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Can anyone identify the aircraft seen almost every day making for Farnborough airfield based on this description?

  • medium sized aircraft
  • single front engine with a weird engine sound
  • front fins, could be stablisiers
  • high rear tailplane
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    $\begingroup$ It would really help, if you could add a picture of this aircraft. $\endgroup$
    – Bianfable
    Jul 6, 2022 at 8:51
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    $\begingroup$ How about taking a look at FlightRadar24 to see if you can find the aircraft on there, then, if it's there, give us a link to the flight. FR24 might tell you what kind of plane it is, but at least others would have something to start with. $\endgroup$
    – FreeMan
    Jul 6, 2022 at 11:16
  • $\begingroup$ I've now got my camera @ the ready for the next fly past,your comments about the Pilatus seem justified,but the one that I am seeing is almost like a canard,but with everything else in the right position,these front fins that I am seeing are almost the same as the Typhoon or Sukoi jet.Thank you for your interest.Dave. $\endgroup$
    – Ducatisti
    Jul 7, 2022 at 12:51

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From the description you give, and a little local knowledge, I'm going to hedge a bet that it is a Pilatus PC12

  • medium sized aircraft: Not very clear what "Medium size" really is, but its certainly bigger than your usual single engine aircraft, but considerably smaller than a large bizjet or airliner
  • single front engine with a weird engine sound: Check! It's single engine turbo prop which do sound quite considerably different to either a piston or jet engine
  • front fins, could be stablisiers: This one threw me a bit, but I think you may have misidentified the quite distinctive engine exhausts for fins at the front
  • high rear tailplane: Check! It's a pretty distinguishing feature of a PC12 not present on other similar sized aircraft

This might be the view you are familiar with if you're on the ground (c/w wikimedia commoons) PC12 from underneath

Or this one if you see it side on PC12 flying

The only thing which doesnt really add up is your guess that they are "Heading for Farnborough". Most of the traffic in and out of there are business jets, but Farnborough provide the lower airspace radar service for much of SE England, so it's not unual for flights to transit their airspace. Blackbushe airport is nearby, it could perhaps be heading for there, or one of the other smaller airfields surrounding London or elsewhere. Where I fly from (Elstree, about 25 miles NE of Farnborough) has 2 based there, and about another half dozen are based at Denham about 10 miles east of Elstree.

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  • $\begingroup$ or something like a Malibu, or a TBM, or or or or... $\endgroup$
    – jwenting
    Jul 7, 2022 at 4:11
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    $\begingroup$ @jwenting none of the TBM that I can think of or find have a high tailplane as I mentioned in the answer. Nor does a malibu. $\endgroup$
    – Jamiec
    Jul 7, 2022 at 6:39

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