by Jakemaster » Mon Mar 20, 2006 4:08 pm
DC-3 is catching up again!
Okay, here are my final words on the matter between all these planes:
The DC-3 is my favorite and often regarded as the greatest aircraft of all time because it revolutionized air travel. It provided economical and safe airtravel. Without the DC-3, there would be no Concorde, no 737, no 747. In fact, if it wasnt for the DC-3, we probably wouldnt travel by air as much as we do.
Not only did it revolutionize air travel, it played a major role in WWII. Yes, the spit and hurri did do an amazing job defending england, but the DC-3 transported persons and cargo. I bet that some of those spits and hurris would have not flown without the DC-3 because they would never have gotten replacement parts for damages. I also am aware that the DC-3 wouldnt have entered the EUROPEAN theater if it wasnt for the Spit or Hurri, but it also served in the Pacific theater, which, for the majority, was solely United States. Also, the spit and hurri werent the only planes to defend england. American planes played a major role, and so did allied ground and sea forces.
Even after all of that, the DC-3 remains an important aircraft today. Just ask anyone living in remote areas that depend on DC-3s to carry in cargo. DC-3s all over the world carry essential cargo and passengers to hard to reach places. I know that Spits and Hurris are flying today too, but they arent doing what they were made for, they arent fighting. Also, many of those spits and hurris flying are restoration jobs, while the DC-3s are just continuing to serve.
Concorde does get some respect from me just like the spit and hurri. All of those planes are gorgeous, and the concorde is a marvel of engineering. But the concorde has major flaws. It burns fuel like no other, is extremely loud, and is very ineffecient. It was good at one thing: going fast. The concorde would get my vote in an Engineering marvels contest, but it was not very successful and only lasted for a few years.
The SR-71. I truly do admire that plane as I plan on being an aerospace engineer. It is like NOTHING else. It is a remarkable plane, engineered incredibly. But the SR-71 was not the greatest plane of all time. From an engineering standpoint, its a great leap forward in aerodynamics, but the plane had its fair share of problems.
The 747, like the DC-3, revolutionized air travel again. It was the first Jumbo Jet, but even tho it has that to its name, its just not that incredible. No MAJOR design aspects were different from earlier aircraft. It doesnt have many problems, it does its job well, but it just hasnt had as much influence as other jets such as the 707.
As far as looks, thats debatable. I find the DC-3 to be a beautiful plane. The SR-71 just looks fast. The concorde is unique. But not everyone would agree with me when I say that the A380 is ugly. I know that not everyone agrees that the Tomcat is great looking. This contest should not have anything to do with looks.
I think we are all just not looking in depth enough. I voted for the DC-3 because ive spent a long time reading about it and learning about what it has done. The spitfire is an incredible aircraft, but please tell me what influence it has had on modern aviation. Show me a Spit still doing its job. And prove to me that the Spit and Hurri were the ONLY airplanes responsible for saving europe.
Dont focus on one aspect. Look at a plane on many levels, from its design to what it has done to affect the 'greater good'.
Bar by Mees
