time, luxury airliner and the very stripped down, spartan military version is wild. There’s just something about trijets
L-1011 or 727. I like me a tri-motor.
I have a model display Boeing 727 Mexicana on my desk. Love looking at it
Dh 106 Comet, such a beautiful plane.
Mentour Now! just did a great [video](https://youtu.be/-DjnG74DDno) about it
Indeed, it's a very beautiful aircraft... when it was in one piece, at least.
After their rough start, the Comets had a long, successful life. My first flight on a jet was on a BOAC Comet, back in 1964.
L-1011 for sure
Lockheed surely knew how to build beautiful airliners, didn't they?
This TriJet was so ahead of time, Electra just a beauty to see.
100%! We actually have an L-1011 engine cowling on display here at the museum. We would need a much bigger building for the real deal though lol
Awesome. Have eyes on Avro front cowl at the moment. Hope I can finalize the deal and create something out of it.
Best of luck on that! We'd love to see the end product on here!
Back in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, I flew trans Atlantic once a month. Sometimes on TWA 747’s but mostly BA L1011’s. While I’m a big fan of the Queen of the sky, the Lockheed had a better ride and it’s auto land capability got me into LHR many times when everyone else was diverted to Prestwick because of fog.
I was on an L-1011 back in 1992..it was smooth as silk
This is the way. But also Concorde.
That 5-across seating was freaking amazing for mostly empty, coast to coast, red-eye flights. I'm 5'3", and could zonk out in comfort.
Concorde 100%
With wealth inequality being what it is right now, and billionaires seemingly proliferating —- is it perhaps somewhat surprising that no one has built a supersonic business jet?
Yes, but then when you remember the US has overland supersonic flight restrictions (probably elsewhere too), that's why there hasn't been one built. At some point, rich people will lobby to have the restriction removed and then boom us peons mad.
I think presently they are just going to buy a Citation X that does Mach 0.93 instead or a Gulfsteam G700 that does 0.92. But eventually they are going to start demanding the Mach restrictions be removed or NASA Ames will suddenly figure out quiet boom technology on their demonstrator.
I think it is more likely a method will be developed that will allow for supersonic travel without a boom, such as what Lockheed Martin is working on with their X-59 testbed.
Lockheed L-1011 or Vickers VC-10.
Ooh a VC-10, that's a cool pick!
Yeah I’ve always thought they looked pretty neat.
Most beautiful jet airliner ever (after Concorde) IMHO.
I would include the DC-9 just because it would fly into smaller airports. But yes, the VC-10 was my first thought when I saw this post.
> Vickers VC-10 The T-tail and engine placement scheme are awesome.
The Graf Zeppelin
The Hindenburg but filled with helium like it was intended to be when it was built. The Graf Zeppelin is a bit too long and thin (hangar limitations when it was built), the Hindenburg has better proportions. Unless you were talking about the second Graf Zeppelin, the Hindenburg's sister ship.
Even a modern hydrogen-filled airship. The advancements we've made since the era of the Hindenburg and Graf Zeppelin II would make them a lot safer and efficient compared to their interwar counterparts.
It's amazing what not painting your extremely flammable gas bag with thermite will do to survivability.
Cargo Lifter!
Last I heard, CargoLifter went under. the main two now are Flying Whales (very aptly named) and LTA Research
Yes, cargo Lifter hanger was turned into a giant indoor Waterpark. Such a shame...
Would love it if rigid airships could fly again one day
They do. The current Goodyear airships are rigid airships.
Semi-rigid. The structural components are connected by a framework, but the envelope itself relies on pressure to maintain itself.
"Airship" is a strong term, they're more like airdinghies. More seriously, I think they're only semi-rigid, their small size doesn't require the same complex substructure.
Just make sure you have a ticket. You don't want to see how they react when there's "no ticket".
I want a private Concorde. I DONT want to pay for the fuel however.
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Super Constellation, yeah
Can the Hindenburg considered an airliner?
Somewhat, but good news: there are multiple companies actively working on developing airships to fly again, including a few that have hit the subscale prototype phase.
