The 747 was always decidedly female for me. And I liked her. No not in a weird way. I really appreciated the distinctive shape. It had a grace and communicated size very pleasantly. I can still remember the first time: From Munich to Hannover. Messe. It was the 80s, so Lufthansas solution for lots of people wanting to fly that route that morning was simply to put the largest bird they had at the end of the gangway. Expecting a 737 it is a strange surprise to end up in a 747. After that I spent allot of time in that plane model. Never on a short trip like that though.
The A380 was without a doubt always the better ride, much calmer than even the latest -8 variant of Seattles product. But from the outside it had a significant problem. Current events would have grounded it regardless of its ill fated looks. However I am convinced that the A380 would have had better success if she would have sported a somewhat more acceptable appearance. Reaching the grace of the 747 would have been hard. That bird simply looked great in all angles and variations, regardless if it was the shortened -SP or any variation of top deck length: She stood alone during her reign of the civilian slice of the stratosphere. She will be missed.