pdunn: Comments

Very cool find! If you knew how many hours I've spent over San Antonio looking for just such a catch, it'd make you cry. Great job!

Cool find! I think a hurricane must have come through here not long before this shot was taken. I found a still up-side down light plane in the same airport, and many of the surrounding aircraft are missing wing parts.

As always, thanks for the ID!

Of only 53 produced, apparently quite a few of the remaining Starships reside at this airstrip.

Unless I'm not seeing the fueselage you mention, I think you are referring to the Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros next to the wing. However, it can be seen from other angles complete with wings, and its wings are significantly different than this one.

Same make, different bird. So far, there are at least three I've encountered.

Cool Catch!

Very cool find!!

This is the prototype for the Adam A700 VLJ (Very Light Jet), featured in the latest( November 2006) Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine.

VLJs are jets that:
Weigh less than 10,000 lbs
Seat 4-9 passengers
Have a crusie speed of roughly 400 mph
Have a range of 1,100 to 2,300 miles
Take off from runways shorter than 3,500 ft.

According to the Wikapedia article dda linked, this is one of only three flying Carvairs remaining. Its primary purpose is to transport passengers and their cars, thus the name "Carvair."

Good call, dda! Thanks for the ID. Evidently, they are cargo planes, with the nose opening for access.

Here's another shot of one in flight:

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voldude 123 is right. The view from the west reveals this to be a Skycrane, not a Hind. My bad.

It's possibly a Heinkel He.III; however seems a little "beefy" for that.

Here's a useful spotter's guide:
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Looks like I got the chronology wrong. The Navy was considering adopting the A-7 Corsair to replace the F-4 Phantom for its aerobatic team The Blue Angels;however, opted for the A-4 Skyhawk instead because the A-7 variant at the time lacked a powerful enough engine to meet the aerobatic requirements.

As usual, I think you got it. The tail slightly forward of the stabilizer and the air intakes up top seem to match. Good show!

My father used to build them for Vought. There was a time the A-7 were in line to replace the A-4 Skyhawk; however, the FA-18 won out. What we are seeing here could be the demonstrator used to woo the Navy, or the work of a Blue Angel fan who feels the paint scheme works with virtually any aircraft.

I think you are right, voldude 123, I think it is a Hudson Bomber instead of a Lodestar. Thanks for the catch.

Here's a nice photo of one in Canada:
http://www.gandercanada.com/explore_gander/aviation_museum%20.htm

Amazing collection you've collected there.

IL-28 Beagles
http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/9244/

I had the privilege of hearing a former SR-71 pilot lecture. He spoke of a time flying over the former Soviet Union faster and higher than any MiG could ever hope to match; however, that didn't stop them from trying. He said he could see the MiGs circling far below, trying to gain altitude, and then they would "pop-up" and try to arc a missile up in the direction of the Blackbird. Always too little, too late, I'm happy to say.

Oops. Added an extra "l" on the end of the above link. It should read "htm"

My guess is they are both SAABS. The one with the conards I believe is a SAAB JAS 39 Gripen:
http://www.avrosys.nu/aircraft/Jakt/124JAS39.htm

, and the other is the SAAB 35 Draken:
http://www.avrosys.nu/aircraft/Jakt/122J35.html

Thanks for the ID and background info!!

Aha, you are assuming those are buildings you are looking at and not a grove of trees made to look like buildings and that the surrounding orchard is actually trees, not cleverly disguised buildings. ;0)

Cool. Thanks for all the great research!!

I thought the same thing. However, check out the North and South views, the wings seem much more like an F-16s or even an F-5. And the paint scheme is definitely not Navy. I think this is something different.

Jbottero says this is the location brush fire jumpers deploy from. So, chances are these are firejumpers readying to deploy.

To think, a couple of weeks ago I didn't even know they existed, and now they're everywhere I turn. Thanks for ID-ing that first one for me!

Thanks. It's amazing the treasure trove of American aviation history there is hidden within virtually every municipal airport around the country. I've learned the majority of the finds are located near the plants they were originally produced—explaining why so many local airstrips in California have so many vintage planes and parts.

I think you nailed it. What we are seeing here must be a prop from the movie. Here's a cool look at the fictional "Whispercraft":

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/WhispercraftCataloguePage.htm

The plane on the right is a B-66 Destroyer, I'm still not convinced what the plane on the left is.

