Let’s have a little fun! Since March is the season where it seems like brackets get used to decide pretty much everything, why don’t you, the readers, help us decide which aircraft is the UGLIEST of all time? This task may not be as easy as it sounds, however.
We have compiled a list of 32 of the ugliest aircraft that the NYCAviation editorial team could find. Our field is a combination of those which we personally thought were ugly, along with some from lists published on the internet like this one from Patrick Smith. Some were ill-advised military experiments. Others were modifications of traditional aircraft into carriers for cargo that were normally too large to be carried by air. A few are military aircraft that actually made it into production somehow. And the rest just seemed to get hit by the ugly stick somewhere in the design process.
As they say, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, so don’t hate on us too bad if you feel like we added an airplane that you think is beautiful. Feel free to leave a comment below, and then head to your nearest eye doctor to get yours checked.
For the first round, we have tried to create matchups where there is at least one attribute in common between the aircraft. After that, you determine the matchups with your votes. Each round will last a few days, so you’ll have plenty of time to get your picks in. Photos of each aircraft in its first round matchup are below. Click the word “Link” in the caption to break your monitor see a larger photo. Make your selections of the ugliest aircraft in each matchup in the bracket below the photos.
Or just click here for a shortcut to the bracket.
Round 1
Airbus A380-800 vs. Breguet Deux Ponts
By Joe Ravi, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
By Ralf Manteufel, GFDL 1.2, Link
Airbus A340-200 vs. VFW-Fokker 614
Airbus Beluga vs. Boeing 747-400LCF Dreamlifter
By Patrick Ludolph, CC BY 2.0, Link
Aero Spacelines Super Guppy vs. Conroy Skymonster
By NASA/Tom Tschida, Public Domain, Link
By YSSYguy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Blackburn Beverley vs. Bristol B170 Freighter
Public Domain, Link
Transavia PL12 Airtruk vs. Bennet Airtruck
Short Brothers SC.7 Skyvan vs. Short Brothers SA.4 Sperrin
Northrop Tacit Blue vs. North American XB-70 Valkyrie
By U.S. Air Force, Public Domain, Link
By NASA, Public Domain, Link
Britten-Norman BN-2A Trilander vs. Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair
By Wdollivier, Public Domain, Link
Myasishchev VM-T vs. Antonov An-72
By Dmitry Pichugin, GFDL 1.2, Link
Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk vs. PZL M-15 Belphegor
By Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II, Public Domain, Link
By User:VargaA – Own work, GFDL, Link
McDonnell XF-85 Goblin vs. Vought V-173 Flying Pancake
Public Domain, Link
By Unknown, Public Domain, Link
Bell X-14 vs. Boeing X-32
Public Domain, Link
By USAF – http://www.edwards.af.mil, Public Domain, Link
North American P-82 Twin Mustang vs. Blohm & Voss BV-141
By United States Air Force – Dean, Jack, Public Domain, Link
By Bundesarchiv, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, Link
SNECMA Coléoptère vs. Convair XFY-1 Pogo
By US Navy, Public Domain, Link
By No information – US Navy, Public Domain, Link
Happy voting!
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