So ugly its beautiful...or otherwise known as sexy ugly

[GTX_Admin]

Some designs are so ugly that they take on a beauty of their own.  For example, the Nardi FN.305D:

[jcf]

That's because it has good bone structure, as it was a modification of this:


 

[GTX_Admin]

Oh don't worry, I know the history etc.  It still doesn't change my assessment.

[Frank3k]

Just about any French interwar plane will fall into this category:



The Poles tried hard, too:



The post war Short Seamew:

[GTX_Admin]

Just about any French interwar plane will fall into this category:

Indeed

[Weaver]

This is a Blackburn Blackburn:



and this is a Blackburn Blackburn on floats:

[jcf]

An RAF entry, the AVRO Aldershot:



and a centreline drawing that helps to explain why the RAF and RN single engined bombers/spotter-recce types of
the period tended to look so thick through the middle:

 

[Kerick]

Just about any French interwar plane will fall into this category:



The Poles tried hard, too:



The post war Short Seamew:


And some say the F-4 Phantom was ugly! What were these folks thinking? The WWI aircraft had better streamlining.

[Rickshaw]

And some say the F-4 Phantom was ugly! What were these folks thinking? The WWI aircraft had better streamlining.

The French and Poles were following function over form, for the most part.   Aerodynamics weren't unknown, they were just discarded in favour of getting the best view possible for what ever function was needed in that position on the aircraft.

[Dr. YoKai]

I have long been fond of the stately majesty of the Pemberton - Billing Nighthawk.

[GTX_Admin]

Another for me is the Bellanca C-27:




Of course it went into sexy overdrive with the floats added...

[upnorth]

PZL Belphegor:


net photo

[Kerick]

Another for me is the Bellanca C-27:




Of course it went into sexy overdrive with the floats added...

Ever see the old cartoon "Clutch Cargo"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yZ_mdE8gFo
About 1:20 into the video

[Logan Hartke]

The Mi-24 Hind and Ju 87B Stuka have always been examples of just such aircraft to my eyes. I always call them "hideously beautiful". Not classically beautiful, but somehow all the ugliness comes together just right and works to produce something surprisingly compelling.









Cheers,

Logan

[jcf]

Just for Greg.


Bellanca 77-140


Bellanca 77-320

[Tophe]

Just about any French interwar plane will fall into this category:

You may know that I am a shameful French man...
And here is the French Mustang FP-51B (of mine, alas)...

[Old Wombat]

A lot of helicopters, imo, fit into this category especially;

the AH-1;


& the CH-53 (or variants thereof);

[Tophe]

Just about any French interwar plane will fall into this category:

You may know that I am a shameful French man...
And here is the French Mustang FP-51B (of mine, alas)...

From the pretty Lightning, (I dream/fear that) Farman designed the F-238B, A, C Beautning (Beaut' stands for Beauty = Beauté in French), yes!

[Tophe]

From the pretty Lightning, (I dream/fear that) Farman designed the F-238B, A, C Beautning (Beaut' stands for Beauty = Beauté in French), yes!

And from the Waitomo PL-11/Transavia PL-12 Airtruks came the PL-38T, W, X Pretning, maybe pretty in the farm...

[taiidantomcat]

[Weaver]

This is a Blackburn Blackburn:



and this is a Blackburn Blackburn on floats:

Look what I saw at the weekend:



 

[Weaver]

An RAF entry, the AVRO Aldershot:

That's a bit like the 1920s version of the F-105: looks nicely in proportion until you realise how freakin' BIG it is...

[Weaver]

This is Purdey*





*Y'know, the people that make shotguns......

[Volkodav]

Always found the Beech 17 Staggerwing to be very attractive, http://www.airplanemart.com/aircraft-history-and-specification/photo/l_airplane_image/Beechcraft-D17S-Staggerwing-N18777-NC18777.jpgeven though it should be otherwise due to the stagger.

[jcf]

Nothing ugly about the Model 17, why would the reversed wing stagger make it so?