I believe this is a collection of B-66 Destroyers, recon aircraft.
...

The complete aircraft to the far left could be a Bell XP-59, the US's first jet aircraft.

Thanks for the tip. After Googling images of the YO=3A,
http://images.google.com/images?q=YO-3A&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&sa=N&tab=wi
I am convinced this is much larger than the aircraft pictured. and I believe it is jet powered.

You obviously know your stuff. It does looks Peacemaker-ish right down to the two inboard bumps. I assume the spots for the remaining engines would be included on outer panels not seen here.

Obviously, I erred in thinking it is a private jet. It is a fighter in every sense of the word.

I was a little hasty in my posting. Had I waited a tad longer I could've connected it to the PBY at the other end of the strip.

Good ID, again. Did you identify it before coming across the fueselage at the far end of the strip, or by wingshape alone?

By George, I think you've done it. Good ID.

Cool shot. Thanks for the homework, Kjfitz.

For a truly depressing experience, click on the Google Maps selection and you will see this and other classic aircraft caught on Live Local, in tatters, the result of hurricane Katrina.

The long wake could indicate it was conducting a mine-sweeping operation, although it doesn't appear to be trailing a cable.

Oops, I meant if you approach this frame from the RIGHT-CENTER of the grid, you get a totally new set up.

I think I see what you mean. If you come towards this "North" frame from the left of the grid and select "East," you get the same perspective as the "North" view, but with a parking lot full of cars.

The reason for it, I have no idea. Other than they strung these together over subsequent days. Still, that doesn't explain the same perspective for East and North, but different views.

Now that everyone is thoroughly confused, maybe someone else can explain it.

Here is a facinating account of history's first and only seaplane to break the sound barrier:

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f7.html

That is one of the amazing things about Live Locaal, go around the points of the compass and you can find an entirely different scene. I was scanning a running track down the road from this movie studio, and what was an empty venue on three of the compass points had a full blown track meet on the last.

After checking the other angles, I've changed by mind on what it is we are seeing here. I think rather than a van on a pier, it is actually a boat, and the pier is a wave-motion...

Thanks.. I feel a bit like Captain Ahab of Mobey Dick. I've been looking for whales almost contantly every time I found myself on a coastline, and had convinced myself they were too small or too similar in color to the water to see. Once, I was even duped by someone who photo-shopped a blue whale into of layer of Google Earth... But then, lo-and-behold, this guy showed up on my last troll of the night. Looks like its doing a double take at the ship that just passed by.

Evidently, the Navy decided they didn't like having a "Bird's Eye" view of their base. It's no longer available in any resolution close to what is shown in the thumbnail.

That is amazing to me. The gaps from a distance looked so much like the markings of a Sharpee Marker, and the fact each line is so perfectly straight and spaced, I assumed we were seeing left over by a careless cartographer. So I labled it a "satelite error." I had no idea they were trees. I guess the lesson is to always check each map at every zoom level.

Here is a third patch of smoke:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&q=Russian+Federation&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=43.322243,45.806626&spn=0.002533,0.007237

It is horrific. I hadn't really looked closely until you pointed it out. It looks like virtually every building surrounding this military base has extensive damage, I imagine as a result of sniper supression.

Here are the coordinates to another of the smoking vehicles. If you follow the tire tracks back across the open field, it looks like it originated near the one you posted.

...

What do you speculate is the cause?
Judging by the amount and color of the smoke and the fact there are at least three similar vehicles smoking simultaneously near a military base, my guess is that it is a military excercise, and the smoke is for concealment.

By the looks of the scorched earth near the pad to the west, not all their launches have gone without incident.

That means the title should be "Improbable IED in Baghdad."

I believe this is all part of a military museum. There are jets and helicopters near the building at the top of the hill, and it looks like possibly a helicopter and missile or rocket on its side just above and below these two aircraft.

Despite snowfall since the last map upgrade, North Korea's Invisible Airforce is still visible through the snow:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&t=k&q=Korea,+Democratic+People%27s+Republic+of&ie=UTF8&ll=39.865385,125.56364&spn=0.002672,0.005488&om=1

Please include in Sunday's thumbs, even though they were in Saturday's que. Thanks.

