Wow - Talk about a nice find!

Lost Squadron Of Pickled Spitfires Found

Lost Squadron Of Pickled Spitfires Found

 

Yeah, I saw that on the news today. If the airplanes are still pickled and water hasn't worked its way in, we're going to see a lot more Spitfires in a few years!

 

If I can get my hands on one I'll buy it, and I've got two other guys that would buy as well. I love the Spitfire, I got to fly in one at Duxford in 2008.

 

I'm seeing this story show up in some other places. I've been thinking about this all week - it's an amazing story from many different perspectives! Kind of makes you wonder what else might be buried out there?
Mike

 

Reminds me of the story that came out a few years ago about the British gentleman who worked a deal in Argentina or somewhere down there, for 16 WWII M3 Stuart tanks that were just sitting in someones field. Took like ten years of wrangling and greasing the palms of the local politicos, but finally the guy had them all shipped to England where last I heard he was selling some of them off to collectors and museums. Sure would be nice to see a few more Spitfires in this country. Hope somebody is ableto buy and restore one.

 

20 Buried Spitfires to be Exhumed

Yar -- it's buried PILOT treasure!

Like a treasure chest stuffed with priceless booty, as many as 20 World War II-era Spitfire planes are perfectly preserved, buried in crates beneath Burma -- and after 67 years underground, they're set to be uncovered.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech.....stnews#ixzz1sao5IGu4

 

Re: 20 Buried Spitfires to be Exhumed

Yes, an incredible find. This topic was brought up in this thread already:

https://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/hangar-flying/12653-wow-talk-about-nice-find.html

 

Re: 20 Buried Spitfires to be Exhumed

Pretty cool!

I'm going to merge these two threads... done.

-Dana

If you glue a piece of toast, butter side up, to your cat's back, and drop it from a high place, which way will it land?

 

So you folk all feel this is legit? I want it to be true but find I am forced to remain skeptical at this point...

 

I see no reason to doubt the story. There are many examples of actions like this in the military, especially in wartime. I have seen videos of aircraft being dumped over the side of aircraft carriers because they were no longer needed. and it logistically more effective than carrying them all the way back to the US only to be mothballed or destroyed.

 

Yes. The story I read is that these were delivered right at war's end (which was rather abrupt - not many knew about the atom bombs about to be dropped), and the war was over before they were removed from their crates and assembled. Supposedly the base commander ordered the crates buried so that they wouldn't be looted, and nobody ever came back to dig them up. Sounds very military-mind to me.

 

They are actively looking for the German aircraft brought back for testing at a base south of Indianapolis. I don't think they've ever found anything substantial though.

 

Most of the "Project Paperclip" aircraft that were brought back to the USA from Germany were scrapped - which is a tragedy. A few unique examples ended up in museums. Beyond the three Me-262s, two He-162s, the Go229 V3, and the Natter, I don't know of any others that survived. However, I've never done an exhaustive search, so there may be others. Most of the testing was done either at Wright Field or what would become Edwards. The Messerschmitt P.1011 proto was loaned to Bell, first in an attempt to be finished and then as a design aid for the X-5, after it was dropped hard during delivery and damaged. AFAIK, that was scrapped after the X-5 was flying. We got a Fw-200 Condor, too, and some Fw-190s, but I don't know what became of those.

 

I've been to Albania. While peeing during a stop I saw something in the distance. What I found was amazing, about half a dozen of jets, MIG 15's and 21's, some with the engines still in, standing in a forgotten place, 2 ft tall grass around them. Same in France. An old rusty hangar, partially collapsed. Somewhere in the back was an airframe of a P51, obviously not been touched for years. Absolutely amazing how much is left to rot.

 

I'm not sure of all the details... should have guessed something would go wrong. It's to bad - this was one of those "feel good" stories until this happened Mike [h=1]Dogfight over buried WWII Spitfires in Burma | Fox News[/h]

 

I can't believe that they, British Gov, would force David Cundall to abandon his claim on these aircraft.

 

So has anyone heard anything recent about this?

I know that this is an old thread, but a very interesting subject.

Richard

 

Last I heard was that further research led to the conclusion that there are in fact no buried Spitfires.

Dana

 

To bad!

 

Well, we do know where there are some P-38's buried under ice.


BJC