Thr 10 Greatest Best Airplanes of All Time and The Reasons Why They Rock

The following basic list contains some of the most historically significant flyers on record to hopefully result in a decent representation of the top ten best airplanes of all time.

1. The Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer

Of course, the number one in the top ten best planes of all time would have to be the Wright Brothers' Flyer as it was the first one period. The two brothers built this small and very fragile plane from scratch and rough blueprints. Charlie Taylor built the engine which was also fuel injected. The Wright Brothers' flyer took flight on December 17, 1903 from the lovely Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. It barely made the flight, but it was still the first airplane that actually took flight. They then went on to improve their planes, take longer and higher flights, and sold the first patents.

2. The Junkers F.13

The Junkers F.13 was a brand new wonder all on its own. It was born in Germany in 1919 and was the first all metal flight apparatus that was also capable of carrying four passengers. The Junkers F.13 went on to do some brief war time flying and then a large commercial period was enjoyed until 1926, went it was sold to Lufthansa.

3. The Boeing 314

This beauty is of a rare kind; born in 1938, it was a long range flying boat. The "Super Clipper" was built to be used as a sort of cruise liner for the first class. This took place for three years, and then the Clipper did a brief stint of shuttling during World War II. She was finally retired in 1946 upon the advent of the DC4. This was a welcome change for the sea pilots of the Clipper as they had long been complaining of how dangerous the plane was.

4. The Enola Gay

The Enola Gay is infamous for her role in the atomic bomb drop over Hiroshima, Japan in 1945. Its code name was "little boy", but the now famous moniker was given to the plane by the bomber pilot - it was his mother's. The Enola Gay is currently enjoying retirement in the National Air and Museum; this is following years of controversy and moves, as well as a few restorations.

5. Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15

The MiG-15 was developed by two men in the USSR in 1947. It was used as the first swept-wing jet fighter in wartime flights over Korea. It enjoyed an illustrious history in the Cold War as the US fought to obtain its blueprints in virtually any manner possible. The Mikoyan-Gurevich was the prototype for the MiG-17, and it did hold the title (until recently) of the highest manufactured plane ever with numbers built of over 18,000, with some still operable.

6. Sikorsky S-55

The S-55, or Chickasaw, was first flown in 1949 and utilized by the US Army and the US Air force. It was eventually put into use by all branches of the US military. It was a multi-purpose helicopter used in the Korean War.

7. Cessna 172

The Skyhawk is a four seater with fixed wings developed in 1955. It rivals the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, with current numbers at 43,000 and continued production. The Skyhawk enjoys an illustrious history involving good and bad due to the sheer numbers of these planes built; some of these were termed incidents and others are still talked about as they were accidents involving fatalities.

8. Learjet 23

This lady is a business jet with twin wings and a maximum capacity of eight. It was known for its high speed. Production of the 23 was stopped in 1966 after 104 models had been produced. There may still be a few in operations.

9. Boeing 747

The 747 may well be the best known aircraft the world over. She was the first wide body jet introduced in 1969 and was named "jumbo jet". She carried the distinction of the highest passenger capacity for an amazing 37 years. She has been used by the government and the military, and although numerous variants have been built since her inception, she is still in flight.

10. General Atomics MQ-1 Predator UAV

This interesting addition to the list basically flies itself. It has been in operations since 1995 by the US Air Force and has been a participant in multiple and varied wartime operations. The unmanned Predator is primarily a reconnaissance role and fire protector of US military and government operations. It enjoys a well known record, yet because of its military and political ties, not every detail is known to the general public.

The above list attempts to list ten of the major players in the history of aircraft. There are different variations on this list worldwide, and they are changed frequently due to human opinion and new developments in the flight world. These are at least a good look at the top ten best airplanes of all time.