France's Top 10 UGLIEST Aircraft 

The baguette was strong with this one... F.A.Q Section Q: Do you take aircraft requests? A: I have a list of aircraft I plan to cover, but feel free to add to it with suggestions:) Q: Why do you use imperial measurements for some videos, and metric for others? A: I do this based on country of manufacture. Imperial measurements for Britain and the U.S, metric for the rest of the world, but I include text in my videos that convert it for both. Q: Will you include video footage in your videos, or just photos? A: Video footage is very expensive to licence, if I can find footage in the public domain I will try to use it, but a lot of it is hoarded by licencing studies (British Pathe, Periscope films etc). In the future I may be able to afford clips :) Q: Why do you sometimes feature images/screenshots from flight simulators? A: Sometimes there are not a lot of photos available for certain aircraft, so I substitute this with digital images that are as accurate as possible. Feel free to leave you questions below - I may not be able to answer all of them, but I will keep my eyes open :)

Aesthetics aside, you gotta respect a community that actually values experimental designs as the aviation community does

As a Frenchman and an aviation enthusiast, I am grateful to those crazy people who dared to try, sometimes at the risk of their lives, without worrying about the sarcasm of Twitter and Facebook. Thank you for bringing them back to our memory. Those who have brought the most madness to aviation are also those who have opened up new paths in design and technology. Often, success is only a matter of perseverance.

The Farman F.120 is well named. Here in Brazil, Jaburu (Jabiru's local name) is a slang for something extremely ugly.

Actually, I really like those ASW chonkers like the Alize and Gannet. I don't think they're ugly, just a different breed from sleek fighters. Like a Newfoundlander compared to a Greyhound.

Finally a suitable companion video to Drachnifel's French Pre-Dreadnaught offering!

Ahhhh! Finally a French aircraft video. Also I don't think the Breguet Alize(number 9) look that bad. Actually, I think it's actually look quite good

My grand father who died last year was an engineer on the development of the very first french jets! Ouragan and vautour! Thanks for him!

I'm a student pilot, and I'm really enjoying that I can tell where the central idea was for (almost) each plane. They're super fascinating designs and had France not fallen during WWII, the world of aviation would've had so many more cool ideas.

The resemblance between the Breguet Elise and the Fairy Gannet is uncanny. Their long and successful service lives and both being well loved by their crews suggests there were good reasons to look like that. I can't wait for that comparative video, hint hint!

I love the fact that the French did not shy away from trying new designs, no matter how outrageous they looked.

The last flying Alize is stored at the place i work. Always looked weird to me but always got great feedback of it from veterans and enthusiasts

As a Frenchman I admire your research and expertise. I spent many hours as a boy watching Alphajets from the Tours training school flying above the Loire Valley skies... On a lucky day we'd see a Mirage or two... And on the best day of all, we saw one of the last Crusaders from the Flotille 12F... Thank you ever so much for bringing back some very nice memories...

A college buddy served as president of the Citroën Car Club (US). His favorite tee-shirt was "I think your car looks funny too!" might need an aeronautical version.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the Jabiru was an art deco masterpiece and the three engined F.4X version being the art deco hooligan of the family.

I almost agree except for the #10, the Leduc. It is not really an ugly plane. It is rather weird... And beeing french and living in the same city as Leduc lived, I am keen of his experimental aircrafts. It is unique, one of the very first ram jet. René Leduc pioneered ram jet aircrafts, a little bit too much in advance on his time. Great video, I discovered most of these aicrafts

I feel like a lot of #2's problems stem from having the cockpit on top. Deleting that, and putting him in tandem with what I presume is the navigator's station would've helped out a lot. Add on retractable landing gear as well, and you would've had a pretty decent looking aircraft

#7 gives a while new meaning to "3 point landing" could you imagine trying to get that thing down in high winds or with battle damage, not to mention the training accidents that were inevitable.

The Arsenal- Delanne 10 design was also used in the twin-wing Westland Lysander. Also to no avail! Another interesting Westland type was the hill Pteradactyl.

I love the beautiful design of the Sud-Est Grognard, even though the wings look a bit small compared to the size of the fuselage. Also the Loire 130 looks like a flying locomotive.

Love the Amiot greenhouse for some strange reason. It's so ugly funny, that it's actually lovely, and - in my opinion - fares on paper not too bad compared to the contemporary HP52 Heyford.

I'd bought a large book on aircraft long ago, and found myself fascinated by the French WW2 aircraft shown in it...all ones I'd just never seen in any books before.(some on this list) honestly I love that you tend to cover alot of the interwar aircraft, as those tend to be the more interesting ( and in some cases, comical) aircraft. Keep up the good work!

