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Burmese Spitfires

Old 29th Sep 2012, 05:03
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Burmese Spitfires

My friend and I are going on a social to Myanmar in Janaury and we are both " in the trade " so to speak. Does anyone know if we can realistically get a chance to get near the Spitfire site which is of course now well documented. Any thoughts from you all much appreciated, thanks, Terry.
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Old 29th Sep 2012, 11:29
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Is there actually any definite moves to excavate the site? Or is there still a lot of crooked palms to be greased, before anything can happen?
The news feeds since all the hoo-ha about Camerons intervention in Apr/May has been precisely zilch.

I have extreme doubts about whether aircraft buried without massive protection from the elements could survive in any restorable condition, after 67 yrs under the ground, and under the effects of a tropical, monsoonal climate.

Yes, they may have been crated - and yes, they may have been coated in Cosmoline and suchlike - but none of this lasts more than a few years against the ravages of soil chemicals and water ingress.

Does anyone recall the recovery of the new, unused '57 Plymouth Belvedere in the time-capsule concrete bunker in Tulsa in the U.S. in 2007?
When it was lowered into the bunker, it was sealed and protected to the nth degree with all the high-tech, state-of-the-art corrosion protection - but when it was recovered, it was virtually scrap metal.
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Old 29th Sep 2012, 12:16
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The crates would have rotted and collapsed under the weight of the soil. Think Terracotta Warriors or IKEA.
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Old 29th Sep 2012, 12:54
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The Terracotta warriors were made by IKEA? Figures - in a sweat shop, self assembley?
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Old 29th Sep 2012, 16:50
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What would so many Spits do to the overall value of the marque if so many were exhumed.

Don't forget that so long as you have the correct bits of authentication you're on a winner.

Any car restorers care to comment?

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Old 30th Sep 2012, 03:26
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Personally, I have grave misgivings about the whole story but thought I would ask anyway - thanks.
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Old 30th Sep 2012, 09:47
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The Terracotta warriors were made by IKEA? Figures - in a sweat shop, self assembley?
You may not be so far off. This is from Wikipedia.

Studies show that eight face moulds were most likely used, and then clay was added to provide individual facial features.[20] Once assembled, intricate features such as facial expressions were added. It is believed that their legs were made in much the same way that terracotta drainage pipes were manufactured at the time. This would make it an assembly line production
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Old 30th Sep 2012, 14:55
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The difference of course is that there is a shred, just the tiniest shred of evidence for the existence of the Terracotta Army which is more than you can say for the Burmese Spitfires. Or the dozen MB5s wrapped in marzipan under my garden. Or Alien abductions.
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Old 4th Oct 2012, 21:13
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I was going to ask about these buried spitfires....

Obviously nobody has any further news regarding them - should they exist.

I honestly hope they do, and that there's something left of them to create another spitfire and get it into the sky - assuming of course they are found.

Dan
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Old 5th Oct 2012, 21:38
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So long as you get the data plate, someone can build you a Spitfire around it.
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Old 6th Oct 2012, 04:21
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So long as you get the data plate, someone can build you a Spitfire around it
Mosquitos don't seem to be too much of a problem in this neck of the woods so I guess a Spitfire shouldn't be to difficult.
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Old 6th Oct 2012, 07:03
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When this was first announced, I imagined the aircraft to be in wooden crates, and entombed in an underground concrete bunker, as appose to burried in sand/soil like a coffin would be.

Therefore in my simple mind,vthey could be uncrated, checked over and probably assembled over however many years.

Dan
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Old 7th Oct 2012, 17:49
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The only way you'd bury several crates of Spitfires would be to shove them into a disused quarry or claypit and bulldoze a covering over them. Trying to get a bunch of mutinous conscripts, all of them eager to get back to Blighty, to dig a big hole and bury a squadron rather than smash them up and set fire to the remains, seems to be rather optimistic.
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Old 15th Oct 2012, 20:34
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I agree Mig15, if the bits of Spitfire I dug up as a child on a crash site near my parents house in Biggin were anything to go by. The only bits that really survived in a recognisable state were any stainless steel bits and brass items. All the alloy has turned crystaline in the damp soil, would be much the same in Burma I fear.
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Old 16th Oct 2012, 21:40
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As no actual Burmese Spitfire structure has surfaced to date nobody at this stage knows the condition.

I personally have seen Spitfire crash wreckage come out of the ground in Europe with both ferrous and aluminium structure as crisp and clean as the day it went in. I have seen Spitfires recovered from salt water beaches that are now flying. I have seen Spitfires recovered from fresh water where the steel parts were rotted through. I have seen buried and smashed Spitfires recovered in Australia that are forming the basis of rebuilds to flying condition.

Time will tell, but I personally am optimistic.
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Old 17th Oct 2012, 18:06
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It is being reported over here today that Burma has signed a deal with a British aviation enthusiast to allow the excavation of Spitfire aircraft buried by the British almost 70 years ago. The excavation is slated to begin by the end of October.

The Myanma Ahlin daily reported that the excavation agreement was signed on Tuesday by Director General of Civil Aviation Tin Naing Tun, Cundall on behalf of his British company DJC, and Htoo Htoo, managing director of Cundall's Burma partner, the Shwe Taung Paw company.

Bob C
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Old 18th Oct 2012, 02:52
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Dozens of spitfires buried by the British in Burma during WWII will be excavated following 16 year hunt by aviation enthusiast | Mail Online
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Old 18th Oct 2012, 07:00
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20, dozens, 60? How many of the bloody things are there?
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Old 18th Oct 2012, 07:08
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Our ever reliable national broadcaster is breathlessly reporting that David Cameron negotiated the agreement to recover 60 Spitfires that were buried "to prevent them falling into the hands of the advancing Japanese".

Oh, and each is worth $2.5 million.

Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to seeing what might eventuate.
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Old 18th Oct 2012, 07:52
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Quote "Has anyone actually seen any pictures of the inside of one of the crates?"

Bore holes and core samples - yes.

Images - not to my knowledge.

A sprinkling of 'paper-talk' I'm afraid.

Last edited by Mark22; 18th Oct 2012 at 07:53.
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