mystery black shuttle like jet seen over yorkshire.

recently i have spotted a black jet that has been flying low over north Yorkshire, it has two small engines either side of the tail section.it looks a little like a space shuttle believe it or not, i don't for one minute think it's top secret or new tech but i just wondered if any one would know what type of plane it is and who does it belong to.sorry no photos as i was not fast enough with my cam.

My first bet from your description would be the SR-71 Blackbird.

Wikipedia: Sr-71

[edit on 8/24/2009 by eNumbra]

Try the Sentinal R1, a recon and C&C platform.

... apart from the fact that all built A-12s, YF-12s and SR-71s have been accounted for.

Fairly sure it wouldn't have to be stolen or unaccounted for to fly over Yorkshire and be spotted by someone on the ground; and since you posted it are all Sentinal R1's accounted for? and which "Space Shuttle" do they resemble?

no def not a blackbird ( i wish! ), it is small maybe single seat but i don't think it is privately owned, it has been flying very low. and the jets are small too.it's just a strange looking plane and very highly polished,and like i said from the side it does look like a small space shuttle.

No it wouldn't have to be stolen, or unaccounted for, but it would certainly have to be flying - which no A-12, YF-12 or SR-71 is and that is my point.

The Sentinel R1 does fit the description, a rear position twin engine delta winged aircraft. And I know for a fact that they fly over Yorkshire regularly, accounted for or otherwise.

Sentinel is if anything a "Tail-less Delta" though classification of a Delta wing still requires the wing form an actual triangle, and would fit the description taking into account for the engine bits.

Space Shuttle description is whats throwing me off, it suggests a "True Delta" wing.

[edit on 8/24/2009 by eNumbra]

[edit on 8/24/2009 by eNumbra]

reply to post by RichardPrice

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Also, a huge chunk of the ones on static display can never be returned to flight condition even if the US were so inclined. The wings were cut for transport rendering them unflyable forever.

Also the Blackbird required specialized KC-135's aka KC-135T (A few KC-10's were also modified) to deliver the JP-7 it used for fuel.
www.blackbirds.net...

The short of it is that no A-12/SR-71/ or YF-12 will ever fly again

i have been looking at pictures of planes and cannot find the type i saw, it is a little bigger than a lear jet has two small jets between the tail blended in and it looks just like a mini space shuttle, both times i have seen this plane it does make you think WTF? it's very cool looking and does not have a rounded apearence,the nose is very much like the shuttle.

I wish i had a picture it's been bugging me since i have seen it.

not like a mig or anything along those lines just some cool looking jet.

now don't get into thinking this is some top secret triangle type craft, it's not.all i can say is i have never seena plane like it before.and that senital thats to big.

[edit on 24/8/2009 by stealthyaroura]

Sounds as if you saw a Challeneger, customed painted of course.

Big fat body, small wing span, two engines on the tail. They do resemble a space shuttle. I find them extremely ugly in person, but they do have alot of room inside.

www.aerotoystore.com...

reply to post by jd140

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Close but shorter and not as rounded and no windows in the fuselage. I'm gonna make some enquiries, where do you think i should start?

reply to post by stealthyaroura

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There are smaller versions of the challenger. I think this is the type of airplane you saw. How close were you to the airplane?

reply to post by jd140

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1st time it was maybe 150 metres away second time ( last wed ) i got a really good look as i was on the top deck at the front of a double decker bus and it crossed our path a few hundred feet above us if that.not very loud like a figter, it just stood out becouse of it's strange shape.

i see a lot of low flying aircraft being out in the country and can tell if its a militery jet or a privete plane but this has me stumped.

but the shiny black paint job may of added to the strange apearence.

reply to post by stealthyaroura

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Sounds as if you saw a smaller version to me.

From that far away it is difficult to notice any windows considering the plane was black, also it probably on had 4 or 5 windows. Black planes make for seeing any windows very difficult even on the ground because the windows are usually tinted.

You should grab a pic next time you see it. Not every day you get to see a hundred thousand dollar paint job on a multi million dollar jet.

this is close but not what i saw. the jets were above these and smaller, the nose was more tranguler and the wings more delta but not like a typhoon.and underneath was totally flat.

the nearest thing i can compair it to is the shuttle!
LINK target aviation photography. check it out!
[edit on 24/8/2009 by stealthyaroura]

[edit on 24/8/2009 by stealthyaroura]

reply to post by stealthyaroura

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I'm willing to bet if you looked at the smaller challengers then you would find what you saw.

Sorry to keep harping on it. Im about 99% sure that is what you saw.

reply to post by jd140

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you could well be rite, i hope to get to the bottom of this as it's anoying me now and i would like to show you what i saw.thanks for trying to help me figure it out.

I notice he said looks 'a little' like the space shuttle from the side, not underneath, so no indication of a delta. If it has two small engines at the back, is flying over Yorkshire and is overall gloss black I would bet a months wages that it is an RAF Dominie trainer, the military version of the HS 125 biz jet. It is used for nav training by the RAF and all our trainers have been painted high gloss black for a number of years.

www.fast-air.co.uk...

reply to post by waynos

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I take your wager.

Check a few posts up to his last image link. He shows the same aircraft you did and said it was similar, but the engines are in the wrong spot and the nose is wrong.

Let me know when you want to send me your months wage and I will give you a place to send it.