List of individual aircraft

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This is a list of individual aircraft which are notable.

Name or designation Type Role Owner Period Notes
Aerial Coupe Transport Dayton-Wright Company 1919-1924(?) Last aircraft designed by Orville Wright. The first working example of a civilian single-engine four passenger light cabin aircraft. Set a height record on May 22, 1921.
Aerodrome Experimental Two attempted flights, on October 7 and December 8, 1903, were unsuccessful.
Akutan Zero Mitsubishi A6M Zero Fighter Imperial Japanese Navy World War II Crash-landed on Akutan Island, Alaska Territory, on June 4, 1942. It was recovered intact and test flown by the United States to discover its weaknesses.
America Non-rigid airship Private 1906-1910 Failed in attempts to fly to the North Pole and cross the Atlantic.
America Fokker C-2 trimotor monoplane Private Flown across the Atlantic to France in 1927 by Richard E. Byrd, Bernt Balchen, George Otto Noville, and Bert Acosta.
Autoplane Roadable aircraft Experimental Glenn Curtiss 1917 Widely considered the first attempt to build a roadable aircraft, one which can both fly and be driven on roads.
Balls 8 NB-52B variant of the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Research NASA 1955-2004 Carried aloft and launched the X-15 aerospace research vehicle on 106 of 199 test flights.
Bird of Paradise Fokker C-2 trimotor transport Research United States Army Air Forces 1927-1930 Used in 1927 to experiment with the use of radio beacon aids in air navigation. Made the first flight from California to Hawaii on June 28–29, 1927.
Bird of Prey McDonnell Douglas/Boeing research aircraft Experimental McDonnell Douglas and Boeing 1996-1999 Stealth technology demonstrator.
Bockscar Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II Dropped Fat Man on Nagasaki in the second atomic bomb attack in history, on August 9, 1945.
Boeing 367-80, aka Dash 80 Transport
Research
Boeing 1954-1970 The prototype for both the KC-135 Stratotanker and the Boeing 707 airliner. From 1957, used by Boeing to test new technologies and systems.
Breguet Type I Experimental 1909 An early airplane designed by Louis Breguet, which flew at least twice in 1909 before crashing.
Bremen Junkers W 33 transport Private 1928 First successful transatlantic flight from east to west.
Budd BB-1 Pioneer Savoia-Marchetti S.56 flying boat Experimental Budd Company 1931-1934 Framework constructed entirely of stainless steel.
Caesar's Chariot Boeing 720 jetliner Transport Chartered by English rock band Led Zeppelin for their 1977 concert tour of North America.
China Clipper Martin M-130 flying boat Transport Pan American Airways 1934-1945 Inaugurated the first commercial transpacific air service from San Francisco to Manila in November 1935.
City of Canberra Boeing 747-400 jetliner Transport Qantas 1989-2015 Made the longest non-stop un-refuelled flight by an airliner, from London to Sydney in 1989.
Clipper Victor Boeing 747-121 Transport Pan American World Airways 1969-1977 First 747 in scheduled commercial service. Hijacked and flown to Cuba in 1970. One of two aircraft involved in the Tenerife airport disaster, the world's deadliest aircraft disaster, on March 27, 1977.
Cloudster Experimental Davis-Douglas Company 1921-1926 Designed by Donald Douglas to try (unsuccessfully) make the first non-stop flight coast-to-coast across the United States.
Cloudster II Transport Douglas Aircraft Company 1947 Abandoned after two test flights as commercially unviable.
Colditz Cock Glider Transport World War II Built by British prisoners of war being held in Oflag IV-C (aka Colditz Castle) for an escape attempt. Never flew.
Columbia, also named Miss Columbia and later Maple Leaf Experimental 1926-1934 Set several records, including one for endurance. Narrowly missed being Charles Lindbergh's airplane for his historic solo crossing of the Atlantic.
Commando Consolidated B-24 Liberator II Transport Royal Air Force World War II At one time the personal aircraft of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the airplane, carrying several government officials, disappeared on March 27, 1945, over the North Atlantic Ocean.
Cornfield Bomber Convair F-106 Delta Dart Fighter United States Air Force 1958-1988 On February 2, 1970, the pilot ejected after being unable to pull out of a flat spin. The now-unguided aircraft landed in a farmer's field in Montana, sustaining little damage.
Cuatro Vientos Br.19 TF Super Bidon biplane Private 1929-1933 Flew from Spain to Cuba, June 10-11, 1933. Disappeared without a trace on a flight over Mexico.
