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It's the 100th year of powered flight and I wanted to look back at the most influential aircraft. Below are the categories and my opinions, please tell us yours.

Most Influentian Passenger Jet: The DH Comet and Avro Can. Jetliner were the first but you can't argue that the Boeing 707 influenced most passenger jets aircraft after it.

Most Influential Modern Jet: The Airbus series is the most influential modern group of aircraft. They brought together top technology and the new A380 promises to return the comfort and luxury of the early days of passenger flight.

Most Influential Fighter Jet: It's a toss up between the Me262 and the Avro CF-105. The 262 brough in the jet age but the Arrow was the first true modern jet fighter. It's design can even be seen in modern supersonic aircraft such as the Concorde.

Most Influential Jet Bomber: Can't argue it's the B-52.

Most Influential Prop Liner: I'd have to say the DC-3 because it brought comfort, speed, and affordability to passenger air travel for the first time.  

Most Influential Prop Fighter: I'd say the Spitfire as it revolutionized air combat. The F4U Corsair is up there too for the same reason.

Most Influential Prop Bomber: Definately the Avro Lancaster. Fast and easy to fly. Looked good too with jet engines too if anyone has ever seen a picture of the "Super Lanc".

Most Influential Overall Prop: The Cessna 172 as it has trained more civilian pilots than any other in it's history.

Most Influential Overall Aircraft: Sure the Wright Flyer started it all but I believe that the Apollo 11 space craft was the most influential because it took Aviation to beyond the limits ever thought possible. It went farther, faster, and endured longer than any aircraft before it.  

BOY!! this list could generate
some heat!!!
Let,s go for it

Prop bomber; B-29 Enola Gay

Prop plane; Spirt of St. Louis

The rest of your list is OK
but us USA'ers will say P-51

X  

..but the Arrow was the first true modern jet fighter. It's design can even be seen in modern supersonic aircraft such as the Concorde.

I must disagree with you on that. In my opinion, the F-86 Sabre and Mig15 really changed the jet age and redefined the 'dogfight'. Anyways, heres my list:

Most Influentian Passenger Jet:

Boeing 747 - lowered pax costs to open the skies to everyone
Boeing 767 - across the pond on two engines
Me-262 - the first operational jet fighter
B-47 - the cold war backbone
DC-3 - father of modern air travel
Fokker E-III - first true fighter
Fairey Swordfish - Taranto? end of the surface fleets
JN-4 Jenny - brought flight to the common man while barnstorming

And the winner is:

Douglas DC-3

The DC-3 heralded a new era for aviation, a period of viable commercial air travel.

definitaly the 747, also the 777 for his advanced technologies and first ETOPS qualification.
the F100 with the glass cockpit...and the A320 with the side stick. and the Concorde and the Comet!
the DC-3, the first iron plane.

fighter plane...the F-16.
SR-71...helped alot with supersonic flying, developpement of all kinds of technologies.

bombers...of course the B-52...it's still a good testbed for all kinds of technologies but i don't think it influented other AC's

Disclaimer:  This is my opinion on the most *influential* aircraft, not necessarily the most *important*   - In some cases, the same plane would be my choice for both categories.

Taking your original list - my personals:

Most Influential Passenger Jet: Boeing 707 influenced most passenger jets aircraft after it.  - The Comet may have been "first" but the 707 is the one that made jet travel "for the masses" possible.

Most Influential Modern Jet: The 747 was not only the first viable large passenger jet, but still remains the standard by which other large widebodies are compared... even the 777...

Most Influential Fighter Jet: I say a toss up between the F-86 and Mig-15 ..  both redefined combat.  Arguably the CF-105 was the first of the "third generation" but even today, I've seen comparisons of the latest fighters coming out to the F-86/Mig15.

Most Influential Jet Bomber: Can't argue it's the B-52.  

Most Influential Prop Liner: I'd have to say the DC-3 because it brought comfort, speed, and affordability to passenger air travel for the first time.

Most Influential Prop Fighter: I'd place the Me109 as the most influential because it was the first of the "modern"  fighters used in combat and defnitely led the way from the biplane era reliance on maneouverability and "weak"  armament.

Most Influential Prop Bomber: Rather than a specific plane, I'd go for the large four-engined bombers - Lanc/B-17/B-24 that carried the brunt of the bombing war against the axis, showing the strategic bombing campaign.

Most Influential Overall Prop: The Taylorcraft/Piper Cub - re-defined personal/private aircraft.

Most Influential Overall Aircraft: The Wright Flyer

Passenger Jet: 707
Modern Jet: SR-71 Lightning II and right behind it is the Bell X-1
Jet Bomber: B-52
Fighter Jet: F-117 stealth and possibly the Aurora
Prop Liner: American Airlines Tri-Star Constellation, Simply the most Beautiful plane ever built.
Prop Fighter: P-47 Thunderbolt. IT did EVERYTHING and got its pilot home. No other fighter could take so many different missions in its stride. The 51 fought better but could be disabled easier. The Spitfire's greatest Advantage was RADAR. Given the Same conditions that the 109 had, the Spit was no better than the 109. The P-47  in WWII  had the lowest mission loss Percentage @0.07%. It was a High Altitude Fighter, Precision Bomber and Excellent ground unit supporter.
Prop Bomber: B-25 Mitchell. Billy Mitchell proved that Naval Battleships were obsolete and proceded to design his concept of a Bomber. It was the only Bomber to take off from a Carrier in WWII and the Raid on Tokyo was a Great Morale Booster.The B-25 was more numrous and flew more missions than any Bomber of WWII.
Most influential Prop flyer: Lindenberg's Spirit of St.Louis
Most influential Aircraft: Wright Flyer

Fighter Jet: F-117 stealth and possibly the Aurora

Actually the F-117 is a bomber, not a fighter

all nice this but:

for the jet fighter and bomber and the prop fighter and bomber you can't make yourself off with this.

at least try to get the jet fighthers in 2 sides (NATO and soviet) and split them up in categories (sorted by conflict or so). that's the only way everyone will be happy

And why has noone mentioned the Fokker F7b? that's the aircraft which invented commercial long range flying

Oh i almost forgot

Second Most Influential Prop Liner: The Boeing 314 Clipper

Actually the F-117 is a bomber, not a fighter

Actually the F-117 is a fighter according to the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. If it was a bomber, it would be called the B-117. It's probably more like an interceptor.

I would rank the F-14 Tomcat as most influential modern jet fighter. It combines advantages taken from past aircraft including the F-86, Mig-15, Arrow etc. I believe it's also the fastest fighter in the USN Airforce.  

To the people of Berlin,
a C54-R5D, named "Sprit of Freedom"
It brought them Food, Fuel and Hope in
1948

x

Actually the F-117 is a fighter according to the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. If it was a bomber, it would be called the B-117. It's probably more like an interceptor.  

Yeah, its classified as a fighter but is barely one. It isnt an interceptor as it has no cannon, missles, etc. All it can carry is a 2-bomb load. Apparently the air force offcials thought it didnt look like a bomber so they put an F designation. The F117 is technically and unnoficially a bomber though

The best aircraft is the Piper J3 Cub and PA-11 SuperCruiser PA-18 SuperCub 150Horse Power

Yeah, its classified as a fighter but is barely one. It isnt an interceptor as it has no cannon, missles, etc. All it can carry is a 2-bomb load. Apparently the air force offcials thought it didnt look like a bomber so they put an F designation. The F117 is technically and unnoficially a bomber though

when you read books, documents,... about the modern US bombers, you only get info about the B-1, B-2 and B-52...so i don't think they see the Nighthawk as a bomber.