Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Saw a really cool lookin' plane flyin' over several times today, and for the life of me I can't figger out what it is - and it's drivin' me plumb nuts! Description: High wing, with struts... twin engine... sorta resembling an Otter, but not nearly as streamlined (very square fuselage when viewed from front or rear), empennage had horizontal stab and twin vertical stabilizers.... sounded throaty and looked like a flying crate with a plank for a wing! Dunno if gear was retractable or not, but was down whenever it flew over on approach to the local airport. Any hints...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horace Patootie, SASS #35798 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 You went through the time tunnel again, didn't you ! Horace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 You went through the time tunnel again, didn't you ! Horace Yeah.... Wish I was aboard 'er...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uno Mas SASS #80082 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 . Real freakin' ugly? It could only be the Short 330 or the USAF variant C-23 Sherpa Ugly as only the Brits could design. I've seen better looking helicopters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runnin Wild Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Well as a Air Traffic Controller for 25 years, I can only surmise that it would have looked like a radar target to me. All my time spent in a room with no windows makes it hard to ID those rascals! Sorry!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Mushman Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Saw a really cool lookin' plane flyin' over several times today, and for the life of me I can't figger out what it is - and it's drivin' me plumb nuts! Description: High wing, with struts... twin engine... sorta resembling an Otter, but not nearly as streamlined (very square fuselage when viewed from front or rear), empennage had horizontal stab and twin vertical stabilizers.... sounded throaty and looked like a flying crate with a plank for a wing! Dunno if gear was retractable or not, but was down whenever it flew over on approach to the local airport. Any hints...? Hardpan, Sounds like one of a couple variants of a "Shorts" cargo/passenger a/c. Commonly used by contract carriers or some of the smaller regional airline carriers on contract to the majors. I've flown in them under the guise of "TW Express" 15-20 years ago or so in California when they were the regional feeder for former TWA (TWA purchased by American while in bankruptcy status). Used nationally and in Canada also. Once flew one across the Long Island sound in December snowstorm (into Islip) and iced up pretty good, but landed safely Very reliable workhorse airplane still widely in use for short runway contract hauling routes by smaller contract outfits. Cheers, Harvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. P. Cobb Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Saw a really cool lookin' plane flyin' over several times today, and for the life of me I can't figger out what it is - and it's drivin' me plumb nuts! Description: High wing, with struts... twin engine... sorta resembling an Otter, but not nearly as streamlined (very square fuselage when viewed from front or rear), empennage had horizontal stab and twin vertical stabilizers.... sounded throaty and looked like a flying crate with a plank for a wing! Dunno if gear was retractable or not, but was down whenever it flew over on approach to the local airport. Any hints...? Yea, B-25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spooky Joe, SASS #24061 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Could have been a Shorts (Irish, not British) Skyvan. Jumped out of one at Pitts Camp in Thailand when we were testing it. Tried to fit it with a Fulton Skyhook but decided to stick with the Caribou and A-26 for that purpose. Still not as ugly as a Transavia Airtruk. See here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transavia_PL-12_Airtruk and you might agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Definitely not a B-25.... Harvey, I think that's it! Looks like a "Skyvan", but with a far simpler paint scheme than the one pictured... Thanks! Now I'll be able to sleep nights... Gotta wonder... how it manages to fly with that skinny plank of a wing~! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G. P. Cobb Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Definitely not a B-25.... Harvey, I think that's it! Looks like a "Skyvan", but with a far simpler paint scheme than the one pictured... Thanks! Now I'll be able to sleep nights... Gotta wonder... how it manages to fly with that skinny plank of a wing~! ___________________________ Correct then, Not B25; I saw a few of those during my service 66-69. Tested at Davidson Airfield in VA for Military. The lift is the body, not the wings, they are only the stabilizers as I remember. It's also turbo prop, not recip. Enjoy. The Shorts 360 can operate comfortably from 1400 meter (4,500 foot) long runways, opening up hundreds of airfields inaccessible by scheduled flights. Cruise speed is about 370 km/h (215 mph), at an altitude of 10,000 feet. The PT6A turboprops are fully ICAO Stage 3 noise-compliant, making the 360 one of the quietest turboprop operating today. Indeed the 360 is subject to fewer restrictions on night flights into the heavily regulated London airports than virtually all the later turboprop designs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 .....................................Still not as ugly as a Transavia Airtruk. See here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transavia_PL-12_Airtruk and you might agree. UGLY is right ............. ........ always reminds me of one of them funny lookin', bug-eyed goldfish ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Pony Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Well if bumble bees can fly I guess that thing can as well. Not what you would call sleek or sexy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mack Hacker, #60477 Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 We always called them plywood planes when they were flying around DFW . They just looked like they were made out of 4x8 sheets of plywood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted January 5, 2011 Author Share Posted January 5, 2011 Yup, Spooky, I do believe that's it... I was typing my reply to Harvey and missed yours. Uh... did that "truk" thing actually fly? Or did the earth just repel it for bein' so... well... heck, that thing's uglier'n a baby parrot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Hand Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Yup, Spooky, I do believe that's it... I was typing my reply to Harvey and missed yours. Uh... did that "truk" thing actually fly? Or did the earth just repel it for bein' so... well... heck, that thing's uglier'n a baby parrot! Want to see one fly watsh "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunClick Rick Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Don't forget Burt and or Dick Ruttan lives out your way too and does stuff in Mojave all the time.He flew that damn space ship over my house one night,sounded like a TWA in a coregated tunnel and it was fast,then his brother or whoever was following him in a small plane.My nephew knows him.. http://www.boingboing.net/images/ss1/ss1-taxi-landing.jpg http://www.dickrutan.com/ http://www.dickrutan.com/report.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finagler 6853 Life Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 I used to fly in those Shorts years ago. TWA and American used them on flights from Madison to Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, et al. Nice sound planes. Built like a truck. Everyonce in a while I see them used by express freigh companies to get in and out of small airports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Dave Posted January 5, 2011 Share Posted January 5, 2011 Wow, baby parrots really are UGLY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted January 6, 2011 Author Share Posted January 6, 2011 Wow, baby parrots really are UGLY. Ain't they, though...?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spooky Joe, SASS #24061 Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 To paraphrase Forrestt Gump: Ugly is as Ugly does. The Airtruk is quite remarkable for what it does. Load the hopper with 1,000 pounds or so of some product and it's quite an efficient crop duster. The pilot I spoke with said it' a very stable aircraft and very easy to fly. Can carry up to 4 passengers, although probably not the most comfortable of carriers. Still, looking at it a flounder comes to mind. Murphy said it best in his Laws of Combat. If it's a stupid idea, but it works, it ain't stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yuma Devil Dog Posted January 6, 2011 Share Posted January 6, 2011 As an Air Traffic Controller for 3 years I would have to surmise it probably was a C23 Sherpa, saw one come into Yuma once, and I remember right it is similar to what you described. I thought of a casa at first, but that’s definitely not it. Just so everyone knows, The REAL controllers work in a room made of windows, not one devoid of them! Just funnin RW had to say it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Smokepole #29248L Posted January 7, 2011 Share Posted January 7, 2011 A few skydiving companies use these... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iron Pony Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 Sgt that makes sense, who wouldnt want to jump out of something that ugly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Dog Mike #74894 Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 You went through the time tunnel again, didn't you ! Horace Could be an OV-10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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