Can't ID this airframe at Mojave...

[Jeb]

Obviously it's a section missing wings, but I can't tell what it is/was. Close to Scaled Composites at Mojave Air & Space Port.

https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0566471,-118.1625678,59m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

[djfawcett]

it is a J-35 Draken

 

[allysonca]

yeppp....SAAB.. they used to be on the ramp at CNO for years when I based there.

 

[Jeb]

Okay, that's what I thought it might be, but those notches on either side of the body threw me.

 

[Apophenia]

Okay, that's what I thought it might be, but those notches on either side of the body threw me.

Those are the former gun bays ... but, you're right, you don't normally see those on images of scrapped Drakens. Maybe the National Test Pilot School installed something else in the bays and wanted to keep whatever that equipment was?

 

[riggerrob]

I packed parachutes for that NTPS Draken and the Bosbok parked beside it.

 

[Apophenia]

Any clue as to what was in those gun bays 'Rob?

 

[aim9xray]

No orange brackets, so I'd imagine ... nothing. Image is from 2012.

 

[TomS]

Could it be a function of the new rules for demilling warbirds? The gunbays might be treated as part of a weapon system that has to be destroyed before disposal.

 

[riggerrob]

Yes, those missing bays/blocks correspond to the location of the breeches of the Aden 30 mm cannons installed in some Drakens. Though I suspect that NTPS removed cannons and substituted the optional internal
Fuel tanks.

 

[Jeb]

Nice picture. Thanks for posting it.