"Super Guppy" at Heathrow?

[AES]

Taxiing in on a just landed United flight at LHR a few weeks
ago, I caught a quick glimpse through a window across the
cabin of what looked (to a non-expert) like a semi-derelict
small-sized "Super Guppy" parked off by a big hangar:
fat fuselage, three engines (one huge one up in the tail),
faded bile-green color, what looked like big rust streaks
running around the fuselage.

What might I have been seeing?

[Andy Hawkins]

In article >,
> wrote:
> Taxiing in on a just landed United flight at LHR a few weeks
> ago, I caught a quick glimpse through a window across the
> cabin of what looked (to a non-expert) like a semi-derelict
> small-sized "Super Guppy" parked off by a big hangar:
> fat fuselage, three engines (one huge one up in the tail),
> faded bile-green color, what looked like big rust streaks
> running around the fuselage.
>
> What might I have been seeing?

Fire trainer?

Andy

[JohnT[_2_]]

"AES" > wrote in message
...
> Taxiing in on a just landed United flight at LHR a few weeks
> ago, I caught a quick glimpse through a window across the
> cabin of what looked (to a non-expert) like a semi-derelict
> small-sized "Super Guppy" parked off by a big hangar:
> fat fuselage, three engines (one huge one up in the tail),
> faded bile-green color, what looked like big rust streaks
> running around the fuselage.
>
> What might I have been seeing?


The mock aircraft used by the Fire Brigade for training purposes?
--


JohnT

[JGalban via AviationKB.com]

AES wrote:
>Taxiing in on a just landed United flight at LHR a few weeks
>ago, I caught a quick glimpse through a window across the
>cabin of what looked (to a non-expert) like a semi-derelict
>small-sized "Super Guppy" parked off by a big hangar:
>fat fuselage, three engines (one huge one up in the tail),
>faded bile-green color, what looked like big rust streaks
>running around the fuselage.
>
>What might I have been seeing?

Doesn't sound like a Super Guppy. Did it have jet engines? The Super
Guppy had 4 engines on the wings with props. I know that Airbus made some
jet powered guppy-like aircraft to transport fuselage sections for
manufacturing. Maybe it was one of those.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

--
Message posted via AviationKB.com
http://www.aviationkb.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/aviation/200706/1

[Graham Harrison]

"JohnT" > wrote in message
...
> "AES" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Taxiing in on a just landed United flight at LHR a few weeks
>> ago, I caught a quick glimpse through a window across the
>> cabin of what looked (to a non-expert) like a semi-derelict
>> small-sized "Super Guppy" parked off by a big hangar:
>> fat fuselage, three engines (one huge one up in the tail),
>> faded bile-green color, what looked like big rust streaks
>> running around the fuselage.
>>
>> What might I have been seeing?
>
>
> The mock aircraft used by the Fire Brigade for training purposes?
> --
>
>
> JohnT

I'll concur with that. Is this the beast?
http://aviation-safety.net/photos/displayphoto.php?id=990050&vnr=1&kind=F

[Anno v. Heimburg]

JGalban via AviationKB.com wrote:

> I know that Airbus made some
> jet powered guppy-like aircraft to transport fuselage sections for
> manufacturing.

Yeah, but they are, AFAIK, all in service and only have two engines. So
probably not them.

Anno

[Eric Bartsch]

On Jun 29, 3:40 pm, AES > wrote:
> Taxiing in on a just landed United flight at LHR a few weeks
> ago, I caught a quick glimpse through a window across the
> cabin of what looked (to a non-expert) like a semi-derelict
> small-sized "Super Guppy" parked off by a big hangar:
> fat fuselage, three engines (one huge one up in the tail),
> faded bile-green color, what looked like big rust streaks
> running around the fuselage.
>
> What might I have been seeing?

I'm pretty sure you saw the fire training mockup. It looks like a
cross between a short 747 and a DC-10 and is painted green. See the
following picture:

http://aviation-safety.net/photos/displayphoto.php?id=990050&vnr=1&kind=F

Eric

[AES]

> >> What might I have been seeing?
> >
> >
> > The mock aircraft used by the Fire Brigade for training purposes?

> I'll concur with that. Is this the beast?
> http://aviation-safety.net/photos/displayphoto.php?id=990050&vnr=1&kind=F

> I'm pretty sure you saw the fire training mockup. It looks like a
> cross between a short 747 and a DC-10 and is painted green. See the
> following picture:


Absolutely -- that's it. View was brief enough and obstructed enough
that I didn't see the sign.

Weird looking object -- was it ever a real aircraft? And, the front
part of the fuselage looks so oversized, like a Super Guppy -- or is it
maybe just a short stubby section chopped out of a much larger aircraft?

Thanks for info.

[Morgans[_2_]]

"AES" > wrote >
> Weird looking object -- was it ever a real aircraft? And, the front
> part of the fuselage looks so oversized, like a Super Guppy -- or is it
> maybe just a short stubby section chopped out of a much larger aircraft?
>
> Thanks for info.

It is made of fairly thick steel. They use some kind of fuel to catch it
all on fire, depending what they want to practice, then spray out the fire,
and enter the fuselage, when desired.
--
Jim in NC

[Ron Natalie]

Morgans wrote:
> "AES" > wrote >
>> Weird looking object -- was it ever a real aircraft? And, the front
>> part of the fuselage looks so oversized, like a Super Guppy -- or is it
>> maybe just a short stubby section chopped out of a much larger aircraft?
>>
>> Thanks for info.
>
> It is made of fairly thick steel. They use some kind of fuel to catch it
> all on fire, depending what they want to practice, then spray out the fire,
> and enter the fuselage, when desired.

There was a similar ship in Alice Springs. We were standing on the ramp
there when they came and torched it off and then had the trucks come
running up and put it out.