Found two weird airplanes in Plant 42, anyone care to tell me what they are?

Playing with Google Earth I found two weird looking airplanes in Air Force Plant 42 sattelite images.

The first one has really short wings so I assume it is a supersonic craft of some sort, somone recognize it ? The second one looks like a stealth fighter but Im not sure, anyone recognize it?







[edit on 14-9-2005 by anorwegianguy1972]

What wierd planes?

I see B2's, B1's, C-130's, AR-72's and not much else.

[edit on 14-9-2005 by skippytjc]

The first picture is one of a possible two engine [which normally has 4] C-130 Hercules with the wing section removed.
The second picture is of a F-117.





seekerof

Playing with Google Earth I found two weird looking airplanes in Air Force Plant 42 sattelite images.

I'm not an expert on these matters but nothing weird here,

What do u think they are?

Originally posted by skippytjc
What wierd planes?

I see B2's, B1's, C-130's, AR-72's and not much else.

This is a B-2:



This is a B-1:



This is a C-130:


Never heard of the AR-72 so I cant compare that, but none of you suggested airplanes even closely matches my pics imho.

[edit on 14-9-2005 by anorwegianguy1972]

Regarding the aircraft with short stubby wings; I am fairly certain that it is a C-130 with the wings taken off. They do many fire rescue/recovery drills at Plant 42, part of the function of the Aeronautical Systems Center, Detachment 1. That would be the dummy aircraft they use for these rescue drills, no need for wings.

The black aircraft that looks like an F-117 IS an F-117 and would be over at the 410th Flight Test Squadron/F-117 Combined Test Force. They provide support for the F- 117's continuing developmental tests as well as heavy maintenance that cannot be performed by ground crews and mechanics at their operational units.




[edit on 14-9-2005 by intelgurl]

the little black one is a nighthawk ill do some resurch on the others

The F-117 is at an airbase near edwards AFB (to the southwest of edwards) between Lancaster and Palmdale..
Don't know the name of the AFB..
Is that where your 410th flght test squadron is?

Type, meant "SR72", not "A"

I just looked at these pics again and I stand by what I see. A bunch of B1's, a couple of Blackbirds and B2's and a few C130's.

Originally posted by skippytjc
Type, meant "SR72", not "A"

I just looked at these pics again and I stand by what I see. A bunch of B1's, a couple of Blackbirds and B2's and a few C130's.

I can agree with the two C130's but none of the others even closely matches. And the SR-72 does not look like any of those, here is a SR-72:

quote: Originally posted by skippytjc
Type, meant "SR72", not "A"

I just looked at these pics again and I stand by what I see. A bunch of B1's, a couple of Blackbirds and B2's and a few C130's.]


Skippy Time to get out your glasses !!

I challenge you to show a B1 or B2 in those pictures no SR either

Originally posted by Daedalus3
The F-117 is at an airbase near edwards AFB (to the southwest of edwards) between Lancaster and Palmdale..
Don't know the name of the AFB..
Is that where your 410th flght test squadron is?

Plant 42 has two 12,000 ft runways and 8 different sites on it's 5000+ acres located between Lancaster and Palmdale.
And yes, 410th has facilities there.

Originally posted by skippytjc
Type, meant "SR72", not "A"

I just looked at these pics again and I stand by what I see. A bunch of B1's, a couple of Blackbirds and B2's and a few C130's.

Ummm... I know this is obvious but there is no SR-72 in existence.... at least as far as the public knows.
There is however the SR-71 Blackbird.... I'm sure it was just a typo...
But I am just not seeing ANY B-1s, B-2's or SR-71's in the 2 pictures provided in the initial post, do you think you could point those out?



[edit on 14-9-2005 by intelgurl]

Correct me if im wrong but I think you mean ''SR-71'' when you say ''SR-72'' The Sr-71 is the black bird. It has a few variants YF-12A, M-21 etc.. none of which are called SR-72.

I dont even think a there is a such thing as a SR-72

ah beat me too it

[edit on 14-9-2005 by ShadowXIX]

speaking of airplanes, are these F-16's? I think they are but the quality is no that great


external image

also Im 80% sure this is the airborne laser, since its parked in front of the Airborne laser part of Witchita





Mod Edit: Image Size

[edit on 14-9-2005 by roniii259]

[edit on 14/9/2005 by Mirthful Me]

Top ones are C-130's undergoing maintenance I think.

Bottom one is definitaly an F-117. I ain't seen another aircraft with the same shape yet.

I haven't had time to check against other pics and am going from my shaky memory but doesn't the short winged aircraft in the top pic look a little like one of the early X planes? The only thing is that the shadows give the impression of the tail plane being quite high off the ground and quite large which would support Intelgurl's theory.

Originally posted by skippytjc
Type, meant "SR72", not "A"

I just looked at these pics again and I stand by what I see. A bunch of B1's, a couple of Blackbirds and B2's and a few C130's.

Which pictures are you looking at? I see three Hercs and a Nighthawk.

The top is three C-130s one with the wings removed. There's nothing else in the active inventory with that shape, or the tail section like that. The second as was stated is an F-117.

The later picture is two F-16s parked on the ramp somewhere.

The planes in the above picture are U-2's! the top one has had it's outer wing panels removed.




This is an F-117 Nighthawk.

The photos are a a bit blurry, but the aircraft are nothing that we haven't seen before. Since they are at Plant 42, the aircraft might be there for factory overhauls and upgrades.

Tim

[edit on 16-9-2005 by ghost]

Originally posted by ghost


The planes in the above picture are U-2's! the top one has had it's outer wing panels removed.

There is simply no way those are U-2's.

First The wing structure is not narrow and tapered as it is on the high flying U-2, additionally and more obvious is the wing of a C-130 rest on top of the fuselage as is the case in the pictures, where the wing on a U2 is separated by the fuselage.

Also the U-2 is not a quad - the aircraft in the picture seems to have 2 appendages under each wing indicating a 4 engine aircraft.
Another indicator is that the U-2 has a long, narrow fuselage, however the aircraft in these pics have a much wider body apparently with a radar on it's nose - also indicative of a C-130. A U-2's nose is long and comes to a blunt point.

These are without a doubt C-130's.

Please compare the top of the fuselage where wing intersects in these images below - the U2 is rounded on top due to the wings being positioned midframe, where the C-130's wing and fuselage intersection is flat on top because the wings rest on top of the aircraft.
Now look at the image in question above - the wings are without a doubt positioned on the top of the fuselage like a C-130.






[edit on 16-9-2005 by intelgurl]