I was just watching the tv series Top Gear(BBC, UK) and on the field where they do the test driving of the cars somebody has parked a odd looking 747 somewhere in the UK(I have no idea where the shoot the driving).
It has two engines on each inboard pylon, no outer engines but on the right wing there is a long pod at the place of the outer pylon. So the plane has four engines as the normal 747:n but only on two pylons. The plane is compleatly white and has registration that looks to be from USA.
It looked so cool that i’ll propably try build one, but it would be nice to know why it’s configured like that.
The Top Gear test track is at Dunsfold Aerodrome, Dunsfold Park in Surrey. It was built for the RAF in WW2, and was used in the 1960s for testing by Hawker Siddeley, mainly for Harrier development.
The Jumbo that you are seeing is G-BDXJ, which was used in the Bond film Casino Royale as a mock prototype of a new aircraft. The same plane was also used in a VW advert, in which the Touareg towed it.
To be honest I find this top gear pic more interesting;
Especially if its in Diamond Black with 18" Monza alloys:-)
That show top gear is fantastic. I enjoyed the one with the Buggatti speed demon…
“At these speeds, the tires will only last 15 minutes! That’s ok, the fuel will only last 12!”
All that while crusing at a neat 190 mph (He eventually got it up to 240mph I think!)
This was the aircraft which was towed by a VW Touareg in the very similar BBC program “Fifth Gear” (yerr, original name huh?) Video of this feat can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls23tHPX8mQ
I know this is a little off topic, but I just can’t resist. Dunsfold Park is also used by Mclaren for development of the vehicle they build in partnership with Merceces-Benz, the SLR. I used to work for MBUSA and was part of the training research team that went to England to develop the USA’s training for that vehicle. The end of the two week’s training was test driving the vehicle - what a blast! And to drive the same course that Top Gear does was even better!!
One funny thing that probably doesn’t happen to Top Gear - we would have to stop driving when one of the civilian airplanes hangared there wanted to take off or land. That was funny!
I’ll look to see if I have any pictures if anyone is interested.
