Unidentified Plane - Can anyone Identify???

Interesting idea/reminder that we do have Drakens flying around the USA. I recall we talked about the Draken being responsible for a UAV/stealth sighting last year.

There is or was a Draken based out of Florida but thats sorta out of the way.
www.warbirdalley.com...

Originally posted by JIMC5499
My best guess would be a member of the SAAB Draken family.

That photo link gives me a "forbidden" message, so I can't see it.

But I googled SAAB draken and found this image, which shows a compound wing angle:

zap16.com...

I don't see any compound wing angle in the photo in the OP, though it is a bit blurry. But if all the drakkens have the dual wing angles it doesn't look like a match to me.

If the picture was clearer we could identify the aircraft and wouldn't be having this discussion. The pixels tend to square things off when resolution is increased. This is one of the things I hate about digital cameras. It is obviously a delta winged design and if I wasn't reasonably sure that there are no more F-102s or F-106s flying and there is no way that it is an A-4, the Draken seems to be plausable. It could also be a Mirage or Kfir, but I don't know if any of those are in the US.

agreed that the photo is too blurry to say for a fact that it isn't or is anything in particular. you could argue it either way in my opinion.

It reminds me of the Testors F-19 model, but that's not really an airplane - it's a model.

www.xplanefreeware.net...

www.fantastic-plastic.com...

reply to post by bios

I remember many years ago i build a model of a black stealth fighter jet.The jet was not the f117 a stealth fighter.It was a model simlar to the f117 a but a more rounder shape.This mysterious jet fighter looks exsactly like that model.If the american did test another stealth fighter than this could be it.

S+F. Nice picture, good job getting it.

I'm gonna have to go with this being an FB-22.

At first glance, Aroura(sp?) definitely comes to mind, but I doubt if that exists they'd be test flying it in broad daylight, that low.

Other possiblities, of course, I have to throw this out there...., it could be a kite.However, I believe the OP is sincere, and this isn't a hoax or anything like that, so no I don't believe it's a kite or balloon or any small bug.

Certainly looks like a real aircraft. Too steamline, and pointed to be a stealth fighter imo, and definitely too thin to be a stealth bomber.

Again thanks for uploading this picture.

Looks like a D-21 to me, the question is....why would it be flying now? It's pretty much the original UAV.

I can identify that flying object.

This is it.


And I'm not joking. Look at how blurry that shape is. There is not such possibility in any camera to focus on that trees and have blurry object in the background (in this situation on the sky). I although understand that this plane could fly fast so this could be smudged but when you are taking photo of object in motion smudges are greater in the direction of motion so some edges should be quite sharp. On that photo black plane fly much closer to the camera tan trees so it have to be very small object. That force me to think that I'm looking on some easy to made joke. Its paper arrow, made of black paper.

p.s. So I solve another mystery using basic school knowledge. What is the prize?


[edit on 19-11-2009 by odyseusz]

It looks very much like an F-117 stealth fighter viewed from the bottom side of it to me....???

X-44 MANTA perhaps?

X-44 MANTA

Initially, my first impression of the pictures was an F-117 like lots of people's were. But upon further examination of the picture it's just too blurry and too little information is known about the plane's position.

Reminds me of the mystery jets in the Alaskian forest
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Originally posted by zorgon
Nice job

Now you get to do the other area

Here is a plane close up... still working on getting better details

Page is here as we get mor information on this

What gets me is that Google caught them all on the ground. Usually the 'good stuff' is in hangers when google is over head

www.thelivingmoon.com...

[edit on 21-11-2009 by JBA2848]

reply to post by gimme_some_truth


Stealth fighters are very quiet. I have held a conversation very close to one on the tar mat without head gear.

Originally posted by Canada_EH
agreed that the photo is too blurry to say for a fact that it isn't or is anything in particular. you could argue it either way in my opinion.

Originally posted by Redwookieaz
It looks very much like an F-117 stealth fighter viewed from the bottom side of it to me....???

Originally posted by sealteamsix
Initially, my first impression of the pictures was an F-117 like lots of people's were. But upon further examination of the picture it's just too blurry and too little information is known about the plane's position.

I really have to respectfully disagree with some of these comments. Do you really think a blurry picture of this F117:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0975fbebdc4b.jpg[/atsimg]

from any angle could possibly look like this?:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/64901d84809d.jpg[/atsimg]

In my opinion there's not a snowball's chance in a hot place that could be the same craft, and the photo isn't too blurry to make that determination. And I would say that even if the F117 was still in operation, which it isn't, as it's been retired so there's even more reason besides the photos to say it's not an F117.

Furthermore even though the photo is blurry it still bears an uncanny resemblance to these photos

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/68c351165982.png[/atsimg]
www.abovetopsecret.com...

which aren't blurry and I wouldn't be surprised if they are photos of the same craft, and if that's true, then you have some photos which aren't blurry to consider. If you make these 3 photos blurry, you'll get a blurry photo like the one in the OP. If you make an F117 photo blurry, you won't get anything like the photo in the OP.

So it may be too blurry to tell what it is, but I don't think it's too blurry to rule some things out and F117 I believe can be ruled out along with many other known delta wing craft which have wider swept wing angles than the photo shows.

[edit on 23-11-2009 by Arbitrageur]

reply to post by sensible thought


You make a solid point. However, a plane sitting idle on a tar mat is going to sound a lot different than a plane flying pretty fast at a very low altitude...

It looks like a blurry paper plane

reply to post by rickybobby13


Actually, now that you mention it... it kind of does, haha!

I wouldn't put that past anyone on this site, people are always doing things to try and get a good laugh.

The blurry one emerging from behind the trees seemsa to have a resemblance to this;

Originally posted by odyseusz
There is not such possibility in any camera to focus on that trees and have blurry object in the background (in this situation on the sky).

WHAT???? How much experience do you have in photography?

It can happen all the time, with auto focus which is trying to re-adjust and gets the wrong depth. It happens sometimes with camcoders too, when filming distant objects under less than ideal conditions.

My vote: Falcon HTV.