World's Most Secretive 737
 

Rat 55, Radar Airborne Testbed, looks like a cross between the Super Guppy and Groucho Marx! When asked about the functions of the craft by a reporter, the chief pilot responded: "I will tell you. Then I will kill you!"

Make of this what you will. RAT 55

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6ec88eb603.jpg

- Ed

At least it is wearing a mask.

Looks like leftover bits from AEW Nimrod!

Lots of strange aircraft around…. Catfish…

I'm interested as to why its still got JT8 D's attached.

I'll get my engine course notes out and when I get the job, I'll let you know.

World's most secretive 737...

...that you know about.

KnC,

Because they don’t have to worry about fuel costs and, with plenty of spare parts and engines with 6 in storage at AMARC, what would be the point?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_T-43

Boeing disclosing the latest fix for the MCAS fiasco?

Fair enough. I was just thinking as it's a -200 the airframe has been around for a few hours so why this combination, why not a -3 / 4 or 500. But it's a tried and tested combination as you say.

Maybe they want old fashioned avionics that aren’t as susceptible to high levels of RF energy.

Area 51
 

I'd think the Janet 737s would be more secretive...

Bet she has low total hours however, and not nearly the cycles and hard life of the clapped out 200's that I "enjoyed" as a passenger at Burbank on hot days.....brake check!!!!

Many of the military aircraft derived from passenger aircraft have surprisingly lower hours compared to their civil counterparts (by no means not all)

Thats exactly what I thought this thread was going to be about.

Maybe it's a secret plan to camouflage the "Max" and get it back into service.

If it’s got JT8s then they definitely didn’t tick the stealth option...

Catfish.....looks more like an aircraft with an Irish Canard installed.

What about the Alien express ? the shuttle from Las Vegas to Groom lake .
Pretty sure a lot of the alien looking attendees at the Star Trek convention in Las Vegas flew in from Area 51 onboard the white 737 with the red stripe . Although one of my friends who used to commute on it just laughed when I asked if I could get a tour of the UFOs . He said even his accreditation and clearance did not let him tour the space ships .

That's the very first 757 to fly (NA001) - it was modified for use as a flying testbed for F-22 flight software. Not sure where it is now, but for a long time it was parked down at the south end of Boeing Field (which is the airport it's landing at in the video) - I'd drive by it on a regular basis when I was working at Boeing Field.
Never heard it called the Catfish before though...

That's a distinct possibility, given it's task. I know that was a big deal on the 747-200 based Air Force One aircraft - those old fashioned analog electronics made it a lot easier to get the EMI protection levels the USAF wanted.
Back maybe 15 years ago, Boeing had a contract to build a prototype E-10 aircraft based on a 767-400ER airframe. It was going to have a huge, powerful ground search radar hung under the forward fuselage (the longer 767-400 airframe being dictated by the size of the radar). That radar was direct line of sight with the engine FADECs, and interference with engine operation was a big concern. I got a call that went something like this:
"What level of HIRF can the CF6-80C2 FADEC handle?"
"We tested to 200 volts/meter, wide band, from x to y megahertz, it passed"
"Yea, but what can it handle?"
"Don't know, we didn't test to failure, we only tested to 200 volts/meter - that's what the FAA mandated - and it passed. What's the threat?"
"Can't tell you that - it's classified. How much can it handle?"
"Well, we'd have to test it again, but to be useful we'd need to know the threat so we know what to test for. The test isn't cheap, plus depending on the threat we may not be able to duplicate it in the lab."
"Oh, I'll get back to you."

About 3 months later that call would be repeated... Went on for over a year. Finally the program got cancelled.
That 767-400ER was the last one ever built - eventually it was equipped as a standard passenger 767 and delivered to a commercial customer...

Area 51 does not exist.....

Tdracer,

Now operating out of Palmdale Plant 42.

Returning to the most secret 737 theme and RAT55

https://jalopnik.com/the-worlds-most...ost-1686479619

Then of course there’s…..

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...y-modified-737

But we’ve been here before….

https://www.pprune.org/military-avia...00-n712jm.html