Mystery - Jet Powered Sailplane - Van Nuys Airport

[genehil]

Can anyone help me identify the sailplane in this photo:

http://www.abtriplec.com/images/misc/van_nuys_mystery_plane.jpg

I found it using Google Earth and am stumped... I can't find any info on it on the 'Net and am hoping you guys can point me in the right direction...

It has an approximate 107ft wingspan and a 45ft fuselage.

I flew gliders in the UK while stationed there as a G.I. in the 1980's... I sure do miss those days...

Thanks all...

gh

[Al Eddie]

Looks like nothing more than a li'l old U-2 to me...

;o)


At 16:12 11 October 2005, Genehil wrote:
>
>Can anyone help me identify the sailplane in this photo:
>
>http://www.abtriplec.com/images/misc/van_nuys_mystery_plane.jpg
>
>I found it using Google Earth and am stumped... I
>can't find any info
>on it on the 'Net and am hoping you guys can point
>me in the right
>direction...
>
>It has an approximate 107ft wingspan and a 45ft fuselage.
>
>I flew gliders in the UK while stationed there as a
>G.I. in the
>1980's... I sure do miss those days...
>
>Thanks all...
>
>gh
>
>
>--
>genehil
>

[Alan Irving]

Looks like the Grob Egret:

http://www.spyflight.co.uk/G850.HTM

At 16:12 11 October 2005, Genehil wrote:
>
>Can anyone help me identify the sailplane in this photo:
>
>http://www.abtriplec.com/images/misc/van_nuys_mystery_plane.jpg
>
>I found it using Google Earth and am stumped... I
>can't find any info
>on it on the 'Net and am hoping you guys can point
>me in the right
>direction...
>
>It has an approximate 107ft wingspan and a 45ft fuselage.
>
>I flew gliders in the UK while stationed there as a
>G.I. in the
>1980's... I sure do miss those days...
>
>Thanks all...
>
>gh
>
>
>--
>genehil
>

[genehil]

Mystery Solved by Frank McVey.

It's a Grob Egrett High Altitude Research Vehicle...

Picture here: http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/153575/page/0/vc/1

Can anyone help me identify the sailplane in this photo:

http://www.abtriplec.com/images/misc/van_nuys_mystery_plane.jpg

I found it using Google Earth and am stumped... I can't find any info on it on the 'Net and am hoping you guys can point me in the right direction...

It has an approximate 107ft wingspan and a 45ft fuselage.

I flew gliders in the UK while stationed there as a G.I. in the 1980's... I sure do miss those days...

Thanks all...

gh

[Don Johnstone]

Al is right U2 with the underwing pods/tanks fitted

http://www.r-s-c-c.org/rscc/v1m1images/u2history.html


At 16:36 11 October 2005, Alan Irving wrote:
>Looks like the Grob Egret:
>
>http://www.spyflight.co.uk/G850.HTM
>
>At 16:12 11 October 2005, Genehil wrote:
>>
>>Can anyone help me identify the sailplane in this photo:
>>
>>http://www.abtriplec.com/images/misc/van_nuys_mystery_plane.jpg
>>
>>I found it using Google Earth and am stumped... I
>>can't find any info
>>on it on the 'Net and am hoping you guys can point
>>me in the right
>>direction...
>>
>>It has an approximate 107ft wingspan and a 45ft fuselage.
>>
>>I flew gliders in the UK while stationed there as a
>>G.I. in the
>>1980's... I sure do miss those days...
>>
>>Thanks all...
>>
>>gh
>>
>>
>>--
>>genehil
>>
>
>
>

[[email protected]]

Alan is right. It is not a U2. The U2 would have a much longer nose.
Also the tapering of the wing planform is clearly not that of a U2.

[Wayne Paul]

Put my vote in the Grob Egret column. I base this on the position of the
canopy, shape of horizontal stabilizer, the aspect ratio of the wing and the
location of the wing pods (too close to the fuselage to be an U-2 variant.)

By the way, watching a U-2 land on a carrier is a site I will never forget.

Wayne
HP-14 N990 "6F"
http://www.soaridaho.com/

"Don Johnstone" > wrote in
message ...
> Al is right U2 with the underwing pods/tanks fitted
>
> http://www.r-s-c-c.org/rscc/v1m1images/u2history.html
>
>
> At 16:36 11 October 2005, Alan Irving wrote:
> >Looks like the Grob Egret:
> >
> >http://www.spyflight.co.uk/G850.HTM
> >
> >At 16:12 11 October 2005, Genehil wrote:
> >>
> >>Can anyone help me identify the sailplane in this photo:
> >>
> >>http://www.abtriplec.com/images/misc/van_nuys_mystery_plane.jpg
> >>
> >>I found it using Google Earth and am stumped... I
> >>can't find any info
> >>on it on the 'Net and am hoping you guys can point
> >>me in the right
> >>direction...
> >>
> >>It has an approximate 107ft wingspan and a 45ft fuselage.
> >>
> >>I flew gliders in the UK while stationed there as a
> >>G.I. in the
> >>1980's... I sure do miss those days...
> >>
> >>Thanks all...
> >>
> >>gh
> >>
> >>
> >>--
> >>genehil
> >>
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>

[Paul Remde]

Hi Wayne,

I'm curious - why was that landing interesting? I would think it would land
much more slowly than most other planes.