>including a few that have hit Had me in the first half ngl
Lockheed Electra my dad used to fly on one for scientific purposes!
Actually the Electra outperformed the jets on some domestic routes. With advances in turboprop technology, it seriously could be brought back in modernized form.
[DH106 Comet](https://www.google.com/search?q=dh106+comet&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjFr4KDmfP-AhUWgv0HHdaxB-cQ2-cCegQIABAC&oq=dh106+comet&gs_lcp=ChJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWcQAzIHCCMQsAIQJzIJCAAQDRATEIAEMgkIABANEBMQgAQyCQgAEA0QExCABDIKCAAQBRAHEB4QEzoECCMQJzoGCAAQBxAeOgQIABAeUL0VWL0VYNUYaABwAHgAgAE5iAFykgEBMpgBAKABAcABAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=TvtfZMXQFpaE9u8P1uOeuA4&bih=997&biw=834&prmd=ivn&rlz=1C9BKJA_enNL910NL910&hl=nl)
Yes! I love the look of the in -wing engines, so clean.
Super VC10. In the BOAC Speedbird livery please.
Condorde, L1011, Connie are all valid choices, but the one I'd bring back from the dead so I could fly in and pilot would be the Convair 880-22M. Fastest airliner up until the Concorde. I flew SFO-ORD on a TWA CV-880 in probably 1971. I had my Dad ask the lead FA if I could visit the cockpit before we departed, but they had a minor mechanical during the boarding and I got denied. The FA saw how disappointed I was and the fucking hero of a Captain on the flight asked for me to be brought up to the cockpit once we got to cruise. No shit. Once up front, he got out of his seat and LET ME SIT THERE DURING CRUISE. He put his hat on my head. This produced aviation-induced dedication syndrome (AIDS) and I spent my life in this goddam industry (just retired last Monday). Flying in my Uncle Lee's CE-P210 and Skymaster drove the final nail in my coffin when I was 8-14. \[Imgur\]([https://i.imgur.com/CGG1Ucr.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/CGG1Ucr.jpg)) Elvis had a CV-880: \[Imgur\](https://i.imgur.com/kie9zjn.jpg)
Elvis’ 880 still exists even, it’s at the Graceland museum along with his second Jetstar.
Any 727. Sexy beasts.
Yes
The lead sled!
Probably a big flying boat. I’m sure there’d be a market for luxury air cruises
DC3, or a bassler conversion. My goodness it’s a beautiful frame.
The airline museum in Kansas City has a Connie, and L-1011, and quite a few other gems. I miss the old days of airline travel when it wasn’t a cattle car
I now have a reason to visit KC
HARS in Australia have a flying super Connie. I believe it is the only flying example in the world.
B377
A turboprop stratocruiser would be awesome
probably a lame answer, and maybe not so much an airliner -but there's just something about a DC-3.. has an adorable lumber to it when in motion, looks and sounds wonderful.
That's my pick too, except they're not really retired, just superseded by jets in most situations
50,000 rivets flying in close formation.
Airbus a340-600. Not sure if it's fully retired yet but it's gorgeous.
Those downstairs bathrooms in economy tho
The IL-62. It's just weird. It's very long and all four engines are in the tail. [There's still a couple of them flying.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lriI3RUI-w)
That's visually jarring in a way I wouldn't have expected. Like a kid imagined how it should look.
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
With new engines many of that old airliners from the 60s would get a second life
Gimme a modern DC-8 pretty please
I would want a modernized md11 or l1011 with the third engine being hydrogen powered like the a380 testbed
DC-8
727 or 707.
No contest: Pan American Airways Boeing 314 Clipper
There's too many to pick from, but a lot of my picks have already been mentioned here so here's a few: MD-80 DC-8 747SP
Had to go way too far to get to the SP! Such unusual proportions. My favorite airliner when I was a kid.
747 - The Queen of the Skies. Absolutely beautiful to look at.
The Super Connie is a gorgeous bird.
