Vintage wing strut? Help with ID gratefully received!

[tmmorris]

A local cadet unit has found this in their stores and wondered what it was. The consensus is that it's a strut. It has a symmetrical aerofoil cross-section and the ends appear to be blacksmith-made i.e. they have a hammered appearance. It's spruce; it has four holes in in two pairs but I think they may be mounting holes from a previous display board:

http://imageshack.us/a/img4/1018/photoyui.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img823/4673/photo2shq.jpg

First, do you agree it's a strut? Second, does anyone know what from?

Tim

[Maoraigh1]

For scale - what size are the tiles?

[Lord Spandex Masher]

Well they're smaller in the second pic! ;)

[Pilot DAR]

It certainly looks like an interplane strut from a biplane, I have no idea what type. the fittings show it carries compressive loads only.

[tmmorris]

I think the tiles are 1ft square, will check when I get into work tomorrow but it's about 5ft long which would be about right.

I'm guessing that if it has been lovingly preserved by a cadet unit it's probably from a military type, though not necessarily I guess.

Thanks for any help.

Tim