No more iconic aircraft...

[Will]

No more iconic aircraft... until there is game-changing new technology?

The last half of the previous century was amazing for innovation in aviation, and several iconic aircraft will be remembered forever: the 747 and Concord for sure, probably also the Lockheed L-1011, maybe the DC-10, maybe the 757 (with wingtip vortices so strong they supposedly sunk a sailboat off the coast of KSFO), maybe the 707 which made the Jet Age a thing, maybe the 737 just by dint of sheer numbers, and maybe the A320 for being the first fly-by-wire airliner. Prior to the Jet Age, the DC-3 and the Lockheed Constellation stand out.

But of course Concord and the 747 are the real superstars.

Alas, these days, there's one basic phenotype: large twins with under-the-wing engines and conventional tails. Even the new entrants (variously stretched 777s, the raccoon-eyed A350, the 787 with its scalloped nacelles) are only known by name to the real enthusiasts. And the 737MAX would have gone totally unnoticed were it not for the accidents. To the flying public, these are just what airplanes look like these days.

So will the next truly iconic aircraft have to wait until there is game-changing technology? Maybe a cheap, quiet supersonic design? Maybe a "green" airliner powered by electricity, like the proposed V-tailed Zumum Aero? Or an ultra-high altitude ballistic aircraft like the Virgin Galactic SS2?

In any event, I wonder if we have seen the end of iconic aircraft until new technologies arrive on the scene.

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Maybe it will go the other way -- down in size?

As the airline industry struggles to survive, people who have the money are already organizing their travels for the next three years. They bought the largest number of shiny glitzy business jets ever over the last few months, starting in March. Some of these will be painted in striking liveries to further enhance the appearance.

Although business jets also have phenotypes, they remain more likely to stand out, and I would not be surprised if they get a spot in the "iconic" classes. It will also help that social media can propel a specific model of a specific person, which today is maybe a better way to become "iconic" than anything else.


Hoppie