I came across another one of these contraptions while exploring Boeing Field in Seattle, check it out:

http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=rxqc9n4t6244&style=o&lvl=2&scene=3704393

Thanks for clearing that up. The length of the pumps and piping is similar to the plane next to it, and it was sleek enough to look airplane-like. However, the North Koreans aren't known for sleek.

It is very telling how unkept this airbase is compared to those of other nations.

I think there may be an optical illusion at work here. There is a gray hue thrughout the entire airbase that makes the entire place look like it was recently obliterated. I think it is just a hue, though, and the buildings actually are intact with roofs that have shading that makes them appear to be missing.

To your credit there are a large number of motorcycles around the parking area, and it is odd that more car chasis aren't visible than the ones I listed above. Epsecially in front of the team trucks.

You sound much more knowledgable about it than I am. However, there are a pair of what I think are Formula-1 chasis in a hospitality tent that led me to believe this was an F-1 Race. Here's the map:

http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/16142/

Weather update over the Korean Peninsula (June 20, 2006):
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060620/ts_nm/korea_north_dc_9

Storm clouds have obscured the launch site, making a launch risky for the North Koreans. Not launching could prove equally risky. News reports indicate once fuel has been loaded into the missile it is very difficult to remove; however, the fuel's corrosive effects will...

Dirt roads are dirt roads. Lack of infrastructure is lack of infrastructure. Open the map, take a walk around. Have things changed considerably from the time of the Fas article and the taking of the sat image? You be the judge.

If it were to come to that, yes. However, one thing the US has going for it other than the primative state of North Korea's launch site—is the fact it takes two solid days to fuel their missile, and then the missile must be launched within 48-hours or it will be destroyed by its own corrosive fuel.

Here's an article mentioning the primative state of North Korea's Launch Facilities that are cleary evident in these thumbnails:

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk/facility/nodong.htm

Here's an article mentioning the primative state of North Korea's Launch Facilities that are cleary evident in these thumbnails:

http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/dprk/facility/nodong.htm

his is the Masudan-ri Missile launch site in North Korea, where reports indicate Sunday, June 18, 2006, the North Korean's have fueled and are preparing to test fire a long range Taepodong nuclear-capable missile, capable of reaching Russia, much of Asia, Alaska and possibly Washington State.

Here is an article from CNN detailing the events:
...

his is the Masudan-ri Missile launch site in North Korea, where reports indicate Sunday, June 18, 2006, the North Korean's have fueled and are preparing to test fire a long range Taepodong nuclear-capable missile, capable of reaching Russia, much of Asia, Alaska and possibly Washington State.

Here is an article from CNN detailing the events:
...

his is the Masudan-ri Missile launch site in North Korea, where reports indicate Sunday, June 18, 2006, the North Korean's have fueled and are preparing to test fire a long range Taepodong nuclear-capable missile, capable of reaching Russia, much of Asia, Alaska and possibly Washington State.

Here is an article from CNN detailing the events:
...

This is the Masudan-ri Missile launch site in North Korea, where reports indicate Sunday, June 18, 2006, the North Korean's have fueled and are preparing to test fire a long range Taepodong nuclear-capable missile, capable of reaching Russia, much of Asia, Alaska and possibly Washington State.

Here is an article from CNN detailing the events:
...

Here is an article that appeared in the Washington Times (02/16/06) detailing efforts by China to conceal much of the recent expansion of its nuclear war fighting capability.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060216-020211-7960r.htm

Thanks for the homework. It's always nice to know what we're looking at.

Here is a good overhead shot of the canal and surroundings near Zarqawi's last stand:
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events//wl/042506alzarqawi/im:/060610/ids_photos_wl/r2184899124.jpg;_ylt=AtZV29xEvOe_wlZwTrAYO12aK8MA;_ylu=X3oDMTA5bGcyMWMzBHNlYwNzc25hdg--

If you would like to move the screenshots of the gun camera footage of this neighborhood up to this thumbnail I would not object.

My "best guess" was on the same street but a few hundred yards to the south. The New York Times shows the house shown here as the correct house. So I defer to washelt2. Good find.

The image above is also from Hibhib. The location the Iraqi blogger indicates appears to lack the trees the Pentagon's gun camera footage shows.

