How Deep?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2006
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 958
Likes: 786
From: 350/3 Compton
How Deep?
This may sound odd but it has relevance to a possible project on which I am working. Does anyone out there have experience of recovering FJ wreckage that has impacted pretty hard in an area of peat-covered ground? I realise that the answer is probably the length of a piece of Pusser's twine but any insights into the difficulties likely to be encountered would be gratefully received.
I will be happy to PM more details to anyone willing to give advice. May not be able to do so for a couple of weeks though as the current Mrs Mog is taking me away on a trip.
Mog
I will be happy to PM more details to anyone willing to give advice. May not be able to do so for a couple of weeks though as the current Mrs Mog is taking me away on a trip.
Mog
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 361
Likes: 10
From: UK
Mog,
Channel 4s Time Team have done a couple of WW2 archaeology programmes, they always hook up with local Aviation Historical Research bods theres a couple of shows on Youtube:
"The Lancashire Aircraft Investigation Team, together with members of RAF Millom Museum took part in a major project in association with the Channel 4 Television's Time Team. 2005 near Warton".
They appear to have an association called the British Aviation Archaeological Council with an associated website.
Hope helpful. pp.
Channel 4s Time Team have done a couple of WW2 archaeology programmes, they always hook up with local Aviation Historical Research bods theres a couple of shows on Youtube:
"The Lancashire Aircraft Investigation Team, together with members of RAF Millom Museum took part in a major project in association with the Channel 4 Television's Time Team. 2005 near Warton".
They appear to have an association called the British Aviation Archaeological Council with an associated website.
Hope helpful. pp.
Thought police antagonist
Joined: Jul 2003
Aviation Qualifications: LAME
Posts: 1,574
Likes: 349
From: Where I always have been...firmly in the real world
Suggest you get in touch with JARTS at Wittering, the current term for the former 71 MU who had some considerable expertise in this area.
From personal experience, the engines tend to be remarkably intact, likewise the u/c . The rest tended to be in chunks, big and small.
From personal experience, the engines tend to be remarkably intact, likewise the u/c . The rest tended to be in chunks, big and small.
Joined: Sep 2006
Aviation Qualifications: Military
Posts: 6,024
Likes: 102
From: Somewhere flat
I trust that you already know that you can't just go and dig for the jet and you need permission from the MOD first? (Granny sucking eggs and all that).
Details here... https://www.gov.uk/guidance/aviation-archaeology
Details here... https://www.gov.uk/guidance/aviation-archaeology
Joined: Feb 2006
Aviation Qualifications: LAME
Posts: 36,145
Likes: 5,739
From: Falling off the end of the thread
Try registering and asking on the flypast forums, a lot have been involved in recoveries
https://forum.keypublishing.com/foru...toric-Aviation
https://forum.keypublishing.com/foru...toric-Aviation
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 559
Likes: 86
From: Beyond the M25
I trust that you already know that you can't just go and dig for the jet and you need permission from the MOD first? (Granny sucking eggs and all that).
Details here... https://www.gov.uk/guidance/aviation-archaeology
Details here... https://www.gov.uk/guidance/aviation-archaeology
Excavations are licensed on the understanding that MOD may require the licensee to surrender all items recovered to the department without compensation.
- doesn't seem very sporting.
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 151
Likes: 2
Mog, the Hunter T7 crash in June 93 Mr Wallace Cubitt and his Hawker Hunter T Mk.7 G-BTYL (formerly XL595) - aircrashsites.co.uk sounds similar to the conditions you describe. It went in so deep that it was deemed too difficult to recover for a civil investigation, though I seem to remember the insurers tried to push further,
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 15,116
Likes: 1,091
From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
About thirty five years I was tasked to fly an RAF station photographer over a Jaguar crash site for the benefit of the imminent Board of Inquiry (the crash had not long happened, I had just returned from flying the pilot to hospital). The Jag had gone vertically into a grass field from 10,500 feet with the engines running at high power. The impact crater was surprisingly small and compact, with only a tail pipe and one taileron showing above ground. The photographer quickly thought he'd got all he needed until we noticed an unexplained fresh swathe cut through an adjacent field of standing maize. He took photos of it, although we couldn't understand what it was at that time. The swathe turned out to be caused by an Aden cannon, which had curved upwards from the crater and tunneled itself out of the ground quite some distance away where it cartwheeled across the surface through the crop.
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
From: upstairs
Some years ago a German Tornado crashed in a marsh. The accident investigators turned up at the site to find that the local burgermeister (spell?), concerned about groundwater contamination, had all of the physical wreckage put in a skip. I'm reliably informed that this is true.
EAP
EAP
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 5,174
Likes: 7
From: UK
I had to drop a Lada at Finningley one year. One thousand feet was the demand and I could place it quite safely from the crowd. When I released it I did a quick 45 degree bank right so we could see the impact.
The circular shock wave from just a Lada from 1,000ft was really impressive.
The circular shock wave from just a Lada from 1,000ft was really impressive.
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,792
Likes: 1,209
From: Baston
I recall [vaguely, as it was none of my business] a Heads of Branches meeting at RAFG HQ where the then AOC in C was getting concerned about a crash that involved carbon fibre components [Harrier?].
Was/is carbon fibre a particular hazard for the recovery and investigation teams? My only concern was getting the weather forecast right [ideally, providing good weather but .......... !]
Was/is carbon fibre a particular hazard for the recovery and investigation teams? My only concern was getting the weather forecast right [ideally, providing good weather but .......... !]
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 373
Likes: 0
From: Civ/HAL/SHY/FYY/PWK/AAS/WAD/AVI/GPT/BZN/BSN/WAD/BAS/FLK/WIT/MND/WAD/WIT/WAD/Civ
Time Team was finished by Ch4 a few years ago, now relegated to repeats on Dave.
Mick Aston has now sadly passed away, but Carenza Lewis is now a lecturer at Lincoln Uni and Phil Harding is still with Wessex Archeology.
I considered Time Team to dig the original Tech site at Waddington, but was offered Bishop Grosseteste arche studes by Lincs Aviation Heritage instead. Sadly support from Waddington didn't materialise. I suspect due to the finance which Waddington would have to provide instead of Time Team, for hiring heavy plant to clear the nettles.