mike65 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 THe wife came back from a trip down to the shops on Saturday and said. "What was the aeroplane?" So stupidly I said "whad did it look like" "It was silver" OK what else "It had a picnic table on it, You know the one we have seen it at airshows" So I ask how big it was. "Bigger than a Spitfire and smaller than a Lancaster" It can't be a Catalina because that is white and it was smaller than that. "Oh yes it was noisy and travel quite low and fast" They are all low around our area as if they go high they get a bit confused with the planes stacking over Bovingdon or heading for Luton. Even more stupidly I said draw a picture. So what I get when turned 90 degrees looked like a cigar on a surf board. Fat lot of good that was. Can you guess what it was? After an hour of trawling through photos she actually found what it was, but I am going to make you lot suffer to see what you think it could have been. Also as an "expert" what is the worst description you have been given in order to ID something? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian Barrell Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 From the ''it had a picnic table on it'', I can only assume it was an E3 Sentry, aka AWACS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Definately sounds like an AWACS, but I wouldn't have said that an E3 Sentry was "smaller than a Lancaster". My guess would be one of the carrier borne AWACS, the E2C Hawkeye? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Definately sounds like an AWACS, but I wouldn't have said that an E3 Sentry was "smaller than a Lancaster".My guess would be one of the carrier borne AWACS, the E2C Hawkeye? The AWACS are all, as far as I know, grey not silver. But if we are in the realms of bad description that is probably the same colour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 (edited) Could be a Beriev kj200 but why a Chinese built Airborne Radar plane would be over here is beyond me, unless "flying the flag" Or if it had propellors then the Chinese Y8 AWACs Edited April 4, 2011 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike65 Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Yup AWACs etc is what I thought when mentioned a picnic table OK a few more clues. By larger than a Spitfire it was not actually much bigger but the fuselage is not as sleek. By picnic table you need to think more along the lines of a Cosworth Sierra RS500 Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevpol Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 R1 Sentinel? Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Drake Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Not the new RAAF AEW based on a 737? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 S100B Argus Airborne Early Warning and Control Aircraft, Sweden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 The Boeing 737-based Wedgetail? but a long way from Australia..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Japan’s Boeing 767 based AWACS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Northrop Grumman E-10A Multi-Sensor Command and Control Aircraft (MC2A).? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Lockheed Orion P-3 AEW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike65 Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Yup AWACs etc is what I thought when mentioned a picnic tableOK a few more clues. By larger than a Spitfire it was not actually much bigger but the fuselage is not as sleek. By picnic table you need to think more along the lines of a Cosworth Sierra RS500 Mike OK guys you are as way off as I was and still way to big Wingspan is 11.58m (spitfire is 11.23m) Length is 9.37m (spitfire is 9.12m) Not a current serving aircraft as last one was retired (worldwide) in 1979 Assuming you can trust Wikipedia. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 (edited) That is deHavilland Vampire size, but they don't have picnic table unless were are talking tailplane. Rhodesian Air Force flew them until 1979 and the end of "the Bush Wars" Edited April 4, 2011 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike65 Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Thats it. How she decided to call the tailplane a picnic bench I do not really know as it is not even on top of the plane. If it was the Sea Vixen I could understand it, as the tailplane is up high. At least I have a few photos of these things to help. Suppose it could have been worse it copuld have been "I saw a MV, it had four wheels and was green, what was it?" Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveo578 Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 mike65"I saw a MV, it had four wheels and was green, what was it?" A jeep:???:??? Of course some people think anything green with tracks is a tank:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antarmike Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 (edited) The RAF had a Vampire on the books until 1986. but it was tragically lost in a double fatality collision with a Meteor T7 that formed the other half of the RAF's Central Flying School "Vintage pair" 25-May-1986 XH304 Vampire T11, CFS, RAF Mildenhall. Mid air collision with Meteor T7 WA669 whilst flying in formation at the annual air show. The Meteor and Vampire were attempting a line astern barrel roll to the left, but because it could not match the Meteor's rate of roll, the Vampire bacame displaced. The Vampire moved forward and collided with the Meteor. The pilot, Squadron Leader David Marchant and a member of the ground maintainance crew who was flying as a passenger; Sgt A Ball, were able to eject.' The crew of the Meteor were Flight Lieutenant Andrew James Potter, age 38, pilot, and Corporal Kevin Turner, age 24, Ground support tradesman. They were still in the Meteor when it impacted the ground. Edited April 4, 2011 by antarmike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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