The “airmail gaze” invokes the sexual politics of the gaze and suggests a sexualised way of looking that empowers AvGeeks and objectifies aeroplanes. In the airmail gaze, the aircraft is visually positioned as an “object” of aerosexual desire. Within this outlook, aircraft types may be reduced to being ranked on desirability alone with no appreciation of their flying qualities or historical importance. To understand the airmail gaze we must first embrace it. So let’s judge aircraft manufacturers through the utterly disgraceful metric of which produced the highest percentage of beautiful aircraft types.

28. Model 111 Score: 27

(1940s)

27. XC-99 44 (1947)

26. Stinson 108 50 (1944)

25. Model 106 Skycoach

57 (1946)

24. Model 110

58 (1946)

23. CV-240

58 (1947)

22. CV-340 58 (1951)

21. CV-440 Metropolitan 58 (1955)

20. CV-600

58 (1965)

19. CV-640 58 (1965)

18. R3Y Tradewind (1954)

60

17. Vultee XA-41

61 (1944)

16. C-131 Samaritan

62 (1949)

15. Model 116

63 (1946)

14. Convair XF-92

63 (1948)

13. Model 118

64 (1947)

12. Consolidated Vultee XP-81

61 (1945)

11. XB-46 68 (1947)

10. Convair Model 48 Charger

9. Convair 880 75 (1959)

8. Convair F2Y Sea Dart 77 (1953)

7. F-102 Delta Dagger

79 (1953)

6. YB-60 83 (1952)

5. XFY Pogo

83 (1954)

4. 990 Coronado – Fastest subsonic airliner

84 (1961)

3. B-36 Peacemaker/NB-36H 86 (1946)

2. B-58 Hustler

90 (1956)

1. F-106 Delta Dart, 93 (1956)

AVERAGE 66%

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