20 Spitfires found in Burma
It's called GREED, it's a human trait & at ALL levels of society especially at Govt levels.
I bet Cundall now regrets even finding them or at the very least telling too many people about them.
Why not just leave the machines buried,we glorify war too much as it is & this event only shows the ugly side (again) of mankind as if there was still a war going on !!
Wmk2
I bet Cundall now regrets even finding them or at the very least telling too many people about them.
Why not just leave the machines buried,we glorify war too much as it is & this event only shows the ugly side (again) of mankind as if there was still a war going on !!
Wmk2
Just the one...
See Canadian Warplane Heritage site for a great set of pics of P40 HS-B...Tomahawk 1? Kittyhawk found in the desert in Egypt.
Crash landed 1942, found March 2012.
I wonder what happened to the pilot.? Scary looking environment.!!
Crash landed 1942, found March 2012.
I wonder what happened to the pilot.? Scary looking environment.!!
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This is what you are referring to.
From my limited knowledge of World Wars, I believe it is related to the Battle of El-Alamein at the top end of Africa circa 1942, ala Rommel and Montgomery.
What an amazing discovery!
People have probably been flying over it for years just thinking it was an old wreck. Well it is... but. Apparently found by a mob looking for oil.
An AUSTRALIAN built aircraft from what can be seen, a LONG way from home. Was the pilot Australian I wonder?
I've heard figures of Judy's P40 Kittyhawk being worth in excess of $15m and up to $40m, so it will be interesting to hear the fate of this aircraft.
https://picasaweb.google.com/114682...&authkey=Gv1sRgCKjxkt6rkNTFKg&feat=directlink
WWII Curtiss P40 Found in Desert | Military.com
From my limited knowledge of World Wars, I believe it is related to the Battle of El-Alamein at the top end of Africa circa 1942, ala Rommel and Montgomery.
What an amazing discovery!
People have probably been flying over it for years just thinking it was an old wreck. Well it is... but. Apparently found by a mob looking for oil.
An AUSTRALIAN built aircraft from what can be seen, a LONG way from home. Was the pilot Australian I wonder?
I've heard figures of Judy's P40 Kittyhawk being worth in excess of $15m and up to $40m, so it will be interesting to hear the fate of this aircraft.
https://picasaweb.google.com/114682...&authkey=Gv1sRgCKjxkt6rkNTFKg&feat=directlink
WWII Curtiss P40 Found in Desert | Military.com
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British farmer and aviation history buff David Cundall now says there are 124 new Spitfires buried in Myanmar (formerly Burma) and he knows where 60 of them are.
I suspect that some would think that the lost but now found airframes would be better remaining lost.
For the record, I'm not one of them. Like Slasher and others I'd cheefully go and dig one up myself.
Re the Kittyhawk discovered in the desert; I do not think it beyond the realms of possibility that there are more similar wrecks like that just waiting to be found.
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Amazingly good condition for 70 years in the open ...
And to think, the identity of the pilot has yet to be confirmed. I hope his remains, should they be found, are afforded much better treatment.
Aye Aye Pinky,
I do have a ticket in the 'BIG one' for Tonight, and the BIGGER one for next Tues.........
You'd better be 'nice' to moi.....
(I'll take 2 please...)
I do have a ticket in the 'BIG one' for Tonight, and the BIGGER one for next Tues.........
You'd better be 'nice' to moi.....
(I'll take 2 please...)
serious money....
XXX... I have some P39 stuff you can have for a couple of mil $$s.
By the time you have it all back together it'll be worth $20 mil. Wow..!!
And now pull the other one....back to reality.
If you wish to see current Warbird prices... have a look in Courtesy or Barnstormers.
Hope HS-B ends up at someplace like AvSpecs in Na Zilan...and gets back into the air again. It would be a worthy flying memorial to Pilot Officer XX who dropped it into that terrible place.
Is his dessicated body buried by the sand, under that wing where they pulled out some parachute.? Or did he wander off into the great unknown.?
Would be good to see a proper archeological dig around the thing.
That was one helluva rough "landing"!
What else is out there...Me 109, or....???
By the time you have it all back together it'll be worth $20 mil. Wow..!!
And now pull the other one....back to reality.
If you wish to see current Warbird prices... have a look in Courtesy or Barnstormers.
Hope HS-B ends up at someplace like AvSpecs in Na Zilan...and gets back into the air again. It would be a worthy flying memorial to Pilot Officer XX who dropped it into that terrible place.
Is his dessicated body buried by the sand, under that wing where they pulled out some parachute.? Or did he wander off into the great unknown.?
Would be good to see a proper archeological dig around the thing.
That was one helluva rough "landing"!
What else is out there...Me 109, or....???
Buried Spitfires To Be Excavated In Burma
Lets hope that we get a good outcome and it doesn't end in tears.
Hidden Burmese Spitfires to be excavated - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Dozens of rare Spitfire fighter planes buried in Burma during World War II are to be dug up under an agreement between the Burmese government and a British aviation enthusiast.
The iconic single-seat aircraft are believed to have been hidden unassembled in crates by the former colonial power to prevent them falling into Japanese hands almost seven decades ago.
Local businessman Htoo Htoo Zaw, who is involved with the project, says the excavation is expected to take about two years.
"We expect to dig up about 60 fighters," he said.
The iconic single-seat aircraft are believed to have been hidden unassembled in crates by the former colonial power to prevent them falling into Japanese hands almost seven decades ago.
Local businessman Htoo Htoo Zaw, who is involved with the project, says the excavation is expected to take about two years.
"We expect to dig up about 60 fighters," he said.
Hidden Burmese Spitfires to be excavated - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
buried unassembled in crates by the former colonial power to prevent them falling into Japanese hands almost seven decades ago.
Purportedly buried in 1945 as being surplus to requirements in the final stages of the war.
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If there are 60 and they are still in reasonable condition ,the inhibiting has worked, then as they come onto the market for sale the $2.3 million will quickly drop , my guess is to around the P 51figure about half their current market value.
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Spits....
In todays Oz . 124 of at 6 locations.
My bet will be that the magesium alloy rivets that the Poms used will ALL need replacing. Did the XIVs have fabric or metal tail feathers?.. but that's a minor prob..
No matter...if you can afford to buy one , you can afford a rivet gun and a bucket containing 1,457,319 rivets.
Should be very interesting to see the first one out the box.!
Wow...something very special.!
Imagine in years to come seeing a"scramble" by a couple of squadrons of Spits!
Spitfire Dreaming ???
My bet will be that the magesium alloy rivets that the Poms used will ALL need replacing. Did the XIVs have fabric