It's the 100th year of powered flight and I wanted to look back at the most influential aircraft. Below are the categories and my opinions, please tell us yours.

Most Influentian Passenger Jet: The DH Comet and Avro Can. Jetliner were the first but you can't argue that the Boeing 707 influenced most passenger jets aircraft after it.

Most Influential Modern Jet: The Airbus series is the most influential modern group of aircraft. They brought together top technology and the new A380 promises to return the comfort and luxury of the early days of passenger flight.

Most Influential Fighter Jet: It's a toss up between the Me262 and the Avro CF-105. The 262 brough in the jet age but the Arrow was the first true modern jet fighter. It's design can even be seen in modern supersonic aircraft such as the Concorde.

Most Influential Jet Bomber: Can't argue it's the B-52.

Most Influential Prop Liner: I'd have to say the DC-3 because it brought comfort, speed, and affordability to passenger air travel for the first time.   

Most Influential Prop Fighter: I'd say the Spitfire as it revolutionized air combat. The F4U Corsair is up there too for the same reason.

Most Influential Prop Bomber: Definately the Avro Lancaster. Fast and easy to fly. Looked good too with jet engines too if anyone has ever seen a picture of the "Super Lanc".

Most Influential Overall Prop: The Cessna 172 as it has trained more civilian pilots than any other in it's history.

Most Influential Overall Aircraft: Sure the Wright Flyer started it all but I believe that the Apollo 11 space craft was the most influential because it took Aviation to beyond the limits ever thought possible. It went farther, faster, and endured longer than any aircraft before it.

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I must disagree with you on that. In my opinion, the F-86 Sabre and Mig15 really changed the jet age and redefined the 'dogfight'. Anyways, heres my list:

Most Influentian Passenger Jet:  Comet and 707 and DC-8

Most Influential Fighter Jet: Me262, F86, and Mig15

Most Influential Modern Jet: Airbus series and 747

Most Influential Jet Bomber: yep, cant argue, 52

Most Influential Prop Liner: yeah, DC3

Most Influential Prop Fighter: Spitfire and P51

Most Influential Prop Bomber: B-17

Most Influential Overall GAProp: yep, 172

Most Influential Overall Aircraft: Well, if there wouldnt have been a Wright flyer there wouldnt have been an airplane and without an airplane there wouldnt have been a spacecraft. The Wright flyer started it all and i think its the most influential cause of that.

BTW this post should be moved to General discussion so it can get more opinions...

definitaly the 747, also the 777 for his advanced technologies and first ETOPS qualification.
the F100 with the glass cockpit...and the A320 with the side stick. and the Concorde and the Comet!
the DC-3, the first iron plane.

fighter plane...the F-16.
SR-71...helped alot with supersonic flying, developpement of all kinds of technologies.

bombers...of course the B-52...it's still a good testbed for all kinds of technologies but i don't think it influented other AC's

Passenger Jet: 707
Modern Jet: SR-71 Lightning II and right behind it is the Bell X-1
Jet Bomber: B-52
Fighter Jet: F-117 stealth and possibly the Aurora
Prop Liner: American Airlines Tri-Star Constellation, Simply the most Beautiful plane ever built.
Prop Fighter: P-47 Thunderbolt. IT did EVERYTHING and got its pilot home. No other fighter could take so many different missions in its stride. The 51 fought better but could be disabled easier. The Spitfire's greatest Advantage was RADAR. Given the Same conditions that the 109 had, the Spit was no better than the 109. The P-47  in WWII  had the lowest mission loss Percentage @0.07%. It was a High Altitude Fighter, Precision Bomber and Excellent ground unit supporter.
Prop Bomber: B-25 Mitchell. Billy Mitchell proved that Naval Battleships were obsolete and proceded to design his concept of a Bomber. It was the only Bomber to take off from a Carrier in WWII and the Raid on Tokyo was a Great Morale Booster.The B-25 was more numrous and flew more missions than any Bomber of WWII.
Most influential Prop flyer: Lindenberg's Spirit of St.Louis
Most influential Aircraft: Wright Flyer

all nice this but:

for the jet fighter and bomber and the prop fighter and bomber you can't make yourself off with this.

at least try to get the jet fighthers in 2 sides (NATO and soviet) and split them up in categories (sorted by conflict or so). that's the only way everyone will be happy

And why has noone mentioned the Fokker F7b? that's the aircraft which invented commercial long range flying

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Actually the F-117 is a fighter according to the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. If it was a bomber, it would be called the B-117. It's probably more like an interceptor.

I would rank the F-14 Tomcat as most influential modern jet fighter. It combines advantages taken from past aircraft including the F-86, Mig-15, Arrow etc. I believe it's also the fastest fighter in the USN Airforce.

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Yeah, its classified as a fighter but is barely one. It isnt an interceptor as it has no cannon, missles, etc. All it can carry is a 2-bomb load. Apparently the air force offcials thought it didnt look like a bomber so they put an F designation. The F117 is technically and unnoficially a bomber though

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when you read books, documents,... about the modern US bombers, you only get info about the B-1, B-2 and B-52...so i don't think they see the Nighthawk as a bomber.