MooneyMitch Posted June 14, 2020 Report Posted June 14, 2020 On my tarmac this morning.......737Max? Out and about on a test flight? 1 Quote
Niko182 Posted June 14, 2020 Report Posted June 14, 2020 might just be me but the engines look a tad bit small? Quote
thinwing Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 Regardless in the “green” like that ,it’s either headed for a completion center of straight flight test Quote
carusoam Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 Max engines have the funky zig zag cowl additions... they are large diameter... so they get pushed forwards to fit under the wing.... But... something had to be changed... this could be it.... Or they went back to building the non max 737s again... They are thinking ‘Mid 2020’ to start flying again... Checking the calendar.... we are pretty near mid 2020... This has pics of the LEAP (max) engines.... showing the jagged cowl trailing edge...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737_MAX PP thoughts/guesses only, not a Boeing expert... Best regards, -a- Mitch might be onto something.... like sneaking pics of new cars around Detroit.... Got a closer pic of the engine itself? Does it have the sawtooth trailing edge? This Max pic is borrowed from the wiki page... oddly enough, it belongs to the ilfaited Lion Air company.... Quote
Mark89114 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/34084/the-mysterious-case-of-the-air-forces-new-strangely-modified-737 I think this is it?? 3 3 Quote
carusoam Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 Mark, I think you nailed it! All the sensor work would be the AOAi(s) that we’re at the core of The MAX’s problem... Customers with extra money got a three sensor system... Customers on a tighter budget got an AOAi system that couldn’t tell It was broken, and their pilots weren’t trained at a level where they could handle it... as defined by two Max accidents... So this new looking 737, is not quite a Max... but is a sensor work horse... PP thoughts only... -a- 1 Quote
Mark89114 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Posted June 15, 2020 Interesting thing is this article showed up on my google news feed this morning. 2 Quote
MooneyMitch Posted June 15, 2020 Author Report Posted June 15, 2020 Wow! How interesting is this! There is one flaw within the article. SMX is NOT a busy airport, by any means...... I frequntly call it our ghost town. Quote
MooneyMitch Posted June 22, 2020 Author Report Posted June 22, 2020 The mystery ship saga continues......as of last Friday, June 19. 89F9B554-B30A-432F-97D6-E2AB0F9FC0A7.MOV Quote
Seth Posted June 22, 2020 Report Posted June 22, 2020 It's not a max, wrong wingtip/winglets. -Seth 1 Quote
MooneyMitch Posted June 22, 2020 Author Report Posted June 22, 2020 7 minutes ago, Seth said: It's not a max, wrong wingtip/winglets. -Seth Yep, I've been edumacated from MSer's, and others. Thank you all. We just want to know the secret mysterious missions it's flying out of our home drome! Quote
StevenL757 Posted June 22, 2020 Report Posted June 22, 2020 10 minutes ago, Seth said: It's not a max, wrong wingtip/winglets. -Seth Correct. It is not a MAX. Not only are the engines too low, winglets are not MAX winglets, and the tailcone is that of the -600/-700/-800/-900. 1 Quote
MooneyMitch Posted June 22, 2020 Author Report Posted June 22, 2020 Per FAA registration, this particular 737 belongs to the USAF. It is, however, being operated by folks in jeans and t-shirts. Quote
flyboy0681 Posted June 22, 2020 Report Posted June 22, 2020 1 hour ago, Seth said: It's not a max, wrong wingtip/winglets. -Seth Damn, you beat me to it. The winglets are the telltale sign. 1 Quote
the_elkhartian Posted June 22, 2020 Report Posted June 22, 2020 Some of the new non-Max 800s (and others) ship out with the improved winglets (that go up and down). Best tell-tale sign to me is the big@$$ engine with the scalloped engine nacelle 2 Quote
Seth Posted June 23, 2020 Report Posted June 23, 2020 After reading the story on this airplane it's quite interesting. -Seth 1 Quote
jetdriven Posted June 23, 2020 Report Posted June 23, 2020 36 minutes ago, wingtipwalker said: Some of the new non-Max 800s (and others) ship out with the improved winglets (that go up and down). Best tell-tale sign to me is the big@$$ engine with the scalloped engine nacelle The split-scimitar curb feeler winglets dont resemble the MAX winglets. Also the engines and tail section are different. And the nose strut is longer. Besides that it’s almost the same. 1 Quote
MooneyMitch Posted June 23, 2020 Author Report Posted June 23, 2020 1 hour ago, Seth said: After reading the story on this airplane it's quite interesting. -Seth Agree with all that have helped me learn what the Max looks like.......thank you. Yes, watching the plane up close here at SMX and reading the little article...... it’s most intriguing! All the sensors/wires tapped to this plane, it’s missions out of our airport, and it’s relatively short history.......all super interesting!! 1 Quote
the_elkhartian Posted June 23, 2020 Report Posted June 23, 2020 4 hours ago, MooneyMitch said: ... it’s most intriguing! Just go climb the stairs and ask them what they’re up to! Worst case scenario we can take up a collection around here to bail you out... 1 Quote
MooneyMitch Posted June 23, 2020 Author Report Posted June 23, 2020 5 minutes ago, wingtipwalker said: Just go climb the stairs and ask them what they’re up to! Worst case scenario we can take up a collection around here to bail you out... I did that already....... they said if they told me they’d have to terminate me ....... just kidding Unfortunately, the aircraft parks in the SIDA (secure identification display area) of our imprisoned TSA airport, and I don’t have the SIDA badge to enter that area, otherwise I’d be up those stairs indeed! Quote
Seth Posted June 23, 2020 Report Posted June 23, 2020 I know it is less expensive for the armed forces to contract out certain aircraft to approach fleets during warm up exercises. There are some Learjets (I saw 5 or 7 on the ramp last time I was there in 2019) out of newport news that perform this service for the Navy (right next to Langly AFB). There are also some privately owned fighters there operated by a contractor for similar training. This 73 may very well have played similar role for a while or is doing other recon. It may also have been a test bed for equipment that needed to stay quieter. Still amazed it was never painted. The pickle color normally comes off very quickly for painting. Not the main protection for 7 years! Of course, this may have sat for a while too. There was a DC9 out of the VIP squadron at joint base Andrews in Maryland just outside DC that was auctioned off 10 years ago and sat for close to a decade until it was ferried to BWI, had the proper checks done, and now it's waiting to be delivered to somewhere in africa as a freighter as it has a freight door. That sat for years and still has the VIP paint job on it. Maybe this 73 simply never got painted due to red tape, a project being defunded, resources being shifted. There are so many resources this country has that at some point they are going to create an outfit that simply reallocates and redistributes unused resources between government agencies to curtail spending on new items with the capability exists. Of course that new money spent, helps feed the economy, so it's a catch-22! -Seth Quote
Danb Posted June 23, 2020 Report Posted June 23, 2020 It’s in flight right now, almost daily flight testing, curiosity Quote
rbridges Posted June 24, 2020 Report Posted June 24, 2020 On 6/22/2020 at 4:25 PM, StevenL757 said: Correct. It is not a MAX. Not only are the engines too low, winglets are not MAX winglets, and the tailcone is that of the -600/-700/-800/-900. On 6/22/2020 at 4:12 PM, Seth said: It's not a max, wrong wingtip/winglets. -Seth Wow, you guys know your planes. I thought I was doing well recognizing the mooney tail. 1 Quote
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