Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R44?

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System Message
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Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R44?

Post by System Message »

It is easy to think of great looking aircraft. Try to find an uglier aircraft without giving regards to flying qualities, usefullness, or anything other than looks.
My vote is for the Robinson R44. The shape looks like Frank Robinson took a plastic ball and left it in the oven until it looked like the sperm that insemminated a tadpole.
The rotor mast is so long that the main rotor must be out of hover ceiling when the skids are at sea level.
The coning angle of the low enertia blades looks like it has the crisp control response of a balloon.
The great blunder of the cyclic. Just put a normal one on the floor please.
Buy Frank a ruler before he designs another helicopter.
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by iflyforpie »

I think 44s look great. Even the 22, though it should have a spring to push the collective down before the horn goes off, isn't a bad looking machine.

You want ugly? The S-51. The K-Max. The S-64. The Allouette and Llama. STL might toast this post, but I always thought the 369/500/600 looked like flying eggs and even worse with the NOTAR.

All opinion of course.
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by photofly »

This page has some pretty strong contenders:
http://www.techxilla.com/2010/08/19/20- ... igns-ever/
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by KT111 »

PZ04 Wilga is a stupid looking plane, IMO and from what I have witnessed, incredibly awkward to fly (and land):

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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by Panama Jack »

You beat me to it KT111.

I am not a fan of the Airbus A380. Looks like a pregnant Beluga Whale with Down Syndrome.
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by bmc »

The R44 is downright sexy next to this.






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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by short bus »

another vote for the a380 fatbus
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by iflyforpie »

I just had to put a picture of the K-Max in here....

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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by Gogona »

bmc wrote:The R44 is downright sexy next to this.
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OMG! What's that??? :shock:

To topicstarter:
R44 isn't cute as well as R22, that's true, but definitely you have nothing to compare with.
Try this, for instance:

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UPD: I just thought, that the very first version of Navy "Banana" (Piasecki) was even cooler:

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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by BeechjetYKZ »

What about this monstrosity?

Image

It looks like an anorexic walking stick on all fours.
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by andy_mtl »

I think they Skyvan is the ugliest plane!

i wonder what they were thinking to put a pair a wing on a square tube!
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by burhead1 »

BeechjetYKZ wrote:What about this monstrosity?

Image

It looks like an anorexic walking stick on all fours.
hmm would you walk up to this guy and say he is ugly?
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by golden hawk »

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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by Mitch Cronin »

I'm not sure if fixed wing beasties come any uglier than this one:

ImageImage
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by KAG »

bmc wrote:The R44 is downright sexy next to this.






Image

Didn't they use that plane in a mad max movie...
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by zed »

Yes. Its the same plane from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by zed »

But my vote for Mr. Ugly aircraft would go to either...

Caproni Stipa
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OR

the Soviet Bartini Beriev VVA-14
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Both of them have some pretty ugly points for me.
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by trey kule »

I cant get a picture of it until October 31st, but my X-wife's broom is really ugly
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by iflyforpie »

Yes, the Air Truk fit perfectly in the Mad Max movie because it looked like an aircraft that would have been put together from spare pieces in a post global war environment.

The truth is not very far off.... at least in the case of the Air Truk's immediate and quite similar looking (and arguably uglier) predecessor....

Image
A strikingly unusual aircraft, the PL-11 Airtruck was designed as a de Havilland Tiger Moth replacement for the New Zealand aerial topdressing market by Luigi Pellarini in 1960 for Waitomo Aircraft. The prototype was constructed using bits of war surplus ex-RNZAF North American Harvards.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennett_Airtruck

For those looking closely, that is indeed a Harvard canopy on the top of the plane. Kit bashing is fun, but who knew you could do it in real life?
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by Shiny Side Up »

Hmm, the An-2 is getting old, we need a replacement. Let us not do things by halves this time, let there be jet powered biplanes!

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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by Dagwood »

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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by Panama Jack »

Hey, andy_mtl , I actually saw that same plane a few months ago. It has a real "head turner" paint job.
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by whistlerboy02 »

Here's a face only a mother could love... This was sitting in Goose Bay last summer..... apparently it was on its way back to Europe and the Ferry Pilot changed his mind and left it there..... of course its British
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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by iflyforpie »

It is good to see that even ugly planes can be happy too....

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Re: Can anyone think of an uglier flying machine than the R4

Post by coreydotcom »

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