|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 10/04/2009 : 08:09:34
|
What on Earth? # 87: Aerial Recon
I found this place while looking for another place that I never did find. It looks like an air base with too many aircraft. I also get an impression of semi-neglect, sort of as though whoever is in charge can't make up their minds to use, or to scrap the aircraft and the base itself.
I see several aircraft types. Some are in U-shaped revetments, as though to protect them from bombing or strafing. There appear to be many very large bombs stacked in the open, on the ground.
For one point per question:
1. What's the location of this base (either by geographic coordinates, or approximates distance and direction from a landmark)?
2. Name one kind of aircraft you can identify. (Provide evidence, please.)
3. Name another. (Again, please provide evidence.)
Click for larger version
|
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
Edited by - HalfMooner on 10/05/2009 01:32:19
|
|
|
sailingsoul
SFN Addict
2830 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 11:58:10 [Permalink]
|
For starters ,,,,,The plane at the top could be a boeing 717 ,the airliner initially developed in the 1990s by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95. For the Boeing Model 717 military transport developed in the 1950s, indicated by swept wings, two tail mounted engines (727 has 3), it's not a wide body and the tail horizontal stabilizers are mounted high on the tail. SS
|
There are only two types of religious people, the deceivers and the deceived. SS |
| Edited by - sailingsoul on 10/04/2009 12:13:30 |
 |
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2009 : 20:47:17 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by sailingsoul
For starters ,,,,,The plane at the top could be a boeing 717 ,the airliner initially developed in the 1990s by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95. For the Boeing Model 717 military transport developed in the 1950s, indicated by swept wings, two tail mounted engines (727 has 3), it's not a wide body and the tail horizontal stabilizers are mounted high on the tail. SS
|
Given what I know about the location, and given the other types of aircraft present, I doubt that's a 717. Companies other than Boeing have manufactured that twin-engine-at-the-tail configuration. Also, though the wingspan of the plane in the revetment at the top of the images is about that of a 717, its length appears to be shorter.
Edited to add: I've pretty firmly identified that aircraft. It's not a 717.
Hint # 1: This is a transport aircraft that has only recently gone into production.
Edited to further add: I now know the name and general nature of this base. It's a naval aviation base. I also know the name of the primary aircraft type seen in these images. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 10/05/2009 01:31:56 |
|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2009 : 01:22:43 [Permalink]
|
| Hint # 2: This base may be of special interest to our own Boron10, as it is a naval aviation base specializing in antisubmarine warfare. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 10/05/2009 01:32:37 |
|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2009 : 07:29:34 [Permalink]
|
Hint # 3: This one really is soluble. Don't get MAD; rather get smart. Look at and think about those barely-visible booms that extend aft from the tails of the planes. Identify those planes and it all gets easy. Then read up on who uses them and where they deploy them.
That's how I found the name of the base, and then confirmed that I'd correctly guessed the model of the aircraft. Turns out that probably more than half of that particular nation's fleet of those planes is right there in that image.
On the other hand, if you find the base with Google Earth first, you can zoom in to get an even better view of the aircraft.
|
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
|
|
|
Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2009 : 07:37:45 [Permalink]
|
| Just an observation - the four-engined prop planes parked mostly in the lower part of the picture remind me of P 3C "Orion" ASW aircraft, yet they don't appear to have the elongated tail avionics. |
Diversity, independence, innovation and imagination are progressive concepts ultimately alien to the conservative mind.
"TAX AND SPEND" IS GOOD! (TAX: Wealthy corporations who won't go poor even after taxes. SPEND: On public works programs, education, the environment, improvements.) |
|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2009 : 09:46:33 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by Chippewa
Just an observation - the four-engined prop planes parked mostly in the lower part of the picture remind me of P 3C "Orion" ASW aircraft, yet they don't appear to have the elongated tail avionics.
|
This wouldn't be the first time I ever saw something that wasn't there, but here are (red circled) some of the booms that I think I see:
They seem clearer to me when I zoom in with GE. Neither having those tails booms, nor having four engines would require them to be P-3 Orions, however. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 10/05/2009 09:51:44 |
|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2009 : 14:13:58 [Permalink]
|
Here's a US Navy P-3 Orion that I found with Google Earth on a runway at NAS Brunswick, Maine:
(Note that the wings are shaped differently than the most numerous aircraft in the exercise. The P-3's wings have a leading edge that is at 90 degrees to the fuselage, seem wider and shorter than the other aircraft. The P-3 seems a slightly "chunkier" aircraft overall.)
Now, here's one of the many aircraft in the exercise, zoomed in using GE, cut out, rotated, and contrast-enhanced. (Sorry, the resolution in not nearly as good as the aerial photography at Brunswick.) Note, I did not attempt to match the scale of these two:
The P-3 and the other aircraft do share a passing resemblance. The P-3 was developed from the Lockheed L-188 Electra civilian transport. The other aircraft is developed from a transport also, though from a different one. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 10/06/2009 13:48:27 |
|
|
|
Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2009 : 15:15:13 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by HalfMooner
...The P-3 was developed from the Lockheed L-188 Electra civilian transport. The other aircraft is developed from a transport also, though from a different one.
|
Yes, I now see the elongated tails and the Orions have turbo-prop engine exhaust outlets on top toward the backs of the engine nacelles that the mystery planes don't.
[/quote] |
Diversity, independence, innovation and imagination are progressive concepts ultimately alien to the conservative mind.
"TAX AND SPEND" IS GOOD! (TAX: Wealthy corporations who won't go poor even after taxes. SPEND: On public works programs, education, the environment, improvements.) |
|
|
|
Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2009 : 16:05:05 [Permalink]
|
Woot! Correct for the first of the three possible points, Chippewa!
The standings:- Hal, 34 points
- steinhenge, 24 points
- Dave W., 8 points
- bngbuck, 7 points
- Hawks, 5.5 points
- lorddix, 4 points
- AnthroGeek, 3 points
- Randy, 3 points
- R.Wreck, 3 points
- sailinsoul, 3 points
- Simon, 2 points
- Chippewa, 1 point
(Ties are listed in alphabetical order.) |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 10/05/2009 16:12:04 |
|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2009 : 10:40:24 [Permalink]
|
Just bumping this thread to remind folks that there are still two points to be claimed here:
1. For the location of the airbase. (I'd accept the name and/or location.)
2. Name one more aircraft at the airbase. (Such as that little twin-engine jet transport.) |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
|
|
|
Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2009 : 12:58:44 [Permalink]
|
| The plane at the top of the picture, with twin jets by the tail might possibly be a Tupolev Tu-134. |
|
|
|
Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2009 : 13:00:23 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by Chippewa
The plane at the top of the picture, with twin jets by the tail might possibly be a Tupolev Tu-134.
|
P.S. But its not a new plane. |
|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2009 : 13:30:55 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by Chippewa
Originally posted by Chippewa
The plane at the top of the picture, with twin jets by the tail might possibly be a Tupolev Tu-134.
|
P.S. But its not a new plane.
|
That's close, I think. As I measure it, the plane we see is about 5 meters shorter than a Tu-134, however. The plane I'm thinking of matches the observed wingspan and fuselage length -- and is quite new. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 10/06/2009 13:34:35 |
|
|
|
HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2009 : 14:37:18 [Permalink]
|
Here I've overlaid the outline of a Tu-134 in green, over our my best overhead shot of our mystery jet transport. Note the strong family resemblances and the length difference:
 |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 10/06/2009 14:38:14 |
|
|
 |
|
WoE # 87: Aerial Recon
