What the #$%???!!!#*#$$/~@# is this??

[Jack Cook]

Found this going though some photos. Is this a L-bird or a decoy???

[Scott Rose]

Looks like an airfield decoy or a aircraft with a really poor airfoil

[blacksheep]

Looks like an L-Bird decoy! LOOK there comes one now, get ready...

[CWBuff]

Wooks wike it's gwasshoppew season... hu-hu-hu-hu...


Fade to Black...

[Obergrafeter]

are those the new heavy duty wing struts that comply with the A.D.?

Ummm... don't fly that.

[Eric Friedebach]

Here’s the powerplant:

[mennie]

could this not be how they assembled them in the field?

[Cvairwerks]

Jack, if you could date or locate the photo, I'll bet it was taken during the build up of the rubber army for fake invasion that Patton was assigned to head up. I can remember seeing films of the rubber tanks and trucks and artillery pieces made out of logs. It sure looked funny to see a guy carrying a tank by the barrel in some of those films.

You can tell it's a decoy, as the fuselage is flat. The entire aircraft is build like the old 25 cent balsa models I used to buy as a kid.

[astixjr]

What would be the strategic or tactical point in this? I get the idea of an inflatable tank or a plywood P-40 but not this one. My favorite was the cold war era inflatable soviet submarine that was supposed to fool our spy satellites.

[Jack Cook]

What would be the strategic or tactical point in this?

Prior to D-Day, Gen Patton commanded an army of made of decoys
poised to invade near Calais. The hope being to draw the Germans away from the Normandy beaches.

[AirJimL2]

Wow I've been going about this all the wrong way! Here I am looking for a nice affordable flying Taylorcraft L-2 or Aeronca L-3 and all I needed to do was build one out of the 2 by 4s and plywood I've got sitting in the garage.

Thanks Jack...that is a great photo and another part of the L-bird story I've near heard before.

Jim

[astixjr]

Thanks Jack, now it makes sense. A complete deception required a complete decoy army including L birds.

[Jack Cook]

I think saying this can't be flown are mistaken.
I've known a few pilots who'd fly a lump of sh*t if it had wings!

[B-29 Super Fort]

What would be the strategic or tactical point in this?

Prior to D-Day, Gen Patton commanded an army of made of decoys
poised to invade near Calais. The hope being to draw the Germans away from the Normandy beaches.

I've seen many photos of the rubber decoy tanks but this is the first decoy play I've seen, thanks for posting it.