View Full Version : small deltawing a/c
BigEndBob
23rd Mar 2005, 12:01
Have asked this question else where on forum, but someone here might known.
Was in Skegness on Friday 18th March lunchtime. Saw aircraft thought it was the usual Tornado, but it had a small delta wing with stubby nose, looked like a flying shuttlecock in outline. Several thousand feet up up it headed out to sea did a couple of s turns then back to the west. Its engine? whistled rather than the usual roar. It was too manouvrable to be a Vulcan.
Reminded me of fifties type jet from DH or Bristol, or even a NASA flying body.
What is it?
Oshkosh George
23rd Mar 2005, 12:49
My thought was possibly a Mirage 2000 using Waddington as a base for the BAe ACMI area over the North Sea. I couldn't establish if there currently any there at this moment however.
Onan the Clumsy
23rd Mar 2005, 19:57
Beech Starship :ok:
BigEndBob
23rd Mar 2005, 21:31
Thought today could be Douglas Skyhawk..but in UK airspace?
Having looked at a few pics the only aircraft that comes anywhere near is the Vulcan bomber..is there one flying again?
treadigraph
24th Mar 2005, 08:06
Talking of Skyhawks, have Flight Systems or FR ever operated them here?
pr00ne
24th Mar 2005, 12:36
BigEndBob,
Methinks you saw a Typhoon.
Hot Charlie
24th Mar 2005, 16:00
Typhoon is the logical answer, particularly in Skeggy...
BigEndBob
24th Mar 2005, 18:25
Nose is too pointed on Typhoon, same as Tornado they are shaped like the point of a pencil.
Closest looking aircraft Gloster Javelin.
Conan the Librarian
24th Mar 2005, 22:05
Fiver says it was a Typhoon. If at altitude, you may not have noticed the gap twixt canard and wing giving the appearance of a rather more blunt nosed delta.
Tenner says it wasn't a Jav, for one simple reason. None left flying...
jimgriff
27th Mar 2005, 20:16
BAE use a sky hawk in Germany for target towing or some similar role. Maybe they popped over for the day!!
Caslance
27th Mar 2005, 21:20
The whistling engine sound certainly points towards the A4 Skyhawk.
Conan is correct, there are no flying Gloster Javelins.
Some things belong dead, and the Javelin is one of them IMHO.
WG774
27th Mar 2005, 22:50
If you saw a Javelin I'm deeply envious. Maybe Lord Lucan was at the controls :D
Has the Mirage 2000 been eliminated from the enquiry?
edit: Would a Sukhoi have any business being in Skegness?
edit: Re-reading the thread makes me think a Mirage 2000 could be on the cards as a previous poster suggested.
BigEndBob
29th Mar 2005, 18:54
I am begining to think it was something simple like a Hawk.
The sound, speed and manouverability would match a Hawk. Tried to get digital pic on my zoom camera, was able to track it but camera took a long time to focus and locked on out of focus.
I have 9000 hrs flying and have seen close up Tornados, Hawks, etc, and can usually quickly recognise what i have just had a near miss with! But this a/c still bit of a mystery.
Thats what prompted me to put forward question.
Just looked at pics of Mirage 2000, could be match.
skydriller
30th Mar 2005, 05:46
Its engine? whistled rather than the usual roar. Has the Mirage 2000 been eliminated from the enquiry?
If it whistled then it wasnt a Mirage 2000, they fly over here all the time and they definitely roar (only one big F-off engine!) - whatever the altitude!! (favorite trick is to blast through the overhead of my local aeroclub at 1000-1500ft when cutting the corner between the two restricted areas close by...)
it had a small delta wing with stubby nose, looked like a flying shuttlecock in outline.
AlfaJet ?
Even the RAF have some Alfajets.....
Regards, SD..
PS. for those thinking "Skyhawk, where from?" There used to be Skyhawks based at Cazeaux, just down the road from here, the first few times I definitely ID'ed them as such I thought I was going nuts too...not sure if they are still there as I havent seen them for a while.