# Awacs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 6, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awacs/205810 "2003-10-06T03:30:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awacs/205810/1 "2003-10-06T03:30:19Z")
On my evening walk today, I saw a twin engine (wing mounted hanging nacelles) white jet with a radome. I didn’t think we had any twin engine AWACS aircraft. What was it? NASA, perhaps, or a weather tracker? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awacs/205810/2 "2003-10-06T03:32:34Z")
Like [this?](http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/infoelect/767awacs/) ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awacs/205810/3 "2003-10-06T03:42:52Z")
Was it an [E-2C Hawkeye](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/e-2.htm), perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awacs/205810/4 "2003-10-06T04:01:02Z")
The E-2C’s a turboprop, and smaller than what I saw. I’m guessing it’s the 767 that **Q.E.D.** found, of which I was unaware, although I will say that the jet engines did not look to be as big as they do on the 767s I’ve seen in commercial air. Hard to tell when you’re looking at an aircraft that’s hookin’ 'em by you at 4,000 feet or so. ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awacs/205810/5 "2003-10-06T13:46:45Z")
You are correct that the US does not have any 767 AWACS. However, [Japan](http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/infoelect/767awacs/index2.htm) does. And yes, that’s the next page of **Q.E.D.**'s link. He saved me the trouble of Googling it. Also, Boeing is still flying around a test aircraft or two. Your location says Houston - was the aircraft taking off out of or landing at Hobby? There is a large NASA presence there, so some sort of testing on the airframe might be the reason it was there. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awacs/205810/6 "2003-10-06T17:04:33Z")
Yes, it was in the Hobby landing pattern. And it was white, with some kind of orange flash on the side. ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awacs/205810/7 "2003-10-06T23:51:41Z")
I could only find three aircraft that fit the description. The E-767 that **pilot141** and **Q.E.D.** mention, and similar AEW (Airborne Early Warning) systems built on the [Airbus A310 airframe](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/e-310.htm) and [Boeing 737 airframe](http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/e-310.htm). Either of those look right? FWIW, the 767 is Japanese, the other two were competing for Australian business. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/awacs/205810/8 "2003-10-07T00:23:59Z")
It looked like the Airbus model. I’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between the 737 and the Airbus at the distance I saw it, but it had the circular radome.