# Question for Aviation Historians (what is the aircraft in this picture?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 27, 2024, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853 "2024-04-27T22:51:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/21 "2024-04-28T23:05:23Z")
I dug deep into some obscure archives and I’ve identified this type. Only a couple were built and none survives today. It’s the OpenAI 123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000. There, that’s settled. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2024, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/22 "2024-04-28T23:33:44Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@terentii](#): > > > > I know about the AM Mauler but not the TBM Spitfire. > > Tongue in cheek. I don’t think it’s real. That’s why I said it was 1 of none. Yeah, I kinda figured that. 😉 Overall, I think it looks more like a Zero than anything else. As far as the markings go, there was a lot of variation in NW Africa. I’ve seen photos of P-40s with US roundels on both wings, with and without the yellow trim, and Spitfires with US stars. They all looked like they were applied in a hurry. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/23 "2024-04-29T02:14:20Z")
The fixed landing gear looks like a German aircraft, but the cockpit and radio masts scream “naval”. Imma agree–AI. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/24 "2024-04-29T03:28:47Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I think it looks more like a Zero than anything else. Hard Zero points, but the rest is seriously WTF. I like the Drop Tank “pylons”. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/25 "2024-04-29T03:45:34Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Bullitt](#): > > > > The wings don’t even line up. > > > > Franken-plane. > > Burt Rutan was making real Franken-planes before AI generated images. > > [Boomerang](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Rutan_Model_202_Boomerang.jpg/450px-Rutan_Model_202_Boomerang.jpg) > [Wiki page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutan_Boomerang) Cool. His asymmetry is functional. And there’s a beauty to it. And his stuff flies. I met his brother Dick and Jeana Yeager after they flew around the world in Voyager. I used to work on the advanced composite materials they used. I did not work on their airplane, mind you, but I worked with the same materials when I worked for the company that provided it to Burt. He is tall and she is small. They had some good stories about that flight. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/26 "2024-04-29T03:50:17Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > It looks like a TBM Avenger and a Supermarine Spitfire had a child. Or a Douglas SBD Dauntless humped a Japanese Kate (a Nakajima B5N). ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/27 "2024-04-29T05:48:09Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I dug deep into some obscure archives and I’ve identified this type. Only a couple were built and none survives today. > > It’s the OpenAI 123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426614174000. > > There, that’s settled. I thought you were going to say it’s a B1-RD, or the closely related GU-11. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/28 "2024-04-29T16:41:10Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I met his brother Dick and Jeana Yeager after they flew around the world in Voyager. I used to work on the advanced composite materials they used. Feel free to expound on that. I saw Burt Rutan at an Oshkosh symposium years ago with a lot of other aircraft manufacturers. They were talking about all their new endeavors and he just reamed them a new one. He said they made some nice planes but none of them made entry level planes and people needed those to learn to fly. He didn’t mince words. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/29 "2024-04-29T17:02:04Z")
Title changed to make the subject matter clear. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/30 "2024-04-29T17:41:48Z")
The problem is it doesn’t appear to be a real plane and not a particularly good AI rendering. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/31 "2024-04-29T18:24:12Z")
Well, maybe that’s the answer. But either way, it’s a question about a picture of an aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2024, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/32 "2024-04-29T23:35:32Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Bullitt](#): > > > > I met his brother Dick and Jeana Yeager after they flew around the world in Voyager. I used to work on the advanced composite materials they used. > > Feel free to expound on that. > > I saw Burt Rutan at an Oshkosh symposium years ago with a lot of other aircraft manufacturers. They were talking about all their new endeavors and he just reamed them a new one. He said they made some nice planes but none of them made entry level planes and people needed those to learn to fly. He didn’t mince words. I don’t think I have much to add. This was from, wow, near 40 years ago. I was a lab tech at Hexcel in Dublin CA at the time. I joined Hexcel after they’d built the Voyager, but was there when they made the flight. I worked on materials used on it — nomex honeycomb and graphite prepreg sheets, and I’d make the same graphite sandwich panels used in Voyager and, AIUI, used in just about every airplane. I’d ‘build’ the caul plates (the term we used) to build and cure the sandwich panels. That’s the backstory. Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager were at a dinner reception for Hexcel employees because, as they’d say when I was new there, that Hexcel provided 95% of the materials but only 5% of the total weight. Something like that. There’s a Hexcel logo on the tail of Voyager, and somewhere around the house I have a 2’ x 3’ picture of Voyager signed by both of them. On this X you can see the Hexcel logo on Voyager’s tail. ➜ [https://x.com/airandspace/status/1743781786935538014](https://x.com/airandspace/status/1743781786935538014) I remember Dick Rutan was tall. I’m 6’0” and when I shook his hand, he must’ve stood about 6’3”. And Jeana Yeager was a tiny thing, maybe 5’3” and 110 pounds soaking wet, IIRC. Maybe smaller. It’s been many years and my memory is hazy. Dick Rutan talked about Burt discussing the initial concept and sketching the rough design on the napkin of some coffee shop or diner. They talked about the loooong days and nights on the flight, and about how tiny the cabin was. I remember that over Africa and the Atlantic the weather was really dicey and at one point Voyager had rolled to 90°. That I vividly remember because the plane was so delicate. That must’ve been a scary time. I don’t recall if Burt Rutan was there but he must’ve been. I’d learn more about who he is later. I hung that signed Voyager photo in my office out cubicle for many years. That’s pretty much what I’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/33 "2024-04-30T01:28:33Z")
I met Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager at SMO during a meet-and-greet at SMO after their flight. I was a 2LT in the CAP at the time, and I was wearing my flight suit. Yeager said, ‘Oh, you’re wearing a costume!’ No, lady; I’m wearing my uniform. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/34 "2024-04-30T01:37:30Z")
@Bullitt: awesome stories from somebody close-ish to fame. Thank you for all that. > [@terentii](#): > > Overall, I think it looks more like a Zero than anything else. I’d like some of whatever you’re smokin’. 🙂 That’s a çarrier- or land-based attack plane = single engine bomber. There’s nothing fighter-like about that lumbering behemoth of the 194l0s skies. It most resembles a USN SBD Dauntless other than the shape of the tail and some gratuitous AI gew-gaws. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/35 "2024-04-30T17:59:18Z")
It looks like three white dots in a rounded rectangle to me. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/36 "2024-04-30T19:35:08Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > … It most resembles a USN SBD Dauntless other than the shape of the tail and some gratuitous AI gew-gaws. While what appears to be the antenna mount is offset to starboard, on the SBD it was forward of the windscreen. The antenna itself appears to originate halfway down the greenhouse, and it looks like the rear gunner is trying to shoot it down (never mind that the SBD had twin .30 caliber rear guns). Also, while it’s not really clear, it appears to lack dive brakes. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/37 "2024-04-30T19:46:55Z")
Yup. Looks like the image hosting it was on (“[i.ytimg.com](http://i.ytimg.com)”?) has taken it down (or expired it). No great loss, but it will destroy what little context this thread has for future readers. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/38 "2024-05-01T08:41:09Z")
Unless someone snapped a picture of it and shares it here. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/39 "2024-05-01T15:56:01Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > It looks like three white dots in a rounded rectangle to me. The Phoenix Lights! it’s an alien spacecraft! ---
**Author:** ![Chelonaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9a140/32.png) [@Chelonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chelonaut)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2024, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853/40 "2024-05-02T11:31:21Z")
I did an image search and found it on sale as a stock-image. Found the adress in my browser history. Labelled " A WWII battle scene, somewhere in the Sea of Japan, WWII **fighter jets** battle **enemy fighter jets**. Created with Generative Ai technology." I’ve seen “jets” used to refer to propeller planes in other contexts, lazy writing or is “jets” slowly becoming a synonym for “airplanes”? > **[A WWII battle scene, somewhere in the Sea of Japan, WWII fighter jets battle...](https://stock.adobe.com/dk/663478203?clickref=1101lyuMQSLG&mv=affiliate&mv2=pz&as_camptype=&as_channel=affiliate&as_source=partnerize&as_campaign=pkrat)** > > Download A WWII battle scene, somewhere in the Sea of Japan, WWII fighter jets battle enemy fighter jets. Created with Generative Ai technology. Stock-illustration, og udforsk lignende illustrationer på Adobe Stock. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-for-aviation-historians-what-is-the-aircraft-in-this-picture/1000853.md?page=3)