Mystery Aircraft

[kruangfaifar]

I spotted the aircraft in the below photo on Hwy 4 on my way to a project in Ratchaburi and despite extensive searching on the net I haven't been able to positively identify it. It looks like a Gaerman Fantrainer but the markings appear to be USMC and I can't find any record of such aircraft being used by USMC. Does anyone know what it is?

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Take a wander through this great www site, the answer should be there:

http://thai-aviation.net/

Mac

[kruangfaifar]

Take a wander through this great www site, the answer should be there:

http://thai-aviation.net/

Mac

Thanks for directing me to an excellent website which I have bookmarked for future reference. I think I have figured out what the plane is using info found on that site. The RTAF took delivery of a number of German Fantrainer aircraft around 30 years ago and some of those were sold off as time went on. At least one of them was sold to a retail business (a Camping Shop called US Camping in Jomtien). After thinking about it for a while I have come up with the following theory:

The plane is a "spoof" i.e the colour scheme and markings were added for fun probably for retail marketing. My logic is:

• I am pretty sure that the plane is a Fantrainer. There are not that many ducted fan aircraft in the world.
• The USMC has never used Fan trainers in Thailand or anywhere else according to records that I found on the 'Net
• Sharks teeth paintwork on the nose has never been applied to trainers as far as I know. Historically A10s P40s and other combat aircraft have had such designs
• A plane in a US paint scheme is a more plausible marketing tool for a business called US Camping than a plane in RTAF training colours.

Anyway that's what I came up with. Thanks for pointing me towards that website Mac