Strange sighting

[TomSteber]

While looking at the Google earth map of where all of us are from I decided to check out Van Nuys airport a little.
While looking around at all the aircraft I spotted something strange toward the north east side of the field.
Just to the right of 34R off of Byrd St. next to a fence it looks to me like a U2! Looks like it might be a NASA version because it's in all white.
I could be wrong but I'd be interested to know what some of you guys think.

 

[Dain Arns]

You mean this? Looks too small, and the tail doesn't look the same, to me. Could be wrong.
I'd like to know what it is now, too.

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<small>View Larger Map</small>
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[NoNewMessages]

There use to be a partially torn apart F-14 sitting at the NW corner, up by the mega-home improvement cesspool. Then one day it was gone. Doubt it was flown out...

 

[aeroscout]

RF.B57F

 

[Donnybrooke]

RF.B57F

Yep! Sure looks like one. They lengthened the wings on some of these before U2s were developed for recon over-flights.

http://www.globalaircraft.org/planes/b-57_canberra.pl

And...

http://www.airrecce.co.uk/postww2/ac/Canberra/Canberra.html

 

[Dain Arns]

Sorry guys it's not a B-57. It's not a NASA U-2 either...

Its a Grob G-520 Strato (Egret) High Altitude Research plane.
Found it's info on Airliners.net

Here's a picture of it from another angle at Van Nuys:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-%28Grob--/Grob-D-500-Egrett/1239320/L/&tbl=&photo_nr=14&sok=&sort=&prev_id=1239321&next_id=1239319

You can see the wings and tail match perfectly from the Google pics. Also the little 'garden' area.
Looks like that little red VW Bug has been parked there a while too...

 

[Donnybrooke]

Sorry guys it's not a B-57. It's not a NASA U-2 either...

Its a Grob G-520 Strato (Egret) High Altitude Research plane.
Found it's info on Airliners.net

Here's a picture of it from another angle at Van Nuys:

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled-%28Grob--/Grob-D-500-Egrett/1239320/L/&tbl=&photo_nr=14&sok=&sort=&prev_id=1239321&next_id=1239319

You can see the wings and tail match perfectly from the Google pics. Also the little 'garden' area.
Looks like that little red VW Bug has been parked there a while too...

So much for my career as a photo interpreter...

Looking at the images now, you can tell the aircraft is way too small for a
U2 or Canberra versus the commercial jets parked next to it.

 

[cheezyflier]

there are some aircraft at cytz (toronto's center island airport) that i'm unable to identify.

if you pan to the right a ways, you'll see tommy thompson park and the lighthouse. half of that point is blurred and half is high def. the part i can't figure out is why. the blurred part is just weeds and trash. i've been there.

 

[vora]

Its a Grob G-520 Strato (Egret) High Altitude Research plane.

No less, these "poor man's U2" were built 20 miles from where I live. Only a few were built as research aircraft.
What struck me kinda funny is that it even has German markings on it.

 

[Dain Arns]

It was such an intriguing thing.
It was either dumb luck or providence I stumbled upon it, while searching for U-2's at Van Nuys.
I saw Grob in one Google result and things started to click.
I had of course heard of Grob aircraft, and a quick check of their site showed this particular airplane.
Then I found the picture I posted.

I dunno if Piglet has it on his list, but it looks like a PPP in my opinion.

 

[cheezyflier]

any guesses on those 3 aircraft?

 

[TomSteber]

Thanks for the find! Wow, now that's one plane I've never seen before. Pretty cool.

 

[Piglet]

any guesses on those 3 aircraft?

Look at the tails
Ercoups
I might make an Egret on day....

 

[TomSteber]

Look at the tails
Ercoups
I might make an Egret on day....

That's what I was thinking.

 

[Dain Arns]

any guesses on those 3 aircraft?

Oops, sorry. Forgot to look. :redf:
Well, one has D-Day stripes on it though. And from the angle they are sitting at, (look at the shadows) they are definitely taildraggers...

Gentlemen, I believe those are P-51's or something shaped like one (Again, shadows).
Looks like the cockpit is about mid-fuselage.
There is a person standing out in front of them...

 

[Dain Arns]

Recognize this tower, Cheezy? :d

Looks like "The Horsemen", a P-51 Aerobatic Demo group was in town that day the aerial pics were taken.
It's a little tough to make out details, the Mustangs are so shiny, they reflect a lot of light back towards the camera in the Google pic.

You look close you can see the blue nose and invasion stripes on one in the other pic I blew up, above.
One definitely has a yellow nose, and black stripes on the tail. You can kinda make that out again in the above shot.
Also notice the one P-51 that is the closest in the tower shot has a tail that looks darker, like the one in the middle of the Google pic.
One thing, these guys wear all tan flightsuits, like whoever is standing in the above pic.

(Picture was done by Tom Podolec / CTV Toronto)

 

[cheezyflier]

dain, that was some awesome detective work!

i salute you, even though it's with the wrong hand :salute:

 

[TomSteber]