France, especially during the interwar years, created some of the most beautiful, and at the same time fascinatingly ugly aircraft in the world. I love the fact that they went down their own path, instead of just following everybody else. As you said uniquely, unapologetically, and I would add, downright amazing French.

Another terrifically interesting and entertaining video from this great channel. Top work Rex!

Ouch, but true. Well done mate.

G'day Mate, I am constantly surprised, amazed & con-fuddled by the vast array of odd shapes, designs & total weirdness that man can actually get off the ground.

Rex... you've excelled yet again! Humour, great references and facts!... keep it going mate!

To be honest, the "Grognard" actually looks futuristic for its time. Resembles a F-16 Fighting Falcon, that was overturned! And the Bleriot 125 looks as if it where a Bloated Cattermeran (twin bow sailboat) with wings...

"Unique and terrifying", indeed! Good work Rex & Company!

Thank you Dr.Rex; nice documentary as ever. However I have to say that once I saw the Bleriot 125, I was impressed by its originality and liked it very much in spite of its engineering failure. It's one of those cases when one wishes they had found a solution to make it a successful though different aircraft.

YES! You covered the Grognard! I was hoping you would... I have the Mach 2 resin kit of this bird... It's fugly, but in a futuristic way!

Well done!! Your voiceover as always was great!!

A good set of weird-looking planes. Very glad the Jabiru made it to no. 1. I wondered, what about the Vedovelli Fantome, which looked like not so much a plane, more like the contents of a timber & hardware store.

Eu sou um entusiasta da aviação! E a maioria dos aviões que aparecem aqui no canal eu ainda não conhecia, incrível! Gratidão pelo vídeo e pelas informações! 🌟

Rex...........I do love your dry sense of humour, The video made me chuckle throughout!

I think I discovered a great aviation channel today! Nice video!

The Breguet Alizée proved to be a highly reliable Aircraft. It also does not look ugly.

Leduc 022 looks kinda cool imo. Looking at models and art pieces of it reminds me of atomic era design.

Brilliant video! That first aircraft with the pilot housed in the pointed peak of the air intake does remind one of…….Gerry Anderson’s “Thunderbird One” in a convoluted sort of way. The aircraft that looked like a Baguette with rear bogies incorporated into the rear fins has the silhouette of “Thunderbird Two”. Another aircraft - the first swept wing with the air intake on top looks like an early prototype of the Angel Interceptor from the “Captain Scarlet” series! The last aircraft was an abomination (as were a few others), and I was sorely tempted to wash my eyes out with Carbolic Soap….!!! 😅 Brilliant stuff, Rex! More of the same, please….!!! 😃👍🏾

I'm afraid that you can made it a top 100 list instead of 10 and you can still fill the entire list with different kinds of hideous aircraft, while still having tons of the less eye-damaging models out there. As a random quote said "The French copied no one, and no one copied the French."

I like some of these designs because they took an interesting approach. There are several things we interact with daily that adhere to strict design decisions, following "rules" across all examples even though they truly aren't requirements. These, and many other french designs, seem to be a challenge. "What if we ignored this particular requirement" they said to themselves. "Well, why don't we?". I love many french firearm designs because of this. You don't see it anywhere else

bravo! Hilarious, yet somehow also respectful, commentary and soundtrack, well done.

Brilliant. And more to come... Thanks matey.

Once again, great video. You should also look into the Bugatti model 100 racer! Thats worth a feature film on its own!

For action, there is a reaction. For every Mirage III and Caravelle there is a Leduc 02 and a Farman F.120

These are easily my favorite videos from you, hope to see more of them.

I havent watched one of your videos in a while. What a great video!

Greetings from Louisiana ⚜ Rex. Definitely excited to watch this. If you want to see something like a Naval equivalent, go watch Drachs video on French pre Dreadnoughts. You'll regret it pretty immediately. The French are just weird.

The Sud est Grognard somehow reminds me of the stealth fighters developed in the 90's, like the Bird of Prey.

After watching the video, I couldn't help but think about the best and biggest aviation museum I've ever visited: "Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace" in Paris. A fantastic collection, and a fantastic experience. Can absolutely be recommended.

Your intros just get better and better. This may well be the best to date.

I'm fairly certain the French were simply trying to invent the electric shaver with the Jabiru EDIT: Oddly, the first electric shavers were created around the same time! Which is hysterical.

