need help identifying: smallish quad turbofan aircraft
 

Hi everyone, this may be a daft question (and perhaps a complete red herring), but today I was riding the train past Malaga airport (AGP), and I caught a couple glimpses of a parked aircraft that seemed unusual to me.

It somewhat resembled an A320 (particularly the nose), but seemed smaller. What caught my eye, however, was that it appeared to have 4 turbofans under the wings...though I could not see it well, so there is a chance I just got myself mixed up.

It was NOT a BAe 146 - it had low wings, just like an A320, with the engines in pods underneath, and a rounded rather than pointed nose. As I recall, it was painted blue and had rather retro-style stripes along the waterline from the nose all the way aft and no obvious airline logo (government jet or maybe a glorified business jet?).

Anybody have any idea what it may have been? Or am I hallucinating in all this heat? :D

An old Spantax Convair 990?

I belive the only remaining CV990 is the one at Palma, siting amngst the hardened shelters

Thanks for the comments! I don't think it was a 990...though upon reflection, is there any chance it was a DC-8?

I'm 99% sure the engines were high-bypass ones, in any event, and I know some DC-8s have high-bypass engines and have about the right shape of nose. The Convair 990's nose seems a bit more pointy than the one I saw.

Yeah, I've just taken a look at Googlemap; there appears to be a couple of propliners in the south eastern corner but no old CV990s...

When I first read the post, I immediately thought of the McDonnell Douglas 119, probably far too small and I don't know if the sole example is still airworthy... last I heard it was at El Paso and I doubt it would have strayed as far as Europe!

Edit: propliners are a CV440, DC-3, Beech 18 and a Dove.

DC-8 might be feasible? This looks like one?

That's the very aircraft - well done tredigraph! Google Maps is great stuff, isn't it?

If you zoom out a bit and look straight to the right, you see the rail track curving gently and intersecting Calle de Estrabón - so you can see one large building that blocks most of the view of the aircraft from the train.

In any case, yes, it does indeed appear to be a DC-8 - thanks a bundle, now I will be able to sleep peacefully tonight! :ok: Though it does appear that this one does indeed have low-bypass engines, not the high-bypass ones I thought it had.

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/...2010-07-14.jpg
The Aircraft

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/...C-8_3-view.png
DC-8 (from Wikipedia)