What was it?

"UserNotFound" (jalopnik2) 06/14/2020 at 10:59 • Filed to: None

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I don’t see 4 engine jets like this over my house very often. Looks like it was going to/ from BWI. Any ideas what it was?

ttyymmnn > UserNotFound 06/14/2020 at 11:17

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C-135 most likely. I’d say KC-135 but I don’t see a refueling boom.

RacinBob > UserNotFound 06/14/2020 at 11:29

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E-8C? https://www.businessinsider.com/all-the-planes-in-us-air-force-2016-5#e-8c-joint-stars-17

facw > UserNotFound 06/14/2020 at 11:43

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I tend to agree with the others who think it is a military aircraft (C-135, E-8, or a few minor variants ). BWI is home to Northrop’s sensor division (formerly Westinghouse), so it would be shocking to have a military aircraft there for upgrades/maintenance/part collection.

Proportions could also be an A340, but the A340 was expensive to fly and being retired even before the pandemic hit, I can’t really imagine anyone is flying them now with international air travel more or less at a standstill.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > RacinBob 06/14/2020 at 11:49

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I think this is it, look at the engine placing as well, makes sense. 

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > UserNotFound 06/14/2020 at 11:49

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_E-8_Joint_STARS

ttyymmnn > facw 06/14/2020 at 11:52

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it would be shocking

It wouldn’t be shocking?

facw > ttyymmnn 06/14/2020 at 12:03

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wouldn’t...

It would on the other hand be nice if kinja didn’t have such a short edit window so we could fix more of our stupid typos.

ttyymmnn > UserNotFound 06/14/2020 at 12:12

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It could also be an E-6 . Your photo looks like it has larger high bypass turbofans, and I think that only the KC-135 has been re-engined. However,the E-6 in this photo has antennas on the wingtips that would probably be visible even in that grainy photo. If you check out the ADS-B Exchange radar, you can see all sorts of military planes over the US, or at least the ones that are announcing their presence. There is an E-6 over northeast TX right now.

ClassicDatsunDebate > ttyymmnn 06/14/2020 at 12:12

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The boom deploys.

ttyymmnn > ClassicDatsunDebate 06/14/2020 at 12:14

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Yes, but you can usually see the wings of the flying boom when it’s tucked up ender the empennage. 

ClassicDatsunDebate > ttyymmnn 06/14/2020 at 12:28

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It could be tucked up there but you’re right.

bmil128 > UserNotFound 06/14/2020 at 12:31

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Slight possibility of it being a DC-8 still being used for cargo, I know DHL still had some flying

ttyymmnn > ClassicDatsunDebate 06/14/2020 at 12:34

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It sticks pretty far out past the end of the tail. I think you’d be able to see it. 

Butsen-Katsun > UserNotFound 06/14/2020 at 13:37

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I was gonna say KC135 also but no boom. Maybe AN 124? Ive seen those over Phoenix and Seattle

Edit: nevermind it's too skinny looking

AlfaCorse > UserNotFound 06/14/2020 at 17:46

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It looks like an A340 to me, you can kinda make out the winglets . South African has been flying A340-600 into IAD a few times this week, maybe it was one of those, was it white?

Dusty Ventures > ClassicDatsunDebate 06/14/2020 at 19:25

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ttyymmnnnnnnnnnn’s right. KC-135s regularly visit the base near me and you can easily see the boom when it’s tucked.

ttyymmnn > facw 06/14/2020 at 20:44

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I’ve noticed a fair amount of E-6 activity over the US. I don’t kn ow what it is usually like, since I only recently started looking at the ADS-B that shows the military flights. There are two up over the east coast right now, one of which is flying an interesting pattern out of Pax River. Since the E-6 was the last 707 variant produced, and has the HB turbofans, that’s what I’m putting my money on, since it looks like larger engines on the original photo. The only catch is that the E-6 has rather large antenna nodules on the wingtips that would probably show up in the photo.