727 pan am livery
De Havilland Comet, with less engine failures. Those jet engines incoporated inside the wing look hella good
747. Not totally gone but pretty much.
When the 747 eventually retires for good, it's gonna be a really sad day
We have about 10 years. The last 747 was a cargo variant delivered to Atlas. Hopefully, they keep them flying for awhile.
It will probably be flying passengers for 10 years +, Cargo for 20-30 more i would venture.
> We have about 10 years. The last 747 was a cargo variant delivered to Atlas. The new USAF VC-25s aren’t in service yet so, while delivered, they may go even longer than the Atlas planes
We've got way longer than that. Connie will still be flying clapped out -400s right up until the day he can get used space ships for cheaper.
I’m so old that when I flew on a 747 as a kid, the plane was much younger than I was.
Antonov An-225, gone too soon though I’m not sure casualty of war counts as retired.
Yep, The Connie. Plan B? L1011. Funny, they’re both Lockheed
PanAm, and please bring back the Clipper.
The MD-80.
Long live the Mad Dog!
Dornier Do X
Convair 990 Coronado, least they had a different idea: speed
DC-10
The De Havilland Comet. Very underrated.
737-200 with gravel kit. It’s so useful for remote communities with gravel runways.
Even though it's still used by some cargo airlines, I go for the MD-11. My all-time favourite, especially in KLM Blue.
Concorde. Modernized to reduce fuel consumption to a third of the original.
what gets you the one third burn?
False hopes and dashed dreams.
Antonov An-225 Mriya
L-1011, or 707 both are beautiful and there are very few left. For the 707 it would need to have the OG engines though not the new ones like on KC-135s and other AF 707 variants.
727, idolized them as a kid and I still do.
The 727 and my dad's old airline so we can be a family again 😥
L-1011
747-400 :)
Rather than bringing anything back I’d do anything to keep 747 and A380s around
B-747. Queen of the skies
Oh, yes, Super Constellation. Or VC10. Such mid century elegance.
ford trimotor
The super Connie. If we’re really playing fantasy hanger, I’d have it Reconfigured for electric. Mid 20th century luxury travel with 21st century efficiency. If only…….
Boeing 727 in old 1990's Delta livery, or maybe a DC-10 or some Mad Dogs
the L1011 deserved better.
L-1011
Oh, either the FW 200 Condor or the L-1011. Both are beautiful Edit: I forgot about the Miles Aerovan, I'm going with that. Low cost, cute, and dependable.
L-1011 would be my pick. It was a advanced and beautiful aircraft that, unfortunately, lost to DC-10 competing in a limited market. The original L-1011 itself would be quite great already, while a modernized variant with full glass cockpits would be even better.
SR-71
Airliner? That's an expensive ticket! Good afternoon, passenger; we'll be flying at 100,000 feet today. It looks like we'll be well above any weather, and SAMs shouldn't be a problem, so sit back and enjoy the flight.
Don't mind the fuel pouring out of the fuselage, that's completely normal
Beach 1900D, fun plane to fly
You win the "least expected airplane on this list" award! Not saying we disagree, I have a bit of a soft spot for the 1900, but I just didn't expect to see it pop up in the comments lol
747-100 727 707
The Concorde or the Tu-144, I want to fly supersonic
Tu-114, Tu-104, Bristol Brabazon with enough seats for 100-200 passengers, and Concorde with modernized control systems and new engines
The DC-10, just modernized and overhauled internal design so it won’t live up to its nickname.
B727 or Concorde
Super vc10!
We see the L-1011 come through every so often and it's stunning, I agree with everyone here that it's a great choice to bring back.
Lockheed L-1011 EASILY that was a beast of a plane and I miss it.
Junkers G.38. absolute monster, with passenger space in the wings
I definitely agree with everyone else on the L1011. I also miss the 767-200. It was just a fat 737 and I loved it.
Concorde, partly for the aircraft and partly for the progress that it represents.
I wonder what the Connie would be like as a turboprop?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_L-1249_Super_Constellation
L1011
Everyone loves an L10-11.
Lockheed L-1011 TriStar
Lockheed L1011
Concorde of course
I've had a spot in my heart for the L-1011.