Spitfires found in Burma
What this chap says seems quite reasonable
Buried Spitfires is a tall story, says RAF veteran (From The Northern Echo)
Buried Spitfires is a tall story, says RAF veteran (From The Northern Echo)
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I think Mr Cundall has an obsession not based on reality.
"Mr Cundall said: “We had to stop the dig because, while we have equipment to detect Spitfires at 20ft, we don’t have the equipment to detect cables at 5ft.”
supercarb's link [EX RAF pilot Pat Woodward] seems utterly plausible to me.
"Mr Cundall said: “We had to stop the dig because, while we have equipment to detect Spitfires at 20ft, we don’t have the equipment to detect cables at 5ft.”
supercarb's link [EX RAF pilot Pat Woodward] seems utterly plausible to me.
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I haven't read every post here, but I've been following the story on and off. It seemed to me, at the start of this affair, that the best way of finding out if there was any truth in the story, would have been to ask surviving former RAF men who were in Burma at the end of the war, to confirm-or not-that these stories were true. The Northern Echo reporter has done just that and-unsurprisingly in my view-a retired ex-RAF man who was in Burma in 1945, has comprehensively demolished the story. I am not surprised.
Oh and oliveau, love that "[Knowing some of the supply snafus, I expect someone had despatched crates of Arctic clothing to Burma, so Yes, bury it quick!]." That sounds perfectly plausible to me!
Oh and oliveau, love that "[Knowing some of the supply snafus, I expect someone had despatched crates of Arctic clothing to Burma, so Yes, bury it quick!]." That sounds perfectly plausible to me!
Last edited by Proplinerman; 25th Jan 2013 at 21:09. Reason: Changing a "this" for a "the"-better English.
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As said previously, I think the whole thing has been badly planned, communicated and implememnted - except where PR to obtain something like financing.
They spend millions but can't spend 5 minutes to check these things.
"The dig at the international airport was suddenly cancelled last Thursday after the team had probed a few feet below the surface and found live cables and functioning equipment connected to the airport."
And re the crate found, because it was full of water they
leave it to dig at the airport ?
Why not concurrent activities ?
As said before, how long does it take to find pump out a crate
and why leave what could be the first spitfore to go off somewhere else ?
Everyone I know would dig the crate up first or at least look inside it.
They spend millions but can't spend 5 minutes to check these things.
"The dig at the international airport was suddenly cancelled last Thursday after the team had probed a few feet below the surface and found live cables and functioning equipment connected to the airport."
And re the crate found, because it was full of water they
leave it to dig at the airport ?
Why not concurrent activities ?
As said before, how long does it take to find pump out a crate
and why leave what could be the first spitfore to go off somewhere else ?
Everyone I know would dig the crate up first or at least look inside it.
...because they can keep the charade and $$$ supply going until the crate they 'found' turns out to be B/S too.
Have you seen the price of decent hotels in Yangon...?
Have you seen the price of decent hotels in Yangon...?
What A Fiasco.
Just about zip on this fiasco seems to make sense.... On the one hand we have an obsessed anorak, on the other teams of grasping competitors, on the other, archeologists - who are frankly unnecessary. Buried a/c would show-up very plainly on scanning. If just ONE item, ANYTHING was dug-up, then there'd be at least some credibility, but there is zilch, not so much as a single component. Just more stories and obfuscation.
Now, about that double-decker bus on the Moon......
Now, about that double-decker bus on the Moon......
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As a bit of mischief, might I suggest that the teams will end up investigating the rubbish dumps at one of these sites and find some bits that might be vaguely spitfire-ish?
Like many others I am disappointed but not too surprised by the way things have turned out. The full story will be interesting.
Like many others I am disappointed but not too surprised by the way things have turned out. The full story will be interesting.
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talking of rubbish dumps.....
As a kid in Clacton-on-Sea, I made frequent sorties to a lump of land with a gully running through, known locally as"Smith's Pit" It was probably just fly-tipping, but us kids found all sorts of treasures therein.
protruding from the side of the gulley was part of a rusty cylindrical tapered shape. Local legend had it that this was the hull of a captured German submarine!
It was late 50's and Alton Park primary school was being built at the end of the road,so large numbers of kids walked past "smitty's" every weekday.
Some years later ,off "the Point" Canvey Island (Thames Estuary) a group of us explored parts of a wrecked aircraft on/in the mudflats at low tide. I still have the chunk of cylinder-head with a bent,but shiny valve in it, that Irecovered that day,late 60's.
