1 Air Division

Comments by Heather Hay (RCAF Dependent: 1954-1957) - I remember my amazement when I first saw this photo as a child. Imagine my dad being so strong that he could push the front of the plane in! Dad wrote on the back of this photo: "Decoy (rubber - air filled) F-86 Sabre" at 2 (F) Wing Grostenquin. We did not have sufficient aircraft to be an effective operational unit so decoys were placed all over the aerodrome so the "other side" would think we had more planes that we really had."

Comments by George Sparks (421 Squadron: 1953-1956) - With regards to the "rubber F-86", the dummy aircraft in the photo above was located at the 421 Squadron dispersal as can be verified by the tent in the photo. 421 Squadron was the mobile squadron on the station and as such, there were a number of tents in the dispersal area.

To the best of my knowledge, there was only one decoy aircraft located at 421 Squadron, and for the best of me, I can not recall whether this was the only decoy on the entire Wing. The F-86 decoy did not last very long - perhaps two or three months before they were suddenly removed from the airfield. They were British made, and from my point of view, the decoy was mainly for demonstration. The wings of the "decoy" were solid plywood while the fuselage was rubber - filled with air. The dummy would have to be re-inflated from time to time as the tail and nose sections would be touching the ground due to leaks.

3/4 front view of F-86F S/N 52-4644 with a dummy F-86 to the left at Weisbaden AB in Germany.
Note the wooden struts under the wings of the "dummy" Sabre to keep it in position - 6 June 1955.