Curtiss NC-4 Curtiss NC flying boat Patrol United States Navy 1919-1920 First aircraft to cross the Atlantic, though making numerous stops along the way, in May 1919.
Curtiss No. 1, also known as Gold Bug and Golden Flyer Experimental 1909 First aircraft both designed and built by Glenn Curtiss. Curtiss flew the aircraft to win the Scientific American trophy.
Curtiss No. 2, also known as the Reims Racer Experimental 1909-1910 Curtiss won the Gordon Bennett Cup air race in 1909.
Dago Red North American P-51 Mustang Private 1981- Restored as a competitive air racer by Frank Taylor in 1981 and set several world records.
Dallas Spirit Custom high-wing monoplane Private 1927 One of several competitors lost in the ill-fated Dole Air Race, from California to the then Territory of Hawaii. Crashed into the ocean about 650 miles (1,050 km) west of Oakland while attempting to join the search for two other lost aircraft.
Dauntless Dotty Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II Led the first B-29 raid on Tokyo since the 1942 Doolittle Raid.
Deperdussin 1912 Racing Monoplane Private 1911(?)-1912 First aircraft to exceed 100 mph (161 km/h) in level flight.
Enola Gay Boeing B-29 Superfortress Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II Dropped the first atomic bomb, on the city of Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945.
Eve Scaled Composites White Knight Two Transport Virgin Galactic 2008-present Designed to launch the Virgin SpaceShip. First flown in 2008.
Ezekiel Airship Experimental Ezekiel Airship Company Destroyed c. 1904 An airplane that some have claimed flew in 1902, over a year before the Wright brothers' historic flight.
Felixstowe Fury Triplane flying boat Experimental 1918-1919 The largest seaplane in the world and largest British aircraft at the time, and the first aircraft to incorporate servo-assisted controls.
Flak-Bait Martin B-26 Marauder Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II Survived the most bombing missions in the war: 202, plus five decoy missions.
G for George Avro Lancaster Bomber Royal Australian Air Force World War II Flew the second most bombing missions of any surviving Lancaster: 90.
The Galloping Ghost North American P-51D Mustang Private Flew in various air races, winning several, under various owners. Crashed in the 2011 Reno Air Races, killing the pilot and ten spectators and injuring 69 others.
Gimli Glider Boeing 767-233 jetliner Transport Air Canada Retired 2008 Ran out of fuel on July 23, 1983, at an altitude of 12,500 metres (41,000 ft), but landed safely at Gimli, Manitoba, Canada.
Glamorous Glennis Bell X-1 parasite rocket plane Experimental United States Air Force The aircraft with which Captain Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier, on October 14, 1947.
Gossamer Albatross MacCready human-powered aircraft Experimental AeroVironment On June 12, 1979, it crossed the English Channel.
Gossamer Penguin MacCready solar-powered aircraft Experimental AeroVironment First flew in 1979.
GlobalFlyer Scaled Composites one-off Experimental Steve Fossett 2005-2006 Fossett set the record for flying nonstop around the world, from February 28 to March 3, 2005.
Gyroplane Laboratoire Helicopter Experimental 1935-1939 Set several records.
Gyroplane No.1 Quadcopter Experimental 1907-1909 First quadcopter to lift off the ground, on September 29, 1907.
Hawaii Clipper Martin M-130 flying boat Transport Pan American Airways 1935(?)-1938 Disappeared with six passengers and nine crew en route from Guam to Manila, on July 28, 1938.
Honolulu Clipper Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat Transport Pan American Airways
United States Navy
1939
World War II
The prototype 314, it entered service in 1939 on transpacific routes. Forced landing in the Pacific Ocean on November 3, 1945.
Jason de Havilland DH.60 Moth Private Amy Johnson Johnson became the first aviatrix to fly from England to Australia, in Jason in 1930.
June Bug Experimental 1908-1909 Designed and flown by Glenn Curtiss and built by the Aerial Experiment Association. Won the first aeronautical prize ever awarded in the United States: the Scientific American Cup.
Kookaburra Westland Widgeon Private When Charles Kingsford Smith was feared lost on a flight, Kookaburra pilot Keith Anderson and mechanic Bob Hitchcock joined the search. They had to set down in the Australian Tanami Desert on 10 April 1929 to make repairs and died of thirst before they could clear a runway long enough to take off from. Kingsford Smith and his party were found unharmed, and Kingsford Smith was suspected of having perpetrated a publicity stunt.
