Help ID an aircraft.

Hi, I need help in iding an aircraft I just saw
Location. Northern Manchester TN
Time: 5:10-5:15 PM April 24th
Flying from East to West
Altitude, 3,000 to 5,000 feet

Aircraft was a Twin Boom Pusher/Puller aircraft, meaning there was an engine in the back of the fuselage and one engine in the front.
Engines were prop with what looked like the cylinder heads on the outside of the cowling.
aircraft was White in color.
Could not see a cockpit since it flew right over head.
It looked very similar to the Northrop Scaled Composites Firebird.
Wings were very long with tapered ends.

Other unusual features: Left wing had a long probe coming form the leading edge.

I know why didn't I get a picture? I was working on my motorcycle and had my hands covered in grease.
besides it went behind the tree line before I could get in and get in, grab the camera etc.

I;m trying to figure out if it was a UAV or what.
thanks

a reply to: mash3d
Not sure, but some kind of stealth technology is involved here

a reply to: mash3d

Well, we need a bit more info than that

a reply to: mash3d

must be a black project, at least according to my color settings...

Clearly that is a late 1970s vintage Cessna 172.

originally posted by: pyguy
a reply to: mash3d

must be a black project, at least according to my color settings...

A dark-gray project actually lol

Sorry I accidentally hit the return key

Hello, from Mid TN myself....

I am guessing with the upcoming storms, they are researching the atmosphere with the long probe thing.

Just a thought anyhow.

a reply to: Doodle19815

well The UT space institute and the Arnold Engineering and Development Center is nearby so may it was one of theirs.
since I'm a plane nut and done 3d models of several aircraft so I usually know whats buzzing around over head and I've never seen this one before.
Keep an eye out for it maybe it will pop up again.

Did it match anything on Flightradar24

?

originally posted by: kloejen
Did it match anything on Flightradar24

?

Nope I took a look at flight radar and plane finder. Nothing on either one.
That's not the first time that's happened. Last week I heard a very large low flying jet overhead.
Didn't see it because of cloud cover but it wasn't on flight radar either.
Which is odd because I'm no where near an airport that would handle large jets.

You'd be pretty lucky if it were an Adam A500, but it sounds like a regular, ol' Cessna Skymaster to me.

a reply to: mash3d

Was it this:

www.aerofiles.com...
www.spyflight.co.uk...
www.phoenixproject-thenovel.com...

Mystery solved.
I figured since it was flying towards a local airport I'd go over there and see if it landed.
Well I didn't see it on the runway. But I saw an older gentleman and I asked him.
I described what I saw and he said "Oh yeah, the Beast"
The Beast ???
Turns out a local company is doing some flight testing for the aircraft.
The aircraft is a Sikorsky SA-38B.





Sammamishman you were close. It seems Sikorsky absorbed The Schweizer aircraft company after they went out of business in 2012. The Sikorsky SA-38B is related to the Schweizer RU-38 Twin Condor.



I'm going to go back over in the next few days and see if I can get some better photo's.

a reply to: mash3d

Wow! Good researching on your part. Kuddos!