# Favourite Cold War era military aircraft? And why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 9, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265 "2015-04-09T21:36:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/81 "2015-04-14T23:30:42Z")
I always like the [F-8U](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/F-8E_VMF-212_CVA-34_1965_%28cropped%29.jpg) Crusader. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2015, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/82 "2015-04-14T23:34:18Z")
I can’t think of the F-8 _Crusader_ without thinking of… > [@](#): > > **Tits Machine** > A good, righteous airplane. Current airplanes need not apply, this is a nostalgic term referring to birds gone by. By all accounts the F-8 _Crusader_ was a tits machine. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/83 "2015-04-15T01:52:28Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > [This aircraft penetrated Soviet airspace](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Cessna_172_D-ECJB_of_Mathias_Rust.jpg/1920px-Cessna_172_D-ECJB_of_Mathias_Rust.jpg). 😃 The highly stealth F-172! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/84 "2015-04-15T02:00:27Z")
> [@JerrySTL](#): > > The highly stealth F-172! The joke at the time, concerning the B-2’s airspace penetration abilities, was ‘Why spend $2 billion for an airplane, when a German boy can do the same thing in a $17,000 Cessna?’ ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/85 "2015-04-15T11:14:46Z")
I have a pretty worthless book somewhere called “Aircraft of the Cold War”. And the Israeli Airforce was flying Spitfires and Mustangs at the time so I guess they would count? I wasted a lot of time today looking at aircraft from the 50’s through 70’s due to this thread and I still keep coming back to the Sabre. Probably then the Mirage. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/86 "2015-04-15T14:05:33Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > Predator is not the word I would use, and this goes the same for the A-10, since they both have that same look. Enforcer, now that would be the word I would use. When you see one coming, its going to fuck you up, grind you into the pavement, piss on your broken and battered body, and casually toss a smoke stub at your face, as it flys away. > > Declan ^ What he said. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/87 "2015-04-15T14:32:22Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > One of the prettiest cold war bombers, the [Tupolev Tu-95](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-95)"Bear" featured swept back wings and 4 turboprop engines, with speeds not far off that of a B-52. You stole my USSR suggestion. The “Bear” is another long lasting aircraft design (operational in 1956) still being flown by Russia today. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/88 "2015-04-15T14:39:38Z")
> [@Mr.Duality](#): > > The [Grumman A-6 Intruder](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_A-6_Intruder). Not pretty but it lingered longer, penetrated deeper and dropped a bigger load than other aircraft of similar size. Sure you don’t work for Northrup-Grumman? That sounds like bragging. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/89 "2015-04-15T14:48:06Z")
> [@Deeg](#): > > I understand what you’re saying but the B-2 was created solely to penetrate Soviet airspace, which I’d say counts as Cold War. I know. I’m just explaining why it may not be at the forefront of people’s minds and not been mentioned. (Plus all the issues it had.) Oh, duh, how could I forget the U-2. That was a neat aircraft that I was quite fond of as well. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265/90 "2015-04-15T15:42:07Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I can’t think of the F-8 _Crusader_ without thinking of… > **[Vought F-8 Crusader](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vought_F-8_Crusader#/media/File:Outof_f8.gif)** > > The Vought F-8 Crusader (originally F8U) is a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Vought. It was the last American fighter that had guns as the primary weapon, earning it the title "The Last of the Gunfighters". > Development of the F-8 commenced after release of the requirement for a new fighter by the United States Navy in September 1952. Vought's design team, led by John Russell Clark, produced the V-3... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favourite-cold-war-era-military-aircraft-and-why/717265.md?page=4)