Kuiper Airborne Observatory Lockheed C-141A Starlifter transport Research NASA Used for infrared astronomy research.
Lady Be Good Consolidated B-24 Liberator Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II Got lost returning across the Mediterranean from her first mission (bombing Naples, Italy). Found in 1958 in the Libyan Desert.
Lady Southern Cross Lockheed Altair sport aircraft Private 1934-1935 Charles Kingsford Smith and co-pilot Patrick Gordon Taylor made the first eastward transpacific flight from Australia to the United States, in October and November 1934. In 1935, Kingsford Smith and co-pilot Tommy Pethybridge disappeared while attempting to break the speed record from England to Australia.
Little or 'L'il Stinker Pitts Special Private Betty Skelton 1948-1951 Skelton was US Female Aerobatic Champion in 1948, 1949 and 1950, the last two flying Little Stinker.
Lituanica Bellanca CH-300 monoplane Private 1932-1933 Pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas took off from Floyd Bennett Field, New York City, July 15, 1933, to fly to Kaunas, Lithuania. They crossed the Atlantic, but crashed in Germany on July 17. Both men were killed.
Lucky Lady II Boeing B-50 Superfortress Bomber United States Air Force 1948-1950 First airplane to circle the world nonstop, during February 26-March 2, 1949.
LZ 1 Zeppelin Experimental Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Luftschifffahrt 1900 First successful rigid airship.
LZ 2 Zeppelin Experimental Luftschiffbau Zeppelin 1906 Made only two flights.
LZ 37 Zeppelin Bomber Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) World War I First Zeppelin shot down by an enemy aircraft, during a raid on Calais on June 7, 1915.
LZ 54 Zeppelin Bomber Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) World War I Crashed in the North Sea after a February 1, 1916 bombing raid on England. The captain of a British fishing vessel refused to rescue the crew, who all perished.
LZ 61 Zeppelin Bomber Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) World War I Conducted ten raids and 17 reconnaissance missions. Intercepted and shot down on November 28, 1917, with no survivors.
LZ 129 Hindenburg Zeppelin Transport Luftschiffbau Zeppelin 1936-1937 Crashed and burned while landing at Lakehurst Naval Air Station in Manchester Township, New Jersey, on May 6, 1937, in one of the most famous air disasters of all time. Thirty-six people died.
LZ 130 Graf Zeppelin II Zeppelin Transport 1938-1940 Made 30 flights in 1938-1939, prior to the start of World War II.
Memphis Belle Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II One of the first USAAF heavy bombers to complete 25 missions without loss to her crew.
Miss Veedol, later The American Nurse Bellanca CH-400 or Bellanca J-300 monoplane Private First non-stop crossing of the Pacific Ocean from Japan to the United States, crash landing in Washington state on October 5, 1931. Sold and renamed The American Nurse. Disappeared while attempting to fly from New York to Rome in September 1932.
NASA 515 Heavily modified Boeing 737 jetliner Research NASA The first 737 built.
Nine-O-Nine Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II Completed 140 combat missions without crew loss.
Norge Semi-rigid airship Private First verified overflight of, and the first verified trip of any kind to, the North Pole on May 12, 1926.
L'Oiseau Blanc Levasseur PL.8 biplane Private 1927 Disappeared in 1927 while attempting to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight between Paris and New York, two weeks before Lindbergh's successful flight the other way.
Old 666 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II During an unescorted solo mapping mission on June 16, 1943, the crew fought off numerous Japanese fighters and returned to base. Two Medals of Honor were awarded, one posthumously.
Old Glory Fokker F.VIIa airliner Private Lost while attempting to fly across the Atlantic, starting from New York on September 6, 1927.
Pacific Clipper Boeing 314 Clipper flying boat Transport Pan American World Airways As the California Clipper, flew around the world from December 2, 1941 to January 6, 1942. Renamed afterward.
Pedaliante Human-powered aircraft Experimental 1936-1937 Made one of the first human-powered flights.[1][2]
Philippine Clipper Martin M-130 flying boat Transport Pan American Airways
United States Navy
1935-1943
World War II
Inaugurated passenger service between the United States and Manila, the Philippines, in October 1936. Crashed in 1943 with the loss of all 19 aboard.
Plus Ultra Dornier Do J flying boat Private Made the first transatlantic flight between Spain and South America in January 1926.
Question Mark Modified C-2A Transport United States Army Air Corps Modified for aerial refueling experiments. Set several world endurance records.
Rare Bear Highly modified Grumman F8F Bearcat Private Dominated the Reno Air Races for decades.
