Aircraft ID help?

Rick Hunter

Celestial
Hey folks. Saw an unusual (for 2018) airplane in flight today and trying to figure out what it was. Large straight wing airplane with four prop or turboprop engines. Tall vertical tail section with a structure hanging off the back that looked like it was for in flight refuelling. Gray or silver in color, couldnt make out any numbers or insignia. Overall, I think it looked most like an old USAF KB-29 or KB-50 tanker.

I saw it flying southeast over Lexington, KY around 1:10 pm. It did not take off or land at our airport, as I saw it North of the airport and then again south of the airport some 10 minutes later as I was driving down I-64. It was flying right at the cloud cover, I would guess around 8,000 feet. Anybody know what airplanes that look like that are still flying today?
 

Rick Hunter

Celestial
I dont know why one of them would he over here but that is a possibility. Now that I think about it, our Air National Guard is the most likely operator of the aircraft. I'll ask a friend who is in the guard about it.
 

coubob

Celestial
There has been a couple of times a B1B has flew over my work really really low on its landing approach to tinker.It freaked me out the first time. My heart started back up when i seen the bombay doors were shut and the landing gear were going down.
 

Castle-Yankee54

Celestial
Hey folks. Saw an unusual (for 2018) airplane in flight today and trying to figure out what it was. Large straight wing airplane with four prop or turboprop engines. Tall vertical tail section with a structure hanging off the back that looked like it was for in flight refuelling. Gray or silver in color, couldnt make out any numbers or insignia. Overall, I think it looked most like an old USAF KB-29 or KB-50 tanker.

I saw it flying southeast over Lexington, KY around 1:10 pm. It did not take off or land at our airport, as I saw it North of the airport and then again south of the airport some 10 minutes later as I was driving down I-64. It was flying right at the cloud cover, I would guess around 8,000 feet. Anybody know what airplanes that look like that are still flying today?

Is this it?

Boeing B-50 - bomber
 

Rick Hunter

Celestial
Looked like a KB-29 or KB-50 tanker to me, as it had the refuelling boom on the back of the fuselage.

images
 

Castle-Yankee54

Celestial
Looked like a KB-29 or KB-50 tanker to me, as it had the refuelling boom on the back of the fuselage.

images

They are no longer in service.....and they also didn't fly with the boom extended unless in the act of refueling.

That is the same aircraft as I showed you.....just a different variant. So is that what you saw?
 

Rick Hunter

Celestial
The boom on the plane I saw was retracted and in the horizontal position. All I can say is, the plane looked most like one of those old tankers to my eyes. It was several miles up and away so that is the best I can come up with.
 
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