Need some aircraft ID help

Subnuts · 02-04-12, 07:42 PM

Was walking back home from work today, and saw an unusual aircraft flying overhead that I couldn't recognize. I wasn't thinking, and forgot to take my camera out of my coat pocket. It had a straight wing with straight wingtips and no dihedral, twin propeller-driven engines, a double tailfin, a fairly tubby fuselage, and was painted overall green. I immediately assumed that it was a B-25 headed to Bradley International Airport, but it turns out the B-25 had rounded wingtips and larger engines.

Now, I'm not really up on my civilian aircraft, so it might have been an everyday cargo plane I've never seen before. However, I'm have a hard time pinning down what type it could have been. It looked so much like a B-25, and there are apparently dozens of still-flying examples, but the shape of the wings were slightly different from those of a B-25. Anybody have any idea exactly what I saw? I can't identify it, so it must have been a UFO.

U570 · 02-04-12, 08:18 PM

It could be an early variant of the B-25, they had smaller engines and different wingtips

Sailor Steve · 02-04-12, 10:08 PM

How big was it? High wings or low wings? Radial or in-line engines?

Something like this?

Or this?

tater · 02-04-12, 10:34 PM

Yeah, a PV-2 is a possibility, but overall OD (or green) is kinda odd.

CaptainHaplo · 02-05-12, 01:02 AM

The first prototype of the B25 was the NA40 - which had rounded wingtips:

The next was the NA-40B, or NA-42 (different sources disagree on it). No pictures I could find. It was lost in a crash. A further refinement was the NA-62, which was the final basis for the production model.

If the only distinctive difference between a "classic" B25 and your bird were the wingtips and engines, I would suspect that it was a B25 with "aftermarket" engines rated similiarly and with a slightly modified wing. Wouldn't be the first warbird who someone did a little "tinkering" on.

Personally, I always preferred the B-26 Marauder....

MH · 02-05-12, 02:46 AM

tater · 02-06-12, 11:46 AM

The AT-11 is a beechcraft 18, and apparently there are over 200 still flying.

There are many lockheeds of similar types flying (ventura, model 18, hudson, pv-1, pv-2, etc). Some variants had squared wingtips, and I think some may have had this alteration done after the war to improve performance.

Both seem possible since there are many flyable.

Sailor Steve · 02-06-12, 12:45 PM

The problem we have now is that we can offer suggestions and pictures 'til the cows come home, and unless Subnuts comes back and looks at them it's no help at all. He might as well not have asked.

kraznyi_oktjabr · 02-06-12, 12:50 PM

Hey Steve, Subnuts posted this thread yesterday. He may not have time to hang in this loony bin all the time.

TLAM Strike · 02-06-12, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr

Hey Steve, Subnuts posted this thread yesterday. He may not have time to hang in this loony bin all the time.

We got to start locking the doors of the asylum at night; too many are escaping...

Stealhead · 02-06-12, 01:30 PM

Maybe he figured it would take a day or so to first become a discussion about
Chinese Iranian missiles, truth about Newt Gingrich, Muppet's are anti oil, Mitt Romney/Ron Paul ticket, ID plane thread.

Sailor Steve · 02-06-12, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kraznyi_oktjabr

Hey Steve, Subnuts posted this thread yesterday. He may not have time to hang in this loony bin all the time.

No, it's been two days. Seems like weeks, though.

Maybe I am getting senile.

Stealhead · 02-06-12, 06:45 PM

Maybe it was a UFO like Subnuts jokingly posted and it later came back and abducted him and don't all those alien abduction victims claim being unable to explain several hours of missing time(Used to happen to me my 20 something days only booze was the culprit) .

02-04-12, 07:42 PM	#1
Subnuts The Old Man Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,658 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	Need some aircraft ID help Was walking back home from work today, and saw an unusual aircraft flying overhead that I couldn't recognize. I wasn't thinking, and forgot to take my camera out of my coat pocket. It had a straight wing with straight wingtips and no dihedral, twin propeller-driven engines, a double tailfin, a fairly tubby fuselage, and was painted overall green. I immediately assumed that it was a B-25 headed to Bradley International Airport, but it turns out the B-25 had rounded wingtips and larger engines. Now, I'm not really up on my civilian aircraft, so it might have been an everyday cargo plane I've never seen before. However, I'm have a hard time pinning down what type it could have been. It looked so much like a B-25, and there are apparently dozens of still-flying examples, but the shape of the wings were slightly different from those of a B-25. Anybody have any idea exactly what I saw? I can't identify it, so it must have been a UFO. __________________ My Amazon.com reviews

02-04-12, 08:18 PM	#2
U570 Grey Wolf Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Planet Earth Posts: 867 Downloads: 89 Uploads: 0	It could be an early variant of the B-25, they had smaller engines and different wingtips __________________ "Submariners are a bunch of intelligent misfits that somehow seem to get along, understand each other and work well together"- Anon

02-04-12, 10:08 PM	#3
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	How big was it? High wings or low wings? Radial or in-line engines? Something like this? Or this? __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

02-04-12, 10:34 PM	#4
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	Yeah, a PV-2 is a possibility, but overall OD (or green) is kinda odd. __________________ "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." — Thomas Paine

02-05-12, 01:02 AM	#5
CaptainHaplo Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 4,404 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	The first prototype of the B25 was the NA40 - which had rounded wingtips: The next was the NA-40B, or NA-42 (different sources disagree on it). No pictures I could find. It was lost in a crash. A further refinement was the NA-62, which was the final basis for the production model. If the only distinctive difference between a "classic" B25 and your bird were the wingtips and engines, I would suspect that it was a B25 with "aftermarket" engines rated similiarly and with a slightly modified wing. Wouldn't be the first warbird who someone did a little "tinkering" on. Personally, I always preferred the B-26 Marauder.... __________________ Good Hunting! Captain Haplo

02-05-12, 02:46 AM	#6
MH Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 3,184 Downloads: 248 Uploads: 0

02-06-12, 11:46 AM	#7
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	The AT-11 is a beechcraft 18, and apparently there are over 200 still flying. There are many lockheeds of similar types flying (ventura, model 18, hudson, pv-1, pv-2, etc). Some variants had squared wingtips, and I think some may have had this alteration done after the war to improve performance. Both seem possible since there are many flyable. __________________ "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one." — Thomas Paine

02-06-12, 12:45 PM	#8
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	The problem we have now is that we can offer suggestions and pictures 'til the cows come home, and unless Subnuts comes back and looks at them it's no help at all. He might as well not have asked. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

02-06-12, 12:50 PM	#9
kraznyi_oktjabr Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Republiken Finland Posts: 1,803 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Hey Steve, Subnuts posted this thread yesterday. He may not have time to hang in this loony bin all the time. __________________ You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Dr. House

02-06-12, 01:30 PM	#11
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Maybe he figured it would take a day or so to first become a discussion about Chinese Iranian missiles, truth about Newt Gingrich, Muppet's are anti oil, Mitt Romney/Ron Paul ticket, ID plane thread.

02-06-12, 06:45 PM	#13
Stealhead Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 5,421 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Maybe it was a UFO like Subnuts jokingly posted and it later came back and abducted him and don't all those alien abduction victims claim being unable to explain several hours of missing time(Used to happen to me my 20 something days only booze was the culprit) .