1st gen fighters - ww2 and right after, subsonic speeds.
Favorite - Me 262
Obvious choice. The OG gets to keep the throne. Machine that kept allied bomber formations and their escorts on the edge during the entirety of transit over german held territories - you never knew when it would strike, and if it did, it was moving quicker than you could hope to. A vast majority of their losses were inflicted during landing and/or take off, otherwise dogfights were very difficult, if not suicidal for unexperienced pilots (and by the end of the war, most allied fighter pilots haven't seen a german fighter in their entire careers).
Close second - Mig-15/17
Man, what a nasty surprise was this plane in Korean war. USAF did not expect it to appear that quickly, if at all, which was reflected in strategic bomber losses during the campaign. Only when P-80 arrived in force was the balance of power somewhat restored. Until then, it ruled the skies. I believe some Mig-17s are still in service in North Korea and some african shitholes. Mig-17 was a direct improvement on Mig-15, using combat experiences from Korea. It fared well up until the war in Vietnam, where it had quite a lot of success, given weird american choices during that time for their aircraft.
Absolutely hate - Heinkel 162
Absolutely worst idea you can have for your jet fighter?
Make it out of wood, use glue to keep panels together, arm it with short barreled 30mm cannon and give it to a rookie to fly against tight bomber formation. There's only one claimed shootdown by this plane, and it's highly disputed. A huge waste of resources that could have went to Me 262 or Ar 234 construction. The plane itself isn't really worthy of discussion, since it was a little more than just a paper plane, in a way that it actually took to the skies.
2nd gen fighters - after korea, up until mid-vietnam
Favorite - Mig-21
I'm biased, because I actually sat in that plane, but I love it. It's simple, rugged, very easy to maintain and use. At time, Mig-21s built were
cheaper than BMP-1 tracked vehicles, because so many were built. They did pretty good in most conflicts they took part in, quite often despite an overwhelming superiority of your enemy. The only thing I don't like about it is fuel usage, and the fact that all model kits of it have a cabin that's too wide so you have to file it to make it fit and jesus holy christ it takes so long.
Second favorite - F-104
I like it because it displayed for real how fucking incompetent germans are. Here you have a plane. It's very narrow, has small wings, it can't carry a lot, requires a long runway due to low lift, and has high fuel usage. Its manufacturer is clearly selling it as an interceptor - quite like Mig-21. So what do germans do? Why, they make a ground attacker out of it! With an ejection seat firing downwards in some variants, often requiring the entirety of the runway to take off, and sometimes not even making it off the runway. The "meme" I saw in some server a while back perfectly describes why this plane (in this application; I think 104 was pretty good for what it was) is an awesome description of german bureaucracy: unable to change, shortsighted and willing to kill their own just to get to their agenda (they sacked Erich Hartmann, you know, one of the best fighter pilots in recorded history due to his opposition to their idiotic decision). That's how you lose almost 300 planes without even entering a war.
Third favorite - F-111
An amazing ground attack plane, great flight characteristics, high capacity, range, very flexible... And has variable-sweep wings. What's there not to love?
Absolutely hate - English Electric Lightning.
Now not only their women are ugly, their planes are too.
3rd gen - intertwined with gen 2 a bit, but better characteristics
Favorite - F-4
It just looks powerful. Muscly. It's scary.
Almost 450 lost in vietnam. It can carry a lot of potent weapons. The only problem is this fucking cannon. Just because we have missiles, doesn't mean that enemy wont try to dogfight you. Dogfights still happen in 2023, why did they think they wouldn't in 1970?
Second favorite - Su-17/20/22
I am putting them all under the same umbrella. I just like their looks. I know their range and capacity are limited. But when you look at it in person, all you can think is
this is one big fucking engine with some wings attached. Capacities improved with further models, but eventually they lost - rightfuly, might I add - to Su-24 and Su-25, which are just all around better.
Third favorite - Harrier
It appears that migrants started to work in british aircarft design division, where they finally remembered how to make an interesting looking plane. Having vectored thrust and VTOL option only makes it better. It was one of a kind and I am glad it happened. Fuck argentina.
4th gen - post vietnam, until desert storm
Most people know only planes from this time period.
Favorite - Su-27
If this plane was a woman I'd fuck it every day. I mean it. Russians can make either absolutely fucking ugly machines, or the best looking planes you'd see in your life. Su-27 is the second type. The entire family is beautiful, and fucking dangerous. They do have a sister with genetic issues - the Su-34 - but we can love her too. Everyone invested in aviation knows about them, and only contrarians will try to claim it's not good (or, heaven forbid, not good looking).
Second favorite - Dassault Rafale
That might be surprising to some, but I really do like this plane. Aesthetics wise it's really pleasing, I love how well the air intakes are lined with the fuselage, and how flowy the body is. While eurofighter typhoon displays the corporate culture of germany and britain, Rafale displays french approach to aesthetics. You CAN make a good looking plane and well performing one at the same time.
Third favorite - F-15
I don't like F-14. I don't like F-18. I do however like the F-15. While technically it's 3rd gen fighter, I think it retains most of the qualities of 4th gen, and that's why I'm putting it here. It's a powerful, pleasingly looking plane, and thanks to US corruption, it'll stay with us for a while.
Honorable mention - J-11
While technically it's a licensed copy of a Flanker, it's arguably the most dangerous of them all. Especially given in what numbers it's being constructed, combined with the extensive network of air defences, it'd be really fucking dangerous to fight that plane.
Bombers
I'm putting those separately, because I don't know them all that much to discern between generations. However I do have my strong favorites, as well as planes that I hate with every fiber in my body. List in no particular order.
1st loved - F-111
Already included in the list. Beast of a machine, an actual CAS aircraft that could be used well.
2nd loved - Su-25
Difficult to bring down, a fuckton of weaponry onboard, and very soviet line of thinking (let's armor only one engine, if it's hit, it survives, if the other engine gets hit, you still have one working engine that's armored too) makes for a powerful - and pretty good looking - machine. I'm picking it over Su-24 because I just like it appearance more.
3rd loved - B-1 Lancer
GEORGEOUS PLANE. Good combat record, great capacity. Shame that they shelved it, because it really looks and performs amazingly.
4th loved - Tu-22m3 (NOT the Tu-22)
After the fuck up that the Tu-22 was, russians created one of the most dangerous and feared strategic bombers in the world. It's still being used, and it might look like their production will be resumed. Also, dat ass.
5th loved - Ar 234
Pretty much a honorable mention to the OG. Uncatchable for pretty much the entirety of war. Allied pilots could wave at it, and that was it.
1st hated - A-10
I will put it this way: if you say that this is the best CAS/Bomber plane ever, there are three options: a) you are a redditor, b) you are employed by MIC, or c) you ingest goyslop every single day of your life.
2nd hated - Tu-22
Trashfire of a plane. The only redeeming quality being free vodka for its aircrew after the flight. Well, that and the fact that it gave us the Tu-22m3.
Favorite trainer - Yak-130/M-346
Initially designed in coordination between Aermacchi and Yak, they eventually split and we got two very similar advanced trainers. The main difference being engines and avionics, the main shape and most of characteristics are either the same or very similar. Both have ground attack variants. Very cute planes, also my namesake.