Again, local legend had it that it was a shot-down German bomber,
IIrc, there were fairly intact flap and a landing-gear leg on the surface and a lot of other stuff poking out of the silt.
As a kid in Clacton-on-Sea, I made frequent sorties to a lump of land with a gully running through, known locally as"Smith's Pit" It was probably just fly-tipping, but us kids found all sorts of treasures therein.
protruding from the side of the gulley was part of a rusty cylindrical tapered shape. Local legend had it that this was the hull of a captured German submarine!
It was late 50's and Alton Park primary school was being built at the end of the road,so large numbers of kids walked past "smitty's" every weekday.
Some years later ,off "the Point" Canvey Island (Thames Estuary) a group of us explored parts of a wrecked aircraft on/in the mudflats at low tide. I still have the chunk of cylinder-head with a bent,but shiny valve in it, that Irecovered that day,late 60's.
Again, local legend had it that it was a shot-down German bomber,
IIrc, there were fairly intact flap and a landing-gear leg on the surface and a lot of other stuff poking out of the silt.
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Interesting because most of what we've learned is based on internet speculation and snippets from folks with some involvement.
The expected documentary will be along shortly (probably as a cliffhanging twelve parter) but I think it'll be a while longer before the real story emerges.
The expected documentary will be along shortly (probably as a cliffhanging twelve parter) but I think it'll be a while longer before the real story emerges.
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The documentary to be called 'Not Finding Any Spitfires That Were Never There'?
As with the spitfires, it wasn't, but did give the makers two hours of fiction dressed up as a documentary based on little more than hopeful speculation!
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The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ring any bells?
Ring any bells?
Hosted by Geraldo Rivera, the special centers around the opening of a secret vault once owned by noted gangster Al Capone. The program is now perhaps best known for the vault being ultimately empty except for debris.
When the vault was finally opened, the only things found inside were dirt and several empty bottles including one Rivera claimed was for moonshine bathtub gin. Despite the ending, the special became the most-watched syndicated television special with an estimated audience of 30 million
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Claridon Group.......
"David Cundall estimates that restoring the Spitfires back to original will create 400 UK jobs over a 5 year period after which many of the aircraft will find homes in Museums up and down the country."
Where are the 400 engineers/techs available to restore the Spitfires? Mr Cundall is not applying logic and reality to any of his pronouncements. He is in cloud cuckoo land, sadly, IMHO.
"David Cundall estimates that restoring the Spitfires back to original will create 400 UK jobs over a 5 year period after which many of the aircraft will find homes in Museums up and down the country."
Where are the 400 engineers/techs available to restore the Spitfires? Mr Cundall is not applying logic and reality to any of his pronouncements. He is in cloud cuckoo land, sadly, IMHO.
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For me, the track record with the Lancasters (AKA 'Project Merlin') with which Mr Cundall was 'involved' should have warned everyone what was the likely outcome.
Greed will cloud everyone's judgement - every time !
Arc
Greed will cloud everyone's judgement - every time !
Arc
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Its off to work we go....again....
From today's avweb....
"Spitfire Search Resumes In Burma
David Cundall, an aviation enthusiast from the U.K., is back in Burma searching for buried Spitfire airplanes, with a new sponsor, according to recent news reports. Cundall returned to Burma last month to search for pristine Spitfires he believes were buried there at the end of World War II. His previous sponsor, the Belarussian video gaming company Wargaming.net, withdrew support for the project last February after evidence of Cundall's theories failed to materialize. The Claridon Group, a British freight-handling business with an office in Burma, now is backing the project. Chris Scott, managing director of Claridon, said that after meeting Cundall, "and seeing his deep-rooted passion for preserving part of our history and heritage for generations to come, we just had to get involved"
More on the Avweb site....
OVAH!
From today's avweb....
"Spitfire Search Resumes In Burma
David Cundall, an aviation enthusiast from the U.K., is back in Burma searching for buried Spitfire airplanes, with a new sponsor, according to recent news reports. Cundall returned to Burma last month to search for pristine Spitfires he believes were buried there at the end of World War II. His previous sponsor, the Belarussian video gaming company Wargaming.net, withdrew support for the project last February after evidence of Cundall's theories failed to materialize. The Claridon Group, a British freight-handling business with an office in Burma, now is backing the project. Chris Scott, managing director of Claridon, said that after meeting Cundall, "and seeing his deep-rooted passion for preserving part of our history and heritage for generations to come, we just had to get involved"
More on the Avweb site....
OVAH!