Unidentified airplane at RAF Northolt

Ruislip, United Kingdom (GB)

Strange angular airplane at RAF Northolt. Can anyone name it?

Unidentified airplane at RAF Northolt

Ruislip, United Kingdom (GB)

Strange angular airplane at RAF Northolt. Can anyone name it?

Airplanes - Military - Parked - Misc
Links: www.landair.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
By: Hinkkanen

Nearby:

BAe 146 of the Royal Flight at RAF Northolt

RAF Northolt

Drill/marching exercise at RAF Northolt

Spitfire replica at RAF Northolt

2 RAF Boeing Chinook HC.6s

Polish War Memorial

West London Racing Centre - R/C Track

Carnival

'97 Park' by Connell, Ward & Lucas

'99 & 101 Park' by Connell, Ward & Lucas

Hillingdon House

Spitfire Mk IX at the entrance to RAF Uxbridge

Comments

Parabellum

@ 2006-04-12 15:34:34

Helio Courier?

kjfitz

@ 2006-04-12 16:21:46

Not sure what the margin of error is on the measuring tool in GE but if it is accurate this plane is bigger than the Courier.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helio_Courier

Wiki says the Courier wingspan is 39 feet but GE saysthis plane's wingspan is 46 feet. Also 30 feet vs 33 feet long.

Hinkkanen

@ 2006-04-12 16:39:10

Helio Courier is a rare bird in Europe. Shape and size is about right for Britten-Norman Islander but I'm not sure if I can make out two engines and shape of nose is somewhat unclear too. Anyway tail and wings look about right and RAF and British Army have been using Islanders, so it's a distinct possibility.

Hinkkanen

@ 2006-04-12 16:43:24

...and according to Wikipedia, those Islanders are based in Northolt, so that about clicks it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Northolt

Parabellum

@ 2006-04-12 17:48:33

http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/manatee/272/islander.html

The horizontal stabilizer looks right, but what about the wingtips?

Hinkkanen

@ 2006-04-12 18:03:55

I looked at Islander photos at airliners.net and there seems to be two variants of the shape of wingtips. Some seem to correspondent to the threesides view you linked and some look a little more angular, they seem in fact to follow the dotted line shown in that view.
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0995331/M/

Parabellum

@ 2006-04-12 18:04:16

Hold on, here's one with squared wingtips: http://avia.russian.ee/air/england/britten_islander.html

Looks about right.

Anonymous

@ 2009-01-19 09:23:20

It is a very old single seat convetinal glider. It has to be winched up as being pulled by a tug aircraft wood break it rather quickly, Its named the Grasshopper not to sure of make and type, but it is good fun to fly. It can reach a height of 800feet (depends on the weight of the pilot).