Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: jimson on January 18, 2011, 02:29:39 PM

Title: ID this plane
Post by: jimson on January 18, 2011, 02:29:39 PM
A local radio personality posted this picture of a plane flying over Tucson this afternoon wondering what it is. He doesn't seem to be asking about the small fighter that looks like a T-38/F5 to me.

Anyone know what plane or planes these are?

(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll149/jimsom88/mysteryplane2.jpg)
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: Tac on January 18, 2011, 02:31:41 PM
it does look like a T-38.

(http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:-5ppW3Pk9WcVQM:http://www.tayyareci.com/ucakfoto/photo/t-38-4.jpg)
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: jimson on January 18, 2011, 02:36:28 PM
Any ideas on the the larger one?
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: NormH3 on January 18, 2011, 02:42:49 PM
Looks like a 787 to me.
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: NormH3 on January 18, 2011, 02:45:04 PM
there ya go

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Boeing+restarts+Dreamliner+tests/4125930/story.html
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: jimson on January 18, 2011, 02:53:14 PM
That looks like it. And the article places it in the area. Thanks guys.
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: Cougar68 on January 18, 2011, 02:53:29 PM
Why the four contrails?  Did they put smoke generators  on the wing for some reason?
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: NormH3 on January 18, 2011, 02:55:09 PM
Why the four contrails?  Did they put smoke generators  on the wing for some reason?

Its being flight tested...could be part of the data they are collecting. The chase plane is probably taking video.
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: Babalonian on January 18, 2011, 03:49:53 PM
Awww, beat me to it, 787 Dreamliner.  Looks like it's got the big Boeing logo on the side there.  I wonder who's testing it and for what though, T-38 is used in everything from the private sector to NASA.
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: 68Hawk on January 18, 2011, 03:50:16 PM
Fuel dump test?  The orange on the wings marks it as a test plane, even if it didn't already have a chase aircraft.
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: flight17 on January 18, 2011, 04:02:06 PM
the orange on the wings and horizontal tail is a water based paint that they use to see how other liquids flow over the surfaces. As hawk guessed, they are indeed doing a fuel dump test. The fleet just restarted FAA certification efforts yesterday for the first time since ZA002's power unit fire and the first test that was to be done yesterday was fuel dumping tests.

The aircraft in the pic is ZA004 which is based out of Yuma, Arizona.

Also the 7th 787 took to the skies for the first time ZA102 which is the 9th a/c built.
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: Babalonian on January 18, 2011, 04:05:02 PM
Fuel dump test?  The orange on the wings marks it as a test plane, even if it didn't already have a chase aircraft.

Fantastic call!

http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/2009/04/photo-787-raked-blended-wingle.html

Looked it up, the "smoke" is coming out of where the fuel dump nozzles are located on the wing.  787 Dreamliner fuel dump testing, 99.9% sure of it now.
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: Babalonian on January 18, 2011, 04:08:04 PM
the orange on the wings and horizontal tail is a water based paint that they use to see how other liquids flow over the surfaces. As hawk guessed, they are indeed doing a fuel dump test. The fleet just restarted FAA certification efforts yesterday for the first time since ZA002's power unit fire and the first test that was to be done yesterday was fuel dumping tests.

The aircraft in the pic is ZA004 which is based out of Yuma, Arizona.

Also the 7th 787 took to the skies for the first time ZA102 which is the 9th a/c built.

Very cool, I thought they resumed flight testing in the end of December though, going off the press releases...  what's your inside and up-to-date "source"?  :D
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: Dadsguns on January 18, 2011, 04:25:03 PM
190 and a goon .................. 
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: flight17 on January 18, 2011, 06:52:09 PM
Very cool, I thought they resumed flight testing in the end of December though, going off the press releases...  what's your inside and up-to-date "source"?  :D
same as yours :)

but i follow some other sites as well

the 787 did resume flights in December, however those were all test flights for Boeing's purposes (not required for the certification of the a/c). They were probably tests to help with the developement of the 787-9 and to further their knowledge and understanding in how their design is working for both the 787 and any future products.
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: Puma44 on January 19, 2011, 12:07:45 AM
A local radio personality posted this picture of a plane flying over Tucson this afternoon wondering what it is. He doesn't seem to be asking about the small fighter that looks like a T-38/F5 to me.

Anyone know what plane or planes these are?

(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll149/jimsom88/mysteryplane2.jpg)

Boeing uses the T-38 as a flight test chase plane.  They previously used a T-33.
Title: Re: ID this plane
Post by: flight17 on January 19, 2011, 12:14:07 AM
Boeing uses the T-38 as a flight test chase plane.  They previously used a T-33.
im pretty sure they still use the 33 as well they have 3 or 4 of them