Video of remote-controlled plane shared as Rafale jet

“ಮೋದಿ ಖರಿದಿಸಿದ ರಫೇಲ್ ಯುದ್ಧ ವಿಮಾನ ಇದೆ ನೋಡಿ, ಈ ಯುದ್ಧ ವಿಮಾನದ ಸಾಮರ್ಥ್ಯವನ್ನು ಕೊನೆಯ 10 ಸೆಕೆಂಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆಯುವ ಅದ್ಭುತವನ್ನ ನೀವು ನೋಡಲೆಬೇಕು (This is the Rafale fighter plane which Modi bought. Look at the last 10 seconds for the amazing feats it can accomplish -translated)”, was the caption attached to a video shared by a Facebook page, Narendra Modi fans from Karunadu. It suggests that the plane showcasing aerobatic manoeuvres is a Rafale jet. At the time of writing this article, the video garnered close to 11,000 shares and 5 lakh views.

Individuals on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have shared the video as ‘Rafale fighter plane’ since at least May 2018. “That’s Rafale Fighter plane for which India has done deal with France
Awesome”, reads the message shared with this video on several other social media platforms.

Remote-controlled plane

Alt News found that the video of the plane shared as Rafale jet is actually a remote-controlled aircraft. We found a logo of a brand named FLEX which is seen at the rear end of the plane.

Upon searching the brand on Google, we found the official website of Flex Innovations. The website in the about us section says, “Flex Innovations is founded by a team of very talented individuals who are passionate about great products with innovative technology. Our staff has many years of experience working on aircraft control systems, toys, electronics, and RC hobby products.“ The plane seen in the viral video is a toy aircraft model F-16QQ PNP made by Flex innovations.

An extended and original version of the viral video is posted below. You can also watch several other videos of toy aircraft made by the company.

The misinformation was earlier debunked Bangalore Mirror.

In conclusion, a video of a remote-controlled toy aircraft was passed off on the Internet as Rafale jet.