Paul Remde

"Wayne Paul" > wrote in message
...
> Put my vote in the Grob Egret column. I base this on the position of the
> canopy, shape of horizontal stabilizer, the aspect ratio of the wing and
> the
> location of the wing pods (too close to the fuselage to be an U-2
> variant.)
>
> By the way, watching a U-2 land on a carrier is a site I will never
> forget.
>
> Wayne
> HP-14 N990 "6F"
> http://www.soaridaho.com/
>
> "Don Johnstone" > wrote
> in
> message ...
>> Al is right U2 with the underwing pods/tanks fitted
>>
>> http://www.r-s-c-c.org/rscc/v1m1images/u2history.html
>>
>>
>> At 16:36 11 October 2005, Alan Irving wrote:
>> >Looks like the Grob Egret:
>> >
>> >http://www.spyflight.co.uk/G850.HTM
>> >
>> >At 16:12 11 October 2005, Genehil wrote:
>> >>
>> >>Can anyone help me identify the sailplane in this photo:
>> >>
>> >>http://www.abtriplec.com/images/misc/van_nuys_mystery_plane.jpg
>> >>
>> >>I found it using Google Earth and am stumped... I
>> >>can't find any info
>> >>on it on the 'Net and am hoping you guys can point
>> >>me in the right
>> >>direction...
>> >>
>> >>It has an approximate 107ft wingspan and a 45ft fuselage.
>> >>
>> >>I flew gliders in the UK while stationed there as a
>> >>G.I. in the
>> >>1980's... I sure do miss those days...
>> >>
>> >>Thanks all...
>> >>
>> >>gh
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>--
>> >>genehil
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>
>

[Pete S]

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Alan is right. It is not a U2. The U2 would have a much longer nose.
> Also the tapering of the wing planform is clearly not that of a U2.
>
It is a U2 with wing tanks, see http://www.area51zone.com/aircraft/u2.shtml
for the pics.

Peter.

[Bob Kuykendall]

Earlier, Pete S wrote:

> It is a U2 with wing tanks...

I disagree. I think that the others have nailed it; it's the GROB
Egret.

For comparison:

The Van Nuys photo:

http://www.abtriplec.com/images/misc/van_nuys_mystery_plane.jpg

U-2 3-view:

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/recon/u2/u2s_schem_01.jpg

Photo of GROB Egret:

http://www.spyflight.co.uk/G850.HTM

The reasons I'm pretty sure that it's not a U-2 or TR-1:

* Nose too short

* Aft fuselage too long

* Wing pods too short, too far inboard

* Wing planform has greater aspect ratio

* Absence of large air intakes

[Wayne Paul]

"Paul Remde" > wrote in message
news:XDV2f.237781$084.175922@attbi_s22...
> Hi Wayne,
>
> I'm curious - why was that landing interesting? I would think it would
land
> much more slowly than most other planes.
>

It does land slower; however, it doesn't have a tail hook to stop it. It
doesn't have the usual trucks that run down the runway along side to catch
the wings. The starboard wing comes mighty close to the island and the
port wing tip wheel outrigger is out over the water.

To land, the ship turns into the wind and generated about 20 kts of wind
across the deck. It lands, then a mass of deck hands run out and grab it to
keep it from blowing away while they tie it down.

It is much more impressive than seeing a C-130 land and go to full reverse
to stop prior to running of the angle deck. At least the C-130 has a wing
load heavy enough to not get blown around and has the ability to taxi.

Wayne

[Marc Ramsey]

Bob Kuykendall wrote:
> Earlier, Pete S wrote:
>
>
>>It is a U2 with wing tanks...
>
>
> I disagree. I think that the others have nailed it; it's the GROB
> Egret.

Strangely enough, there are two registered in the US:

N520EG (Gentran Corp)
N520DM (Raytheon E Systems)

I wonder what they're up to 8^)

[Marc Ramsey]

Marc Ramsey wrote:
> Strangely enough, there are two registered in the US:
>
> N520EG (Gentran Corp)
> N520DM (Raytheon E Systems)
>
> I wonder what they're up to 8^)

That was easy:

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/egrett.htm

Marc

[[email protected]]

Definitely not a U2. And Van Nuys is where I would expect Raytheon to
base their Grob.

[[email protected]]

meant to include ... the planform is way too narrow for the U2, which
is wide at the wing root and tapers noticably to the wingtip. I've
spent some time admiring SR-71s and U2s over the years and the Van Nuys
photo does not look like a U2.

Very interesting find though!

[iPilot]

I agree. Definitely not a U2. Look at the canopy location.


> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Definitely not a U2. And Van Nuys is where I would expect Raytheon to
> base their Grob.
>

[Andreas Maurer]

On Tue, 11 Oct 2005 15:48:00 -0600, "Wayne Paul" >
wrote:

This is an interesting description of the U2 carrier trials:
http://www.afa.org/magazine/feb2001/0201spyplane_print.html

>It does land slower; however, it doesn't have a tail hook to stop it.

Although the very first carrier trial used an unmodified U-2A without
arresting gear, the U-2G and U-2R had:
http://www.afa.org/magazine/feb2001/0201spy3.jpg

Was the arresting gear removed later?




Bye
Andreas

[Wayne Paul]

Interesting!? I don't remember the hook? It has been a long time since
1964! However, I do remember the swarm of deck hands pushing out of the
landing zone.

Wayne
HP-14 N990 "6F"
http://www.soaridaho.com/

"Andreas Maurer" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 11 Oct 2005 15:48:00 -0600, "Wayne Paul" >
> wrote:
>
> This is an interesting description of the U2 carrier trials:
> http://www.afa.org/magazine/feb2001/0201spyplane_print.html
>
> >It does land slower; however, it doesn't have a tail hook to stop it.
>
> Although the very first carrier trial used an unmodified U-2A without
> arresting gear, the U-2G and U-2R had:
> http://www.afa.org/magazine/feb2001/0201spy3.jpg
>
> Was the arresting gear removed later?
>
>
>
>
> Bye
> Andreas