ID please - tip or pylon tank, or electronics pod, or?

[Chris Brame]

Coming up for auction in the SoCal high desert on May 3rd:

Anybody know what it came from? Over to the experts...

[Joe Scheil]

As you have guessed not a drop tank. It’s prominent air intake and belly tray that is removable indicates it’s alternate use. Unsure what it is, but clearly something somewhat different...

I am leaning to something with the OV-1. It’s close to the configuration for a photoflash pod, but different in details. Fins and shape suggest Mohawk also....

[Saville]

Looks to me like it originally was a bomb but later turned into something else.

[Adam Kline]

A drop tank converted to crop dusting.

[ZRX61]

I'm in the high desert, location of auction? Mtn's in the first pic look like N of Mojave

[Chris Brame]

Location wasn't listed yet - maybe around Victorville.

[Cubs2jets]

Chemtrail spreader.

C2j

[Saville]

Look at the bomb on this web page:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_su ... 50043.aspx

Same shape and fin size. small flat nose

[Joe Scheil]

Note welded aluminum seams, large access panel on bottom, vents and lack of fusing.

[Ken]

The aft fins and vents have a look similar to the Aero family of tanks made by Douglas and seen on the Skyraider, A4, etc. I don't have any photos handy but I wonder if it could be one of those buddy stores that contained a refueling drogue and associated equipment? Don't know that - just a guess.

Ken

[Tripehound]

Vulcan cannon pod for F-4's that did not have an internal gun.

[wolf]

Luggage carrier

[sandiego89]

I agree with Ken that this looks much like a Douglas external fuel tank, specifically the Aero 1C low drag 150 gallon fuel tank, or at least started life as one, then was repurposed as a baggage pod or a camera pod. The twin oval cut outs near the tail fins are pretty distinctive for the Aero 1C tanks and their larger 300 gallon tanks. A camera could have put into the reprofiled nose and the bulge visible in the first photo. It was fairly common to turn external fuel tanks into camera pods for release trials etc., and would not be surprised to see one in a California salvage yard given the proximity to Pt. Mugu, Edwards, China lake, etc.

[Chris Brame]

Result: High bid $600, listed as no sale.
https://bid.bidfastandlast.com/ui/aucti ... 67/3457979

[pjpahs]

So what was for auction? The trailer or the “drop tank” or both. Only describes the trailer, nothing about the tank. Looking at the pictures of the other “ collectables “ there are things resting on the described item, some have a lot . Scrolled through the items but not all and found no mention of the tank only