How to hide an aircraft plant - amazing 1940s photos show you how

Date
8 May 2012

To paraphrase fictional British magic-trick-designer-cum-sleuth Jonathan Creek, what’s often most amazing about illusions is the lengths the tricksters go to to pull it off (he was referring at the time to a trick which involved identical-twin trained gymnasts). The point is that with imagination, organisation and a mammoth effort, it’s possible to do the seemingly impossible – like making an aircraft base disappear.

These images found over at Stories-etc show how the Lockheed Burbank Aircraft Plant in California was disguised from a possible Japanese air attack during the Second World War. It’s not only a magnificent glimpse of an unusual moment in American history, but also a testament to the power of creative thinking.

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The plant before the disguise (Picture from stories-etc.com)

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The plant after being disguised (Picture from stories-etc.com)

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A close-up of one of the disguised areas (Picture from stories-etc.com)

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An airplane hangar (Picture from stories-etc.com)

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A picture of the carpark (Picture from stories-etc.com)

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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