P38 unearthed in Wales

[Tiger_mate]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7076941.stm

[ICT_SLB]

Interesting account but wrong in at least one item. Another P-38 was found in Poole Bay, Dorset back in the 70s. I got to dive on it while it was entangled in the fisherman's net and accidently went underneath the wing centre section - it was huge! The talk at the time was that it had tried to do the same low level attack on a floating target that Typhoons were using for practice and hit the water. Somebody wrote to the USAF Museum at the time (Royal D. Frey?) but they couldn't help unless a serial number was found. Also wasn't there more than one P-38 that crash-landed in Greenland?

[treadigraph]

It was four P-38s in Greenland I think, plus a B-17? I believe a German team has been there recently to try and recover more.

it would be interesting to see some photos of this new discovery...

[Atcham Tower]

Amazing! I suspected this P-38 was still there because the prop tips were visible in the 1970s. It is P-38F 41-7677 (same production batch as Glacier Girl) of the 14th Fighter Group, RAF Atcham. Lt Robert F Elliott force-landed in surf after fuel/engine probs near Llanbedr. Must investigate further!

[Flash2001]

TV over here are reporting a P 38 in the sand on a beach somewhere in Wales just uncovered by weather. Apparently force landed in 1943. Looked in fair shape.
After an excellent landing you can use the airplane again.

[kms901]

It's in the papers today. An overhead shot shows it missing the rear booms/tail section, but the rest is very recognisable and quite complete. No top engine cowls but you can see the engine blocks, wing/cockpit/ fuselage look pretty complete. Lots of seaweed though.

[Evileyes]

Good story with photos: http://news.aol.com/story/_a/wwii-fighter-plane-discovered-on-beach/20071114164709990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

[Octane]

"Ric Gillespie, head of US-based non-profit group the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, learned of the plane's existence in September from a British air history enthusiast and sent a seven-member team to survey the site last month.
It plans to collaborate with British museum experts in recovering the nearly intact but fragile aircraft next spring."
Next spring?! I doubt the aircraft would survive a winter of storms, heavy seas etc. let alone scavengers..
Surely a recovery attempt could not be that difficult to organise ASAP?
Octane

[Tiger_mate]

It appears to be in only waist deep water at the moment. Whereas that could change and see her buried again. You would expect that pressure pumps and a half descent winch you get it above the water line and onto firmer sand for road recovery.

[forget]

Does anyone happen to know what colours/markings this aircraft carried when it ditched?

PS. And here's the man who was flying when it ditched! Fred Elliott!

http://www.tighar.org/Projects/P38/elliott.htm

[forget]

My apologies for the consecutive posts, but the reason I’m interested in colours and markings of the Taff P-38 is below. In between the day job I’ve been experimenting, with a ‘scheme', by coincidence just before the ‘Maid of Harlech’ was discovered.

Any ‘Maid of Harlech’ people out there? PM me. There could be some creative scope here for producing ‘recovery-readies’. Not sure about the ‘clouds’ though - :bored:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b270/cumpas/P387.jpg

[Atcham Tower]

Yours is nice but the Harlech P-38 is Olive Drab with Neutral Gray undersides.