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Christel wrote:I saw an aeroplane today...

Thing is I have no idea what I saw.

It had three engines, so propeller on the nose and one on either side.

It was blackish. With a funny tail. Old fashioned looking. Smallish.

Yeah I know...

Could it have been a V22 Osprey? I know it's not got a propeller on the nose but it's a weird thing with an odd tail. Wing rotors can be turned to 90 degrees and flies like a plane or helicopter, use by SAS.

Or one of these?

1066 wrote:

Christel wrote: Could it have been a V22 Osprey? I know it's not got a propeller on the nose but it's a weird thing with an odd tail. Wing rotors can be turned to 90 degrees and flies like a plane or helicopter, use by SAS.

Good shout..........but not really used by the SAS as the UK doesn't own any V-22, but there are a squadron of them based at RAF Mildenhall used by the USAF Special Ops cloak n dagger brigade, which do sometimes undertake joint exercises with the Hereford Hooligans...and you do see V-22 operating up and down the east coast on a daily basis.

Only issue is Christel's description of the noise being like a Spitfire, or an old piston engine aircraft, which doesn't really fit with a V-22, as in normal flight it sounds just like a jet aircraft passing overhead, and then sounds like a normal egg wisk collywopter when in the hover.

Cookisan wrote:

3 engine DC3.jpg

Or one of these?

Nope, I saw that when it was at the Farnborough Air Show in the late 1970's. Wiki says it's been written off and the replacement isn't flying.

Channel12, I googled the A400M and it could have been the one I saw. Only thing is that I have no idea about size, the one I saw was not a huge plane.
Now, it does not have a propeller on the nose - just thinking because I saw it sorta side on/going away it could have looked like there was a propeller on the nose.

My plan next week when I get a minute is to call Humberside Airport and ask if that plane was flying overhead on the 19th, if not then any idea what it could be.

Hmmm, maybe...

Could it have been an R1 Shadow ? They have been operating out of Coningsby recently and doing a lot of orbits around Louth and Immingham. It's small, piston engined and has a T tail. Though it only has two engines, it carries a plethora of antennae and can look very odd from some angles. When fitted with its 'Sidewalk' kit on the nose that may give it the impression of having a third engine if you don't get a really good view of it.

I can confirm that aircraft did fly over the Binbrook area around 4.50 ish on the 19th. It's currently flying in the general Lincolnshire area and is visible on FR24. Search for ZZ504 and it seems RAF training flights are visible these days.
That plane does have a pointy nose so could look 3 engined.

channel12 wrote:I can confirm that aircraft did fly over the Binbrook area around 4.50 ish on the 19th. It's currently flying in the general Lincolnshire area and is visible on FR24. Search for ZZ504 and it seems RAF training flights are visible these days.
That plane does have a pointy nose so could look 3 engined.

It's currently doing endless circle circuits over Hull at FL150.....

I'm old enough to remember the halcyon days when Binners was Fightertown UK

Ah, hoovering up cell phone traffic perhaps...

* dons tin foil hat *

meles meles, I reckon you are spot on, I have been watching the R1 Shadow flying online and it sure does look like it.

Guess seeing it sorta side on / flying away meant I thought it had three propellers.

Very observant of you despite being in a hole