Most Unattractive Aircraft of WW2

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Even a murderous dictator can have taste...
Truth be told, Stalin supported the K-7 and was excited about it's "promise" as a civil and military aircraft as well as a propaganda tool. It was the first all metal Soviet type that used all native materials as well as the notion that it would be a dominating military aircraft.
 
Truth be told, Stalin supported the K-7 and was excited about it's "promise" as a civil and military aircraft as well as a propaganda tool. It was the first all metal Soviet type that used all native materials as well as the notion that it would be a dominating military aircraft.

If he didn't support it, it wouldn't have been started. Of course, in a capitalist system, Kalinin would have not gotten any future contracts instead of being, say, shot.
 
My Dad always thought the Boeing 314 was just one of the ugliest flying boat produced. Compared to his beloved Sikorsky VS-44A, the only surviving flying boat from that era thank God, I have to agree. Then Dad gets the B-377 Stratocruiser which he liked, but called it a pregnant B-29! Boeing then redeemed itself forever with the 707, and the rest in History.

After seeing it many, many times, I still feel the Curtis XP-55 is still just absolutely hideous and will always wonder how that company went from hero to zero in just a couple of years.

Surprised no one has mentioned the Me-323 Gigant, doesn't get much uglier either.
 
If he didn't support it, it wouldn't have been started. Of course, in a capitalist system, Kalinin would have not gotten any future contracts instead of being, say, shot.
Lavochkin was on the verge of also contracting a terminal case of "Stalin Flu", but was able to redeen himself at the eleventh hour.
How very fortunate for him, the Su-2 nose adapted well to the LaGG-3's fuselage...
 
My Dad always thought the Boeing 314 was just one of the ugliest flying boat produced. Compared to his beloved Sikorsky VS-44A, the only surviving flying boat from that era thank God, I have to agree. Then Dad gets the B-377 Stratocruiser which he liked, but called it a pregnant B-29! Boeing then redeemed itself forever with the 707, and the rest in History.

Well, we all have our favorites
but the Boeing 314 doesn't look that bad.
800px-Boeing_314_Clipper-cropped.jpg

Sikorsky VS-44A


vs-44.jpg

Short empire class
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Now please put on your protective gear suitable for viewing French aircraft.

Liore 102 - Google Search

Latecoere 521 - Google Search

Bréguet 730 - Google Search
 
But could the B-17F carry a 102mm (4") cannon?
If a B-25 could carry a 75mm cannon, then I'm pretty sure the B-17 could have easily carried a T8 105mm or even the T5E1 105mm that was being developed (though a bit more complex).

Heck, for that matter, the little Hs129B-3 carried the heavier BK7.5, which weighed in at 2,600 pounds and the Ju88P-1 carried the heavier version, the PaK40.

But like the P.108A, the B-17 would have been at a disadvantage due to it's lesser mobility than the B-25 or Ju88 and how would the B-17 have stood up to the recoil? The B-18 cannon tests proved that a 75mm could be carried aloft, but it ravaged the airframe. The lessons learned from the B-18 trials were passed on to the XA-26B, B-25G/H and XA-38 builds (the B-25 being the only one used operationally).
 
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Now I'll admit that the Martin Mars came close, the 314 was by far the best looking flying boat ever. The XB-15 wings were so well proportioned that none of them, before or after, could match them.
 
Now I'll admit that the Martin Mars came close, the 314 was by far the best looking flying boat ever. The XB-15 wings were so well proportioned that none of them, before or after, could match them.
Heresy I say, heresy! Look at the Boeing, 3 tails, 4 wings, looks like the XB-15 mated with a ships' hull and a Constellation tail!Look at how integrated the Sikorsky looks in comparison. Realistically, the VS-44A had better range and payload over the 314 and the Martin M-130. If you really want to get crazy, look up the Short Mayo Composite, a small flying boat stacked on top of a large flying boat! Leave it to the British!
 
Now I'll admit that the Martin Mars came close, the 314 was by far the best looking flying boat ever. The XB-15 wings were so well proportioned that none of them, before or after, could match them.

Nope, the Do 24 is the most beautiful flying boat ever.
 
Heresy I say, heresy! Look at the Boeing, 3 tails, 4 wings, looks like the XB-15 mated with a ships' hull and a Constellation tail!Look at how integrated the Sikorsky looks in comparison. Realistically, the VS-44A had better range and payload over the 314 and the Martin M-130. If you really want to get crazy, look up the Short Mayo Composite, a small flying boat stacked on top of a large flying boat! Leave it to the British!
No No; The Short Mayo Composite was beautiful and designed for a need to transport mail over a long distance.
 

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