RB51 Red Baron Modified North American P-51D Mustang Private 1967-1973 Raced as Miss R.J. and Roto-Finish Special, dominating the Unlimited circuit.
Red Wing Experimental 1908 On March 12, 1908, Frederick W. Baldwin piloted the first public demonstration of a powered aircraft flight in the United States. He crashed after 20 seconds, and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.
Santos-Dumont number 6 Airship Private Alberto Santos-Dumont 1901 Won the Deutsch de la Meurthe prize for a flight from Parc Saint Cloud to the Eiffel Tower and back.
Santos-Dumont 14-bis Oiseau de proie Private Alberto Santos-Dumont 1906 First officially witnessed sustained flight by a heavier-than-air craft on October 23, 1906.
Sausewind Private 1925 Won in several categories in the 1925 Otto Lilienthal competition.
Shady Lady Consolidated B-24 Liberator Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II Flew one of the longest bombing missions of the war - 16 hours 35 minutes - from Darwin, Australia to Borneo.
Silver Dart Experimental 1909 The first powered, heavier-than-air machine to fly in Canada, on February 23, 1909.
Solar Challenger Solar-powered aircraft Experimental AeroVironment 1980-
Southern Cross Fokker F.VIIb/3m airliner Private 1928 First ever transpacific flight to Australia from the mainland United States.
Spirit of St. Louis Private 1927 Charles Lindbergh's aircraft for the first solo non-stop crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
Spirit of Texas Bell 206L-1 LongRanger II helicopter Private 1982 First helicopter to complete a round-the world flight, taking just over 29 days.
Spruce Goose Hughes H-4 Hercules Transport Hughes Aircraft Company 1947 Flying boat with the largest wingspan of any aircraft, made almost entirely of birch wood. Intended as a possible way of negating the U-boat threat. Howard Hughes piloted it on its one and only flight in November 2, 1947, in response to government criticism.
St. Raphael Fokker F.VIIa airliner Private 1927 Lost with two-man crew while attempting the first Atlantic crossing from east to west.
Stargazer Lockheed L-1011 TriStar jetliner Research Orbital ATK 1994- Used as a mother ship to launch Pegasus rockets.
The Starship Boeing 720 jetliner Transport Singer and actor Bobby Sherman and his manager, Ward Sylvester 1970s Leased to touring musical artists.
The Swoose Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber United States Army Air Forces World War II One of the survivors of a Japanese attack on the Philippines, eight hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Oldest intact B-17.
Tanager Experimental Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company 1929 Won the Guggenheim Safe Aircraft Competition.
Tingmissartoq Lockheed Model 8 Sirius monoplane Private Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh 1929-1933
Vickers Wellington LN514 Vickers Wellington Bomber Royal Air Force 1943-? Constructed in under 24 hours for propaganda purposes.
Vin Fiz Flyer Modified Wright Model B pusher biplane (Model EX) Private Calbraith Perry Rodgers 1911 Rodgers was the first private citizen to buy a Wright airplane, which he named after a soft drink. He became the first to fly coast to coast across the United States, from September 17 to December 10, 1911, with 75 stops, 16 crashes and several injuries.
Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 Helicopter Experimental 1939-1943 First successful single lifting rotor helicopter in the United States, first successful helicopter to use a single vertical tail rotor configuration for antitorque and, with floats attached, first practical amphibious helicopter.
Voyager Experimental 1984-1987 First aircraft to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, December 14–23, 1986.
White Knight Scaled Composites mother ship Experimental
Research
Scaled Composites 2000s Used to launch the SpaceShipOne and Boeing X-37 experimental spaceplanes.
White Wing Experimental 1908 Thomas Selfridge became the first US military officer to fly an airplane, on May 19, 1908.
Wright Flyer Experimental Wright brothers 1903 First successful heavier-than-air powered flight, on December 17, 1903.
Wright Flyer II Experimental Wright brothers 1904 Second powered aircraft built by the Wright brothers.
Wright Flyer III Experimental Wright brothers 1905 Third powered aircraft built by the Wright brothers.
Zeppelin-Staaken E-4/20 Transport 1919-1922 Possibly the first four-engine, all-metal, heavier-than-air aircraft.

See also

References

  1. Muscle Assisted Flights Before 1939, humanpoweredflying.propdesigner.co.uk (recovered 9 Nov 2015)
  2. Rea, D.A.; "The History of Man-Powered Flight", Pergamon, 1977, Page 111