What aircraft is this at Beale AFB?

Can anyone tell me what kind of aircraft this is at Beale AFB? At first, I thought it was a U-2, but it doesn't look like the other U-2s on the ramp. The wings seem narrower and the shadow of the tail looks to me to be a "V" shape.

I started thinking that it might be a UAV but it seems rather large. Do they get that big?

I found it on Google Earth, at 39 08'52.14" and 121 25'50.73"

i53.photobucket.com...

I hope the link to my photo works. If not and you have Google Earth, the numbers are what I got for the location, but I don't know how to insert a "degree" symbol after the 39 or 121.

Thanks,

Don

How old is the photo? To my knowledge there has never been a variant of the Dragon lady with a V tail. However, it could be a global hawk. I doubt its a predator as the blotches on the sides seem to be cars so that would make it too big to be a pred.

On second examination the nose is too pointed to be a global hawk but the picuture is too blurry.

Beale is also home to UAV's

The Beale, CA, community supported DoD’s recommendation to focus the base on one primary operational flying mission (UAVs). They raised concerns about the lack of specific information as to when and how the emerging UAV mission would unfold. They felt that recruiting and retention could be difficult during the temporary period between departure of the tanker mission and arrival of the new Global Hawk mission. Experienced and skilled reservists may leave the wing without a clear sense of the new mission’s opportunities.
www.globalsecurity.org...

reply to post by FredT



I'm not sure when the photo was taken, but it's just recently been added to Google Earth. This wasn't there a couple of months ago when I checked out the base. I go to the various bases to see what's changed from time to time. In the last year that I've been looking at GE, the Beale pics have changed at least 3 times that I know of.

According to the shape and measurements it is a Global Hawk, or a Block variant of it, the nose shape and color may be caused by several things; photo distortion, top nose cone being removed, tarp, early model design etc… And yes Beale AFB does fly UAV’s, including the Global Hawk.

First Production Global Hawk UAV Arrives at Beale Air Force Base

[edit on 17-10-2007 by WestPoint23]

Originally posted by paraclete1
Can anyone tell me what kind of aircraft this is at Beale AFB? At first, I thought it was a U-2, but it doesn't look like the other U-2s on the ramp. The wings seem narrower and the shadow of the tail looks to me to be a "V" shape.

I started thinking that it might be a UAV but it seems rather large. Do they get that big?

You've found a real gem there. Thats a rare view of the new Global Hawk RQ-4B Block 20. It's a supersized Global Hawk able to go farther, loiter longer and carry 3000 lbs more rcce payload than the "A" model, or Block 10 as they call it.

As Fred T said Beale is home to UAV's and this Global Hawk belongs to the 9th Reconnaissance Wing there.

I got to go to Creech to visit Natalie (Intelgurl) and there was a Block 20 there. Same color scheme of white and gray, (maybe the same one), and I was surprised at how much bigger it was from the original Global Hawk Block 10.

Bios



[edit on 10/17/2007 by bios]

reply to post by WestPoint23


Thanks, I didn't know the UAV's were that large. I did find a top view of variants that looks like it.


i53.photobucket.com...

Its called the Reaper. It is a bit larger than a Predator as well as more heavily armed.
www.af.mil...
www.af.mil...

reply to post by VType


It's a GLOBAL HAWK, the Reaper/Predator aircraft are a lot smaller and are prop driven.

[edit on 17-10-2007 by ajsr71]