Orval Fairbairn wrote:


No glider bomb there! The a/c pictured is a training glider, used to
train glider pilots. Several types of training gliders were improvised
from light planes, where the engine was removed and a seat/controls
substituted.


That's entirely correct, but doesn't necessarily contradict the Glomb
idea. The USN used several of these gliders in modified form for the
Glomb test program. Documented types are the XLNT-1 (Taylorcraft
TG-6), XLNP-1 (Piper TG-8), XLNR-1 (Aeronca TG-5) and XLRW-1 (Waco
CG-4A). I don't know much details about the extent of the airframe
modifications, but the XLNT-1 (and probably others as well) was
modified with a tricycle gear.



The plane pictured is not a Cub or Aeronca or T-craft --


Indeed, and that's exactly the problem ;-). Although the aircraft
_superficially_ looks like, say, an XLNT-1/TG-6 modified with a
tricycle landing gear, it isn't (unless major parts of the rest of the
airframe were rebuilt as well).


maybe a Commonwealth?



I don't think any Commonwealth aircraft were used by the USAAF and/or
USN. Do you think of a specific type?

Andreas