For the second time in as many days, I’ve observed an unusual aircraft in what appeared to be the approach to Hobby Airport.
It was a canard with four jet engines right next to the seemingly narrow fuselage at the rear, wing mounted. The wings had vertical stabilizers at their outer edges, and horizontal stabilizers at about the cockpit.
It seemed to be a fairly sizeable airplane, but I don’t really know what altitude it was seen at. That’s just based on it seeming to be in the same corridor that I see many commercial jets use everyday.
FWIW, the path it was following wouuld also be taking it in the direction of both NASA and Ellington Field.
So, is somebody flying a canard jetliner? What do you think it was? It was a beautiful sight.
That’s darn close Shiva. Except for the engines, the configuration is correct. These 48 year old eyes seemed to percieve four jet nacelles, with no apparent turbofans. And perspective can mean a lot - it seemed a bit longer and skinnier than the photo you linked, but, as I say, the config matches. Thanks for the input. I’ll be watchin’ for more detail.
I was going to go out on a limb and suggest the XB-70, arguably one of the coolest planes ever made. A man can dream, right? What I wouldn’t give to see these things flying again.
flyboy, I didn’t put in my OP, as I know there are none flying, but the Valkyrie was the first thing it brought to mind when I saw it. I only first got to see the Valkyrie on my Ohio visit to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson last summer.
Had to be a Beech Starship. It’s the only thing that size and configuration that you’ll find flying in the U.S., I think, unless it’s an experimental prototype or something. And I think we would have heard about that.
