# What aircraft might I have seen? (UK) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 28, 2006, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586 "2006-08-28T22:48:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/21 "2006-08-29T05:51:55Z")
[QUOTE=Xema] The AN-225 is 276 feet long, which certainly is big. But if it was 50 times the length of the helicopters, then we’re talking RC helicopters. Perhaps its unexpected size made the helicopters seem smaller than they actually were. [/QUOTE] Its also possible that the aircraft could have been flying with some UAV’s in consort. Declan ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/22 "2006-08-29T08:24:46Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] There was supposed to be an RAF “Spirit of Adventure” show at Abingdon in Oxfordshire on Saturday and Sunday but it says “Cancelled”. [/QUOTE] Yes. They hadn’t provided enough toilets. Embarrassing. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/23 "2006-08-29T19:29:58Z")
Possibly the Airbus 380 en route somewhere? The attendant aircraft may have been taking in-flight photos of the beast, whatever it was. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/24 "2006-08-29T19:46:28Z")
The AN-225 certainly is big, but I wouldnt say it’s cigar shaped. Sounds more like a B-52 to me. Or perhaps, being in Britain, a [Nimrod](http://website.lineone.net/~redgoose/images/photos/Nimrod%20in%20Formation%201.jpg) ? ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/25 "2006-08-29T20:37:14Z")
[QUOTE=Bookkeeper] Possibly the Airbus 380 en route somewhere? The attendant aircraft may have been taking in-flight photos of the beast, whatever it was. [/QUOTE] It’s possible, F-WXXL has been flight testing in the UK over the weekend I believe. [This is a picture of it](http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=510238) but it’s difficult to gauge how big it is without a comparison to an object of known size. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/26 "2006-08-29T23:36:43Z")
Ummm…were there visible wings on the big one? If not, well, the Zeppelin Corporation still makes airships. Blimp? Zep? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/27 "2006-08-30T05:09:24Z")
Heh, looking at the Nimrod and the Airbus, I gotta say, you Brits and Euros sure build some funny looking airplanes (sez the guy from the country that produced such beautiful classics as the A-10 Warthog, the B-24 Liberator, and the C-130 Hercules) ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/28 "2006-08-30T05:11:10Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Ummm…were there visible wings on the big one? If not, well, the Zeppelin Corporation still makes airships. Blimp? Zep? [/QUOTE] Actually, does anyone still make and fly solid-frame airships? Or are they all pretty much blimps now? I had heard the Air Force was toying with the idea of using an airship to carry aloft a large radar setup, since they could put the dish inside the baloon and avoid any problems with atmospheric drag like they would with an airplane carrying the thing around. Dunno if that plan amounted to anything but a “What if?” brainstorm. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/29 "2006-08-30T09:56:59Z")
[QUOTE=Raguleader] Heh, looking at the Nimrod and the Airbus, I gotta say, you Brits and Euros sure build some funny looking airplanes [/QUOTE] The Nimrod a development of the rather elegant [Comet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Comet). ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/30 "2006-08-30T09:59:51Z")
Urgh, speaking of nimrods, please add a “was” to the above sentence to correct it :rolleyes: The newest Nimrod is a substantial rebuild of the original aircraft too, makes it odder looking still 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/31 "2006-08-30T14:00:57Z")
[QUOTE=Raguleader] Heh, looking at the Nimrod and the Airbus, I gotta say, you Brits and Euros sure build some funny looking airplanes (sez the guy from the country that produced such beautiful classics as the A-10 Warthog, the B-24 Liberator, and the C-130 Hercules) [/QUOTE] Heh, The Warthog is one of the coolest aircraft ever, but beautiful is NOT what comes to mind. The Warthog nickname is not without reason (the official name is Thunderbolt II). Now the Lockheed Constellation, **that’s** a beautiful bird. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/32 "2006-08-30T17:00:28Z")
[QUOTE=Vetch] It’s possible, F-WXXL has been flight testing in the UK over the weekend I believe. [This is a picture of it](http://www.planepictures.net/netshow.php?id=510238) but it’s difficult to gauge how big it is without a comparison to an object of known size. [/QUOTE] It is possible I suppose, but I don’t recall such a prominent tailfin. [QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Ummm…were there visible wings on the big one? If not, well, the Zeppelin Corporation still makes airships. Blimp? Zep? [/quote] I didn’t see wings, but I assumed they were there. How fast can blimps travel, though? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/33 "2006-08-30T18:14:03Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] I didn’t see wings, but I assumed they were there. How fast can blimps travel, though? [/QUOTE] I suppose that depends on how fast you can push 'em. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/34 "2006-08-30T18:16:25Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] The Nimrod a development of the rather elegant [Comet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Comet). [/QUOTE] Hey cool, I didn’t realize anyone still used Comets! 😃 [QUOTE=Dorjän] Heh, The Warthog is one of the coolest aircraft ever, but beautiful is NOT what comes to mind. The Warthog nickname is not without reason (the official name is Thunderbolt II). Now the Lockheed Constellation, that’s a beautiful bird. [/QUOTE] The way I understand it, they designed a kickass gun, then proceeded to include a seat for the gunner, some metal sheilding to protect the gunner from return fire, dust kicked up by the spinning barrels, etc, some wings to put missile launchers and such on, and finally some engines because it looked kinda like an airplane after they did all that. 😃 One of my favorite planes is the A6 Intruder, a plane that ONLY looks good when it is in flight. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/35 "2006-08-30T18:18:09Z")
As soon as I hit the send button, I saw my mangled QUOTE tags. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2006, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/36 "2006-08-30T22:30:15Z")
Got 'em, **Ragu**. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/37 "2006-08-31T07:51:55Z")
Thankee, **Rico** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/38 "2006-08-31T17:30:01Z")
In addition to the Arrows zipping to and fro across the country during the summer months you may also catch sight of [these fellas](http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/bbmf/aircraft.html) - one big plane, two little ones, the Battle of Britain Memorial flight. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/39 "2006-08-31T21:38:58Z")
Was it a Super Guppy? ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2006, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586/40 "2006-09-01T07:41:19Z")
[QUOTE=Cat Jones] In addition to the Arrows zipping to and fro across the country during the summer months you may also catch sight of [these fellas](http://www.deltaweb.co.uk/bbmf/aircraft.html) - one big plane, two little ones, the Battle of Britain Memorial flight. [/QUOTE] Another plane which should be seen around next year is the only serviceable flying [Vulcan](http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23365287-details/Vulcan%20bomber%20set%20to%20soar%20once%20more/article.do) , from the cold-war era [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-aircraft-might-i-have-seen-uk/370586.md?page=1)