1979. THE OIL SNIFFER AIRCRAFT HOAX

Whatever it takes

An episode from the series HISTORY GREATEST LIES

Synopsis

In 1979, in the midst of the second oil crisis, two eccentric inventors propose to the French industrial oil giant, Elf, a concept for an aircraft able to detect oil deposits underground.

Encouraged by "promising demonstrations", the government eagerly backs the project which turns out to be a complete hoax and a financial swindle that would soon become a national scandal.