Our Hangar
← Top 10 The editorial ranking

Our Hangar

The ten greatest aircraft ever to take to the sky — our pick, ranked.

01
SR-71 Blackbird
United StatesStrategic reconnaissance aircraft

SR-71 Blackbird

The fastest air-breathing aircraft ever built — it outran missiles at Mach 3 and was never shot down.

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02
F-22 Raptor
United StatesStealth air-superiority fighter

F-22 Raptor

The first fifth-generation fighter — stealth, supercruise and thrust-vectoring nothing else can match.

03
Supermarine Spitfire
United KingdomWWII fighter

Supermarine Spitfire

The elliptical-winged icon that won the Battle of Britain and became a symbol of a nation's defiance.

04
P-51 Mustang
United StatesWWII long-range fighter

P-51 Mustang

The long-range escort that finally let Allied bombers reach Berlin — and make it home.

05
F-14 Tomcat
United StatesCarrier-based interceptor

F-14 Tomcat

The swing-wing fleet defender immortalised by Top Gun — brute power and a 100-mile kill range.

06
B-2 Spirit
United StatesStealth strategic bomber

B-2 Spirit

A flying wing that bends radar around itself — the stealth bomber that can reach any target on earth.

07
F-15 Eagle
United StatesMultirole and air superiority fighter family

F-15 Eagle

Over 100 air-to-air kills, zero losses — the most successful fighter of the jet age.

08
A-10 Thunderbolt II
United StatesClose air support attack aircraft

A-10 Thunderbolt II

Built around a 30 mm cannon — the 'Warthog' the infantry loves and the enemy fears.

09
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Nazi GermanyFighter

Messerschmitt Bf 109

The most-produced fighter in history and the backbone of the Luftwaffe.

10
Concorde
United KingdomSupersonic airliner

Concorde

Mach 2 with a glass of champagne — the supersonic airliner that made the future arrive early.