P-40 found in the Sahara Desert
cyflyer wrote
2012
The person that took the original images promises more images on the following forum. Truly amazing how many people immediately went down the 'fake' path.
Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums - View Single Post - P-40 from Sahara
From
P-40 from Sahara - Page 6 - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
Enhancement of one of the images showing the detail in the cockpit.
Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums - View Single Post - P-40 from Sahara
Can anyone judge from the vehicles seen in the video, what year approximately ?
The person that took the original images promises more images on the following forum. Truly amazing how many people immediately went down the 'fake' path.
Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums - View Single Post - P-40 from Sahara
From
P-40 from Sahara - Page 6 - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
Enhancement of one of the images showing the detail in the cockpit.
Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums - View Single Post - P-40 from Sahara
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Truly amazing how many people immediately went down the 'fake' path.
stepwilk wrote
Nothing to do with retrospect. All that happened here was some people were fooled by the poor quality of the digital images. When I first saw them I ran them through a bit of post processing. A little bit of sharpening and adjustment brought out the details and corrected the initial look. It was the limitations of the photographers camera, or its set-up, that caused the confusion.
Easy to say in retrospect
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I thought it was fake too but only delighted it isn't. The simple reason so many people are instantly skeptical is that the internet is awash with fakers. This looked too good to be true but it isn't.
In the video the people taking the ammunition appear to be military and others around the aeroplane seem to have some form of uniform which gives some optimism that it will protected to some extent. Officialdom would be quick to remove the guns and ammunition for obvious reasons.
The question now is what's the serial number and what happened to the pilot?
In the video the people taking the ammunition appear to be military and others around the aeroplane seem to have some form of uniform which gives some optimism that it will protected to some extent. Officialdom would be quick to remove the guns and ammunition for obvious reasons.
The question now is what's the serial number and what happened to the pilot?
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Think of the P40 as a Thai Ladyboy. What a relief to find it is not a fake. The chaps in the video seem to be doing their best to pull the wreck apart. I noted earlier that the canopy was intact in the video, but had been broken by the time the pics were taken.
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There's a pretty amazing photo gallery here of the find..
https://picasaweb.google.com/1146825...eat=directlink#
Simply amazing condition!
https://picasaweb.google.com/1146825...eat=directlink#
Simply amazing condition!
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Pity there is no registration. Does the red (orange) paint on the nose mean anything to anyone? The battery was manufactured in Australia; perhaps that indicates it may be RAAF.
The data plate appears to be missing from the P-40, but it is a possibility that it is serial ET574.
See following from page 14 onwards.
P-40 from Sahara - Page 14 - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
See following from page 14 onwards.
P-40 from Sahara - Page 14 - Key Publishing Ltd Aviation Forums
On 28/6/42 ET574 Piloted by F/Sgt DCH Copping 785025 left 260 for a ferry flight to an RSU . The A/C flew with u/c locked down due to damage . An incorrect course was set and the A/C was thought to have crashed in the Desert due to fuel exhaustion. F/Sgt Copping is listed as missing on that date.
It's possibly that one I suppose - but that doesn't look much like a 'gear down' forced landing to me - it'd have flipped right over onto it's back in that rocky terrain.
I take your point Load Toad, but if it landed gear down then why isn't it on it's gear?
Any warbird pilot will tell you that the bird will flip well before the gear gets ripped off in a gear down landing in rough terrain.
Any warbird pilot will tell you that the bird will flip well before the gear gets ripped off in a gear down landing in rough terrain.
Looks like I was wrong Load Toad :-(
Although there is no sign of the gear legs anywhere close to the wreck (just a solitary tyre), the tail wheel is retractable and clearly in the 'down' position.
Although there is no sign of the gear legs anywhere close to the wreck (just a solitary tyre), the tail wheel is retractable and clearly in the 'down' position.
Last edited by DH106; 27th Apr 2012 at 15:00.
No worries.
On many thread on many forums there are people surmising all sorts of things which are either far fetched or just plain picky 'Why is the canopy closed but broken..?' etc.
For freaks sake a P-40 crashed after some emergency in the middle of the desert and the pilot may or may not have made it out alive - yet people assume that some sort of 'perfect checklist' for crashing, leaving the 'plane and then surviving must have been followed.
I'm just bloody amazed and frankly excited that a P-40 that crashed in WWII has been found in the desert & hopefully will be recovered & exhibited.
I'm fairly certain that the pilot didn't think 'Right - survived the crash - must leave the switches in the right positions because when the internet is invented folk are going to nit pick over this no end.'
On many thread on many forums there are people surmising all sorts of things which are either far fetched or just plain picky 'Why is the canopy closed but broken..?' etc.
For freaks sake a P-40 crashed after some emergency in the middle of the desert and the pilot may or may not have made it out alive - yet people assume that some sort of 'perfect checklist' for crashing, leaving the 'plane and then surviving must have been followed.
I'm just bloody amazed and frankly excited that a P-40 that crashed in WWII has been found in the desert & hopefully will be recovered & exhibited.
I'm fairly certain that the pilot didn't think 'Right - survived the crash - must leave the switches in the right positions because when the internet is invented folk are going to nit pick over this no end.'
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If it is ET574....
Flight of two ferrying battle damaged aircraft from LG-09 to LG-100 for repairs. 30-40 min flight.
Once airbourne ET574 gear would not retract.
Also, aircraft seen to take up a track approx 90 degrees to what would have been expected.
Attempts to contact by radio ineffective. Other attempts to signal including by hand ineffective.
Second aircraft forced to break away and head the right direction. Arrived at LG-100 1 hr 50 mins later.
ET574 not seen again till now.
Flight of two ferrying battle damaged aircraft from LG-09 to LG-100 for repairs. 30-40 min flight.
Once airbourne ET574 gear would not retract.
Also, aircraft seen to take up a track approx 90 degrees to what would have been expected.
Attempts to contact by radio ineffective. Other attempts to signal including by hand ineffective.
Second aircraft forced to break away and head the right direction. Arrived at LG-100 1 hr 50 mins later.
ET574 not seen again till now.
Last edited by currawong; 30th Apr 2012 at 13:30.