I did a little homework of the North Island Naval Air Station, and it turns out that it was home to the first ever squadron of F4-U Corsairs. Judging by this fact alone, I'm convinced it is a Corsair.

Here's the background: http://www.fighterfactory.net/airworthy-aircraft/navy-fg-1d-corsair.php

I cast my vote with voldude123. Here is a Corsair from another map and it appears to have the similar proportions as the one pictured here:
http://virtualglobetrotting.com/map/19598/

Thanks for the info. You could be right, however, I would wager it's the real McCoy, simply becuase it is parked on the tarmac of a Naval Airstation that has other vintage aircraft like a pair of F9-F8 Cougar parked nearby.

I would imagine other than for airshows, the Navy would not allow home-builts to be birthed at the airstation. But I am only speculating.

That is odd. I wonder if the original site could have been taken before the area had been dug out. Evidently, the thick walls of the old pens wreaked havoc on Airbus' efforts to extend the runway, causing extensive delays.

Interesting theories. It never occurred to me that we could be seeing something below the surface. I guess the clincher will be if we can find a boat actually over the top of one of the structures.

This one's perplexing. However, after running the image by someone who worked on the A-7 for Vaught back in the 70's, after agreeing it looked A-7-ish, took out a magnifying glass, and--like you indicated in an earlier posting--its long nose, sleek lines, and dual air intakes become evident.
Leading us to believe, it is, as you correctly guessed, a Gnat. Good eye!

Thanks for the research. Although, there is a listing of a Gnat being restored in the area, to me this particular aircraft doesn't appear as sleak as a Gnat:
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/gnat/

But appears to have the blunt nose and features of an A-7:
...

Thanks Albino Flea.

The discussion's conclusion was that rater than a "close call" this shot captured two sailplanes sharing the same thermal— a fairly common occurance.

Thanks. Sounds like you know your stuff. I'll defer to your call. It's a Bristol Bolingbroke.

The resolution available on these F-18 is MUCH better than the thumbnail shows.

This is the super-secret underground complex that led the international community to conclude the Iranians are up to less-than-peaceful intentions with their nuclear program. The area beneath this opening is large enough (and is believed) to house 55,000 or more nuclear centrifuges.

The mountain itself houses a large subteranian complex that conects the reactor (on the oposite side of the mountain) to this area, allowing any military activity to be conducted underground and...

Like Batman answering to a bat-shaped becon in the clouds, label a bunch of propane tanks missiles, and you can be sure Analogman will appear out of thin air to set things right again in the world. Thank you, Analogman.

By the number of spectators visible on both sides of the road and up and down the street, I think chances are it was indeed an IED. However, a flaming car of any sort also tends to draw crowds. If you look two to three car lengths ahead of the flaming car, I think you can see damage to the road, although the evidence is not conclusive.

You're right, it could be a car fire. However, in a city where they have dozens of IED in a day, chances are high that the aftermath of one of them would be vissible by a passing satellite. Many IEDs, if not most, have hit civilians.

This is the Al Sad airfield in Western Iraq, Iraq's second largest. It was taken by Austrailian Special Forces during a hottly contested battle pitting the SF troops against specially modified SUVs armed with heavy weaponry. After the base was captured, the Austrailians discovered dozens of flyable Iraq aircraft hidden in dry riverbeds, under groves of date palms and other creative concealment. Many of the aircraft can still be seen around the perimeter of the airbase.

With the higher resolution now available through Google Earth, I'm convinced this is a DC-3. Oddly, a camouflaged DC-3.

The P-40 Warhawk, Me 109, F4U Corsair, P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt pictured here are part of the 84th Aero Squadron Restaurant's display adjacent to the museum. The food there is excellent, by the way.

Look out ahead of the plane and you'll see that distinctive motion blur. Also, I thought the object to the south east near the taxiway was Plane #1's shadow, but judging by the motion blur ahead of it, I'm convinced it's a second F-16.

It's a motion blur the satellite picks up with
virtually every fast moving object. Sometimes it's
easier to spot aircraft by the smudge than the plane
itself, especially when it's got a paint scheme like
this one.

Worshipers have dispersed since Google's previous update.

Evidently, the fire has been extinguished since Google's last Map update.

There's another at about 5:00 to the south east, however, it is too blurry to post (Four inches away at highest magnification)