Boeing 247, I like flying both the old and the new planes. I will say that the glass in the new planes is one of the greatest advancements in safety for the pilot's situational awareness. Also, the newer planes such as the 757 etc. are a lot more efficient than the old buggies.

As for just the pure fun of flying, I don't think anything was more fun to fly than the 727, since you just had to work a bit harder to fly it right and make a good landing. The 747 was fun since it was just a big Cub. Landing the 747 made you look good since all those wheels made just about every landing smooth. My Piper J-5A Cub is also a blast to fly.  :)

CoolP said: You may correct me, Lou, but that blocking wheel (with the too high brake pressure on) isn't lost in case of braking, it just brakes less than a rotating wheel would do.
Static friction (rotating wheel, getting brake force on it but remaining in rotation) is higher than sliding friction (stopping wheel, rubber sliding across the runway), so the techs try to achieve a rolling wheel in all cases, which also has the advantage of offering directional stability.

CoolP, the maximum friction of the tire happens just BEFORE the skid. When the wheel stops turning the coefficient of friction drops. To make matters worse, the heat build-up under the stopped tire causes a reverted rubber patch to form almost instantly. This melted rubber acts like a lubricant and the friction of the tire drops. Also, this reverted rubber patch could mark the end of that tire since the flat spot renders the tire useless.

The 380 is just too big for its good. Few airports can handle the beast properly. I think I like the 747-8 a lot more.

Lou