Love the second instalment of this series, although I disagree on the S.E. 100 in this list (#7). Unorthodox? Why yes. 🤨 Ugly? Not on your life! 😍 Great channel, kutgw! 👍

Your sense of humor is very fine. You made my week. Greetings from Buenos Aires...

Love unusual/ugly airplanes, I can’t wait to see more about them . Thank You

This comments section shows what a memorable success Drachinifel's "When Hotels Go to War" video is. Everyone loves the French pre-Dreadnaughts - especially if you're going to fight one. Some look ready to fire a 100-gun broadside.

This title must have been hard to limit to only 10. It's like choosing from Fairey types or RN machines (2 overlapping categories of gruesome.) Did anyone else feel the ghost of the Flying Flea hovering over that tandem-wing thing?

This was really enjoyable. You have a very smooth and charismatic voice. If it wasn't such a fascinating topic, I would've been lulled to sleep.

"...a moldy piece of Brie..." I barelly fell off my armchair laughing because of that last one. Brilliant, I love your sense of humour ! Each of the comparison you made was equally funny and accurate ! Great channel !

In the first version of the Leduc, the pilot was inside the ramjet intake

I believe there is beauty in ugliness. I love the Amiot 143. I built the Heller kit ten years ago. I would describe as handsome in a stoic way.

You made this baguette here proud, and honestly your butchering of names wasn't as bad as I feared and am used to, so you got that going for you too

" Areodynamics of a Brick " to a " Poor mans A10 " , After a dull wet day Rex cheers you up no end..

With a forty year career and 1800 mile range, #9 actually must have been a pretty good airplane.

Yeah, we need somebody to make 1/72 & 1/48 kits of the Jabiru. For study purposes of course. 😁

Loved your video and funny narration : )

Congratolations on 101k subscribers!

Fun fact: I actually have the no 3 sitting in my hangar in WoWP. Those images don't do it's uglyness justice, that's all I am going to say.

13:35 That plane looks suspiciously like the Sikorsky Ilya muromets of Imperial Russia Edit: Spelling and grammar

This is a really good video to drink to. I really enjoy your writing.

One of your most entertaining efforts. Thank you

Rex carrying on the British traditions of poking fun of the French and understated humor. For another good military review of the Brits poking fun of the French see Drachinifel's video about French Battleships: When Hotels Go To War

I'm a firm believer that if it works than it's not ugly. Clearly I forgot about the French 🤣 I gotta know though, how long did this video take to make? All the jokes you slipped in would've had me laughing hysterically if I were narrating. Great job!

Your commentary was brilliant. I may just subscribe.

Great video!

No lack of uglyness to choose from, especially in the interwar period.

"the French copy nobody - and nobody copies the French"

Wonderful!!! Thanks Rex.

More than enough for a full minute of NONSTOP LAUGHTER.

French made probably both the ugliest and the most beautiful aircrafts ever. Well, apart from the gorgeus Mirages, most were utterly ugly, especially in the interwar period. Same with cars design, especially in 50s and 60s: They made the Citroen DS (well, actually an italian designer). But also a pletora of hideus cars like the Citroen Ami 8

Love the butchering of Breguet 😂 But seriously the Leduc 022 would be my number 1, that is until I saw the Jabiru 😳

You put out the most entertaining videos! :>)

Loving how he describes each one. Thanks for making my morning coffee more enjoyable.

Even more than your dedication and commitment I appreciate your sense of humour with these god-awful aircraft designs :)

Another gold video mate, God bless!

I do not understand your hatred for full glass cabins. Thin duraluminium sheet has exactly the same bulletproof capability as glass or polycarbonate... none. Crewmembers were ment to wear flack jackets regardless of the plane's construction :)

Awesome video. Loved the humour laced commentary. 😂😂😂

Fun episode! What a bunch of oddball airplanes.

Aka top 10 ugliest aircraft ;)

Hahahahaha this is a fun video!! Thank you, humor is so welcome! Plus learning new stuff is the best...😊

Well done Rex

This is such a great video !!! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Thank you for another very entertaining video. Please continue with your Top In Ugliest videos. They are great.

Great work Sir thank you

Thank you, Rex I may stop chuckling about teatime 😅😅😅

It would be cool to have a video about 10 most beautiful french aircraft :)

Oh gosh, I’m glad I watched this in private - every sentence I’m snorting and giggling at your descriptions, or gaping at the planes… I’m subscribing, done deal!

I love this video because there is so many jokes about the french but none are the boring overused ones, this is genuinly funny, and as a Frenchman command you for this, keep doing ur best !

Well done !

I want to know more about the challenges of putting an jet intake on top of the plane.