Navy Bird Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Sorry if this one has already been posted - I ran a search, but didn't find anything here on BM. Here is the Aviation Week article: http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/AW_03_31_2014_p30-675221.xml Plenty of versions of this same basic storyline on the web, and most dated prior to April 1st, so I don't think this is a prank. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Could it be those new drones the USN have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 When are Testors issuing a kit of it? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Brown Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Heinkel, Nah, Messerschmitt! I love this kind of stuff. Wonder what it is? Rick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Could it be those new drones the USN have? My instinctive thought exactly, if you look really closely you can see an oblong sort of extension on each wig tip. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicE1 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 No mystery here! it`s the X-48c on a test flight!. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-48 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Gordon Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 This might sound silly but the thingy in the piccie looks like a B2 to me.Would be nice to see a real one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Not sure it is the x-48 that ceased flying a while ago. Also the 48 is not that big and at a contrail height would not be seen from the ground. Reliable sources in the US also claim radio transmissions from the aircraft so was manned. Wing shape is not right for a B-2. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob P Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Looks like an X47b to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul A H Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 B-1 replacement? Agree it's way too big to be an X-48, but possibly a related programme? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I'll go along with Rob and say X-47. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mxyzptlk Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I would have said it didn't have the right wing shape for an X-47. Maybe it is a manned development of the X-48, which would explain the larger size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 If you go to the photographer's website... http://deepbluehorizon.blogspot.com/2014/03/mystery-aircraft-photographed-over.html ...there are additional photos and comments. There were three in formation. My guess is that this is a black aircraft, just as Sweetman postulates. Pure speculation says it's a Next Generation Bomber test vehicle. The USAF has been adamant that the NGB will cost only $550 million per copy - perhaps this is because the development is already finished? I've read that the contrails show that it has two or four engines; the X-47 Phantom Ray and X-47B have one, the X-48 has three (although the X-48C had two). Based on the related radio communications, it also seems to be manned. Based on altitude estimates, the mystery ship seems much too big to be any of these X-47 or X-48 configurations. Haven't had this much fun since the old F-19 model kit at the Congressional hearings! Cheers, Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 It's a Vulcan!!! Hooray Duncan B 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Hmmmm, always liked a good mystery. Thanks for the link Bill, that is uber interesting. I'll be watching this space (as it were. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Jephcott Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 It's a Horton 229. Only 3 of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotel Papa Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 (edited) I've read that the contrails show that it has two or four engines; the X-47 Phantom Ray and X-47B have one, the X-48 has three (although the X-48C had two). Not sure if I agree with this. True, it leaves two separate contrails behind, which may hint to an even number of generators. If you look at the pictures, however, the contrail starts as an indistinct band, which only further back separates into two separate lines. These basically are the wing vortices, which are present behind any flying object being held aloft by aerodynamic forces. The reports also talk about three aircraft at the same time. Which leaves open the possibility that the UFO is unmanned, the voice traffic coming from chase planes. My vote is for the X-47. Edited April 4, 2014 by Hotel Papa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted April 4, 2014 Author Share Posted April 4, 2014 In case others did not click through the links: Recordings of ATC chatter indicate the formation was at 37,000 ft altitude. Cool stuff, whatever it is. Cheers, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neal Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 (edited) RQ-170 ? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_RQ-170_Sentinel Presumably there would still be ground controller to ATC radio chatter Edited April 4, 2014 by Neal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Swamp gas 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotel Papa Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Presumably there would still be ground controller to ATC radio chatter Wouldn't they prefer land lines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul178 Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Have a little trundle through this thread. http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?129458-Mysterious-plane-over-Texas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 Wouldn't they prefer land lines?Yep land lines from the cockpit, you can see them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 ^So they are not contrails in the photographs then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetboy Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 come on ,spill the beans? which one is it.... don,on the dark side. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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