# What kind of plane is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 22, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045 "2007-03-22T17:44:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![flyboy101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@flyboy101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy101)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/41 "2012-06-25T01:09:26Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > Could it be a [BAE Mantis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BAE_Systems_Mantis) UAV? > > ETA: Based on the statement that it first flew in 2009, (also [this article](http://www.armedforces-int.com/news/bae_mantis_uav_completes_initial_flight_trials.html)), it seems it couldn’t have been sighted in 2007. And it does have a bulge in the front, but no actual canard. Maybe there was a predecessor to it? No not this aircraft at all… you guys must think LONG fuselage. Very long and very thin. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@flyboy101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy101)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/42 "2012-06-25T01:37:15Z")
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**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/43 "2012-06-25T02:36:51Z")
Here is a photo of one of the MD-80 family of airliners (spun off from the aforementioned DC-9s). No canard, and no props on the engines at the tail end, but it is long with wings and engines near the back. > **[Aviation Photo #2123543: McDonnell Douglas MD-81 (DC-9-81) - Scandinavian...](https://www.airliners.net/photo/Scandinavian-Airlines--/McDonnell-Douglas-MD-81/2123543?sid=46f5f4d6024779301e9bc83befbee0e0)** > > Landing on runway 27L in the morning at London Heathrow - Photo taken at London - Heathrow (LHR / EGLL) in England, United Kingdom on April 6, 2012. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/44 "2012-06-25T02:44:02Z")
Theres a fleet of white unmarked MD-80’s owned by the Justice Department and used for prisoner transport and deportation: [http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general\_aviation/read.main/4687136/](http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4687136/) everything else matches, is it possible you were just wrong about the canard and pusher props? opps never mind, flyboy is talking about a different plane than the OP it sounds like, this thread should really be split. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/45 "2012-06-25T03:55:28Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Theres a fleet of white unmarked MD-80’s owned by the Justice Department and used for prisoner transport and deportation: > [Airliners.net - Aviation Forums](http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4687136/) > > everything else matches, is it possible you were just wrong about the canard and pusher props? > > opps never mind, flyboy is talking about a different plane than the OP it sounds like, this thread should really be split. Minor nitpick, the pictured plane isn’t unmarked, it’s just lacking in livery. You can see the reg number on the side of the engine. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/46 "2012-06-25T17:32:35Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Theres a fleet of white unmarked MD-80’s owned by the Justice Department and used for prisoner transport and deportation: > [Airliners.net - Aviation Forums](http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4687136/) > > everything else matches, is it possible you were just wrong about the canard and pusher props? > > opps never mind, flyboy is talking about a different plane than the OP it sounds like, this thread should really be split. I’m the original poster, and the plane that Flyboy101 saw seems identical to the one I saw. (I’m surprised to see this thread resurrected, actually.) The fuselage was very long. The wings were almost rectangular and mounted (almost) at a 90 degree angle to the fuselage. (Gotta go right now… more later) J. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/47 "2012-06-25T17:53:57Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Here is a photo of one of the MD-80 family of airliners (spun off from the aforementioned DC-9s). No canard, and no props on the engines at the tail end, but it is long with wings and engines near the back. > > [McDonnell Douglas MD-81 (DC-9-81) - Scandinavian Airlines - SAS | Aviation Photo #2123543 | Airliners.net](http://www.airliners.net/photo/Scandinavian-Airlines--/McDonnell-Douglas-MD-81/2123543/&sid=46f5f4d6024779301e9bc83befbee0e0) Yeah, this one is no where near it. This one’s wings are tapered and slanted back from the fuselage. No canard, and no pusher props. J. ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/48 "2012-06-25T23:49:16Z")
It probably won’t help, but what color was the mystery plane? ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/49 "2012-06-25T23:55:03Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > It probably won’t help, but what color was the mystery plane? All white. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a6a055/32.png) [@flyboy101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy101)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/50 "2012-06-26T23:07:47Z")
Yes, it sounds like three of us have seen the same plane (perhaps uav). To say it is rare does not seem to cover it. Rare is something that is KNOWN but not often seen. This thing is not even known. That is the most mysterious thing about it to me is that no pics exist of it and no one has any idea what it is. It is as if the design itself does not exist. Had I not seen it with my own eyes i could not prove it exists. Very interesting to say the least. > [@jharvey963](#): > > All white. ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2012, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/51 "2012-06-27T00:04:20Z")
flyboy how big was what you saw? The OP saw something the size of a small 737? Was yours that big? If so then its almost certainly not a UAV, theres just no need to make UAV’s that big. I’m still not convinced you’re talking about the same plane. ---
**Author:** ![Theflyingsqurriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Theflyingsqurriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theflyingsqurriel)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/52 "2016-03-31T17:46:58Z")
I believe your talking about the Theseus UAV.[Theseus](http://www.unicraft.biz/on/theseus/theseus.htm) ---
**Author:** ![ashtayk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@ashtayk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashtayk)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/53 "2016-03-31T18:25:04Z")
WOW! That took four years! I hope the flyboy comes over to check out the photo and put us all out of our misery. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045/54 "2016-03-31T19:00:13Z")
It might be what **flyboy** saw but it doesn’t have anything in common with the OP’s description other than pusher props. In any event, **flyboy** hasn’t logged on since three days after his first post here (in 2012) so I doubt we’ll be hearing from him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plane-is-this/397045.md?page=2)