Plane Spotting - The Quiz

[SeaVisionBurma]

4 engines, narrow body - looks like a 707 to me.

[David48]

Hint: it's American and goes just about anywhere it wants. If you saw the markings on the side it would be obvious.

From your wording above ... "Hint: it's American and goes just about anywhere it wants."

I immediately thought of

But clearly not ... so we can eliminate that one.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Air Force One used to be a Boeing 707....

...just saying

[David48]

Bit small on the mobile screen - but looks like SQ 777

Just so know I haven't forgotten your guess ... you are correct .. just that the supporting media and plane info's not on this computer ... will update a bit later.

[David48]

Air Force One used to be a Boeing 707....

...just saying

Yes, I agree ... but I was looking at the colour clues and the nose job is different on the subject as opposed to the photos I looked at.

[lubbkis]

Air Force One used to be a Boeing 707....

...just saying

Yes, I agree ... but I was looking at the colour clues and the nose job is different on the subject as opposed to the photos I looked at.

That must have been a long, long time ago. I have a vague memory of taxiing past a 747 our pilot said was AF2 at Lyon just before the Albertville Olympics, which seems a long time ago.

[spud67]

Kudos to everyone who called it - a B707 is absolutely the base model for this aircraft.

Boeing made many military variants of it called the Stratolifter:
C-135 - cargo
KC-135 - tanker
EC-135/RC-135 - command
WC-135 - weather observation

But this particular Boeing Stratolifter is the OC-135 and it has only one job. By international agreement, it legally spies on any and all of the 34 signatories to the Open Skies Treaty. Imagine the monitoring tech on this airplane! The theory being to allow everyone to stick their noses into each other's backyards to prevent secret military build up. This website has a decent overview of the treaty.

Here is a better picture from wikimedia:


The Russians use an Antonov and a Tupolev.

The Canadians share a monitoring system with a half dozen other countries that can be mounted on a Herc. I don't know what the others use.

Each host country must do everything they can to ensure a successful mission of spying. However, I have been told the host soldiers will get friendly with their guests, invite them out the night before the flight and get them drunk. The flights are given a 30 minute window at each location where the airspace has been closed to other traffic. With any luck the crew sleeps in and misses the window provided for air closures and NOTAMs. Not sure that has ever been successful.

Great guesses on an obscure aircraft!!

[David48]

spud67 seriously ... a great post ...

Just looking at the American aircraft ... what are the special engine modifications?

They look elongated ... a design feature to allow higher altitude flying?

.

[Radar501]

The Boeing 707 first flew in 1957.

I'm staggered to think that it still has a use at the leading edge of US military technology.

[David48]

The Boeing 707 first flew in 1957.

I'm staggered to think that it still has a use at the leading edge of US military technology.

WOW that flew before I was even a twinkle in Dad's eye.

55 years of flying ... hope I'm still going strong when I'm a similar vintage!

.

[David48]

Bit small on the mobile screen - but looks like SQ 777

Yes, SVB ... well done ...

Indeed it's a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-212ER

.

Edited March 11, 2013 by David48

[David48]

# 034

Try for the ...

• Airline

• Make and Model

This one is so easy you guys would eat it for breakfast.

So, let's start with an internal shot*

*It's not my photo, so I'll acknowledge the Author when the plane is spotted.

[diddums]

Can we put helicopters up ?

[diddums]

They are superior aviation vehicles ......

[Chao Lao Beach]

spud67 seriously ... a great post ...

Just looking at the American aircraft ... what are the special engine modifications?

They look elongated ... a design feature to allow higher altitude flying?

.

David, they are just standard low bypass engines like on a B727. There is likely some mods to make them stage 2, but that is to try an muffle some of the noise so they can operate out of noise senitivie airports like in your back yard in Oz which has lost the plot in this regard.

Good Open skies link above, thanks.

Edited March 11, 2013 by Chao Lao Beach

[Radar501]

# 034

Try for the ...

• Airline

• Make and Model

PS # 34.jpg

This one is so easy you guys would eat it for breakfast.

So, let's start with an internal shot*

*It's not my photo, so I'll acknowledge the Author when the plane is spotted.

Seat configuration - Boeing 747-200?

Asian flight attendant in blue uniform - Korean Air?

If I am close to the mark, this photo must be OLD

[David48]

# 034

Seat configuration - Boeing 747-200?

Asian flight attendant in blue uniform - Korean Air?

If I am close to the mark, this photo must be OLD

Radar501 ... a great start.

It is a Boeing 747 ... but not the 200 series.

Still you have the planes' general description correct and that's good enough for me.

Not Korean Air.

The photo is not mine ... though I don't believe to be ancient.

So now it's pick the Airline.

.

[smokie36]

Is it EVA Air?

[David48]

Is it EVA Air?

Thanks smokes ... but not EVA either.

.

[diddums]

china eastern airlines

[David48]

china eastern airlines

You and smokie36 are on the right continent and there or there abouts for the right area.

.

[lubbkis]

china eastern airlines

You and smokie36 are on the right continent and there or there abouts for the right area.

.

So China Southern. I've been on China and they did have a bit more bulkhead descortion than shown here, though as it was Christmas they did insist on playing a a repetitive medley of "seasonal jingles" including one with very morbid lyrics.

[RabC]

With the age of the pic/aircraft I go for Air China

[David48]

Asian agreed ... but not any of the China Airlines.

This aircraft is still flying today.

I've never flown with them.

But it's my understanding that they are definitely in the 'Budget Class'

[RabC]

Orient Thai

[David48]

# 034

Orient Thai

RabC ... correctamondo ...

An Orient Thai Boeing 747-412

Kudos for the photo

• Airline: Orient Thai Airlines
• Aircraft: Boeing 747-412 (B744)
• Reg: HS-STC
• Altitude: 3550 ft (1082 m)
• V/S: -128 fpm
• Speed: 218 kt (404 km/h, 251 mph)
• Track: 259°
• Hex: 884E83
• Squawk: 5150
• Pos:
• Radar: T-VTBD1

Had I just posted the photos below ... would have been over faster then an encounter on Beach Rd.

[David48]

# 035

Try for the ...

• Airline

• Make and Model

Same, but little bit different.

.

[spud67]

T

# 035

Try for the ...

• Airline

• Make and Model

LR DSCF7262.JPG

Same, but little bit different.

.

Turkish Airlines A330

[spud67]

This one is again state owned. So no real livery to speak of. But I finally have an airborn aircraft! Just going for the make and model.

For extra points, there is a visible part(s) that makes this particular variant identifiable.

[SeaVisionBurma]

Lockheed AC-130 - I'm saying AC-130 as it looks like the ground-attack variant of the C-130

Bit difficult to see the visible parts which would identify it from this shot on the screen I'm using - but if its the AC-130 they have modified fuselage to house Bushmaster cannon, and the bulging modified fuselage looks to be there....