Unidentified Jet
 

Whilst out walking in Swindon around 1200 ish yesterday, 3 May, we saw a jet heading North toward Fairford/Brize/Kemble in the descent and it didn't have that modern sound to it. I originally thought that it might be the Canberra but then realised it had clean wing lines, so single engined, and had a similar planform to the Supermarine Attacker. Having worked on JP3 and 5 I can discount that, knowing they have one at Kemble. I don't believe that it was a U2/TR1, wingspan was wrong in proportion to fuselage. Did anyone else see it, if so, can they tell me what it was. Sorry to start a thread for my own curiosity, but sometimes these things just keep "itching your craw".

Smudge:ok:

Hi might have been Yeoviltons Sea Hawk?

A civvy Hunter.

No, that's been grounded for a couple of years now, and isn't expected to fly again for another year or two yet.

One of this stable? https://www.facebook.com/midairsquadron

Post 103 Sea Vixen?

SPOTTED 2014 - Page 4

Hmm, Sea Hawk possibly, certainly not a Hunter, I see them often. Not a Canberra either, there were no engines on the wings. I'm starting to wonder if it could have been a U2/TR1 and I just got the wingspan "cross oddled", although, the tailplane didn't fit either. Thanks for the suggestions guys, perhaps at 61, age is beginning to have its effects on me. Something about this jet said 1950/60s, the shape, the sound. Perhaps I just had a "senior moment".

Smudge:ok:

Read my post !

Nutloose - so he specifically says the planform was that of a single-engine, single tail, straight-wing aircraft (Supermarine Attacker) - and you start insisting that what he saw was a twin tail-boom swept-wing aircraft (de Havilland Sea Vixen)!


Very nice - good to see PPRuNe is maintaining its standards.

Just a thought.

Notams would show if Fairford was open for movements, which more often than not means U2s, that day. If it was not, I doubt the aircraft would have been a U2.

Edit. A long shot, could it have been a US mil version of the PC 12?

I saw this same aircraft, north of Shrivenham crossing east to west (the sound made me look up). In clear conditions the aircraft had a dark finish and looked more modern than others have suggested, but it wasn't a profile that I recognised.

Later on, a 3-ship trundled pass - Shorts Skyvan (in dark finish) , one of those Cessna twin-boom thingies, and a JP5; again just north of shrivenham crossing west to east.

There are a handful of L-29 Delfins on the UK register (similar to this):


Red Star Rebels are reportedly working up for the 2014 with a formation team of L-29s:


Perhaps one was positiong for the 2014 Abingdon Air and Country Show?

At the very beginning of the thread I missed the bit about a U2 because that's what I thought it was as it flew over the top of my gaff. After Beagles post I'm pretty certain it is one of them.

Also saw it at Shrivenham. I'd buy the idea that it was an L29 as I didn't think it sounded that old, just that of a small jet. Narked that I missed the 3-ship though!

Whenurhappy: I also saw the 3 ship but a little further west (A419 coming down Blunsdon Hill) but I think that the middle ac of the line astern 3 - ship was an OV-10 Bronco and not a twin-boom Cessna.

Err.......did you not read my post about the Sea Hawk not having flown for a couple of years and not likely to again for another year or more yet?

Beagle's suggestion by far the most likely; Red Star Rebels. Theirs is a hugely impressive achievement; funding, purchasing and bringing to airworthiness their L29 jets then leaping through numerous regulatory and other hoops to get together their display team. I'm proud to say, one of whom is an airline colleague, well done,!

Not to be confused with the wolf howl drug-lyric Rock and Roll band of the same name!

Beagle,

Thanks very much for your inject there, the L29 looks exactly like what I saw. I've never seen one before, and the engines sound was a bit different to most single engined jets I've seen.

Nutloose,

I do need glasses for reading these days, but I think a Sea Vixen would have given a very different planform than what I saw. Thanks for your suggestion though, I'm sure it was well meant.

Gee Ram,

I do apologise for my ignorance of your post, I was actually trying to accentuate the silhouette of the aircraft, and failed to register your point. My sincere apologies.

Problem solved I reckon, thanks to Beagle again.


Smudge:ok: