There are so many good directions you can take this.
Like all Century series birds.
All observation/FAC birds
Just bobmbers.
Even just transports.
Even a resaonably good collection by only AF or only USN/USMC.
So many of the a/c are iconic, the Buff, the spad, intruders, scooters, the OV-10.
A-4s E/F varients with the camel back.
Phantoms, all of them!
Buffs
C-141Bs
HOGs High Occupancy Gunships, yea I know troop haulers were slicks but hey it kinda sounds cool.
As for the other side…Mig-21 hands down.
True. I have a Mig-19 and a IL-28 in the stash. The latter is on the hook for 1967 Israel/ Egypt though.
I don’t remember seeing a 141B during the war. I believe it showed up couple years later.
My favorites of the ones I was around were:
H-43 Huskie/Pedro I would really like to see a good 1/48th kit of this aircraft. It several jobs that were never mentioned beside aircraft carsh/rescue.
C-130 and some of its variations
B-52D/G The “G” model was there for a while, especially for the '72 offensive
A-7D
F-105
F-4D/E
C-141A
C-5A
Airtruk
U-2 we had three
SR-71 when it made the occasional stop over
EC-121 with the lower dome only
OV-10A
YO-3 Quiet Star I have only seen photos of this one.
A-4
A-6
A-1
A-7
F-8
I need deviate slightly from original post for what I would like or wish a manufacturer would produce/offer.
While still in the “Gooney” family, we are way overdue for a 1/72 (or 1/48) kit of the C-117 “Super Gooney.”
Although it seems to have avoided the lime light, the C-117 served the Corps during and beyond the Viet Nam War.
Still a radial! [:D]
Phantoms(D, E, Rf), Thud, Spad, O2, Spooky BUFF
O-1
C7-A
The C-7 had some interesting paint jobs around Christmas time.
I have to say, the choppers are my favorite.
UH-34D Sea Horse
UH-1 Huey
CH-53A/D Sea Stallion
Then I’ll start in with the fixed wings:
F-4B/J Phantom II
Mig-21 “Fishbed”
F-105D Thunderchief
F-100 Super Sabre
A-6A Intruder
F-8 Crusader
It has occurred to me on this bleak Sunday afternoon that not all of my favorite 'Nam era flying things wore SEA camo.
Mars, PBM, Neptune, and the EC121 leap to mind.
As do the Mercury and Gemini program birds. And the X-15 & X-22 for that matter
How about the SR-71?..
Oh!, and I cannot forget the AC-130 gun ship…
A couple others that come to mind are the F-100 Super Sabre in bare metal, vietnam camoflage, or even the Thunderbirds; and the A-1H “Sandy” Skyraider close air support plane.
Ben
First two that come to mind any time someone mentions Vietnam. Herc and Phantom.
Favorite has to be the MiG Master…the F-8 Crusader. Close second would be the A-4E, had a relative shot down while flying Iron Hand in one and was MIA. Also, really like the RF-101C. The RF-8 photo-bird as well. And I’ve always been a big fan of the OV-10, those were some dangerous flights down low and those pilots had balls of solid rock. I think that’s what the aft storage compartment on the OV-10 was really for. Man, there’s too many. The RA-5C was just plain beautiful. Nothing about that plane looks wrong. On the opposite end, the OV-1 Mohawk…it was a piece of ugly with two engines mounted on it. I bet the visibility out of that cockpit was second to none. One that you very rarely hear about is the B-66, or A-3D in Navy speak. The Navy used to joke that A-3D stood for “All Three Dead” because the A-3D had no ejection seats.
All versions of the Phabulous Phantom.
OK, F-4, F-111, and the A-7, mainly because I’ve been buzzed by all 3. Talked about WOW.
The OV-10 has a special place. My Uncle was lost over Cambodia in one trying to help a special forces team. The more I read about FAC’s and what they did and the more I talk to my mom about her brother I get a picture of someone not only with solid steel rocks but a highly intelligent and skilled individual. My cousin also fills in some of the holes. Being a former Army Ranger he has contacts some of whom knew our uncle.
For me all of those aircraft are works of art. If it flies I love it. That having been said, I have an emotional attachment to the UH-1. (HUEY, SLICK). The wop, wop, wop sound is etched in my memory. I’m also very fond of the guys who flew them and the guys who manned the door guns. The C-47 gun ship left an impression on me and a whole lot of others. They provided air support like no others. The A-1s hung around and laid down fire and other ordinance which was also much appreciated. The “fast movers” zipped in and out. We have a UH-1 out in front of our VFW building and whenever I go there I salute that old bird. I also toast Maj. Charles L. Kelly. Currahee.
Hands down favorite would be the F-4.
But I also love all the Century series aircraft and the B-52.
A couple that my step-dad worked during his time in Vietnam was the P2V7 Neptune and the P-3B Orion. I built him one of each of those (had to back-date the Hasagawa P-3C kit to a B).
A-6 Intruder… VA-75 Sunday Punchers …'72-76 [:D]
I can’t just pick one, lol. By catagory, though…
Fighter/Attack: F-4. EDIT: Reading other replies, it’s actually a straight tie between this and the F-100. I can’t believe I forgot about that.
Medium: AC-119G, by far. It’s all my favorite things about the AC-47 crammed into a strange looking airframe with an extra minigun.
Heavy/Bomber: Tu-95. (Right era, though I don’t think it ever actually saw the war). If if has to be IN the war, B-52.
Helicopter: Oh ***, that one’s hard. I’m not really a helicopter guy, but I’ve always liked the Flying Banana. I don’t know that it counts, though- it may have been used in an extremely limited role very early into the conflict or the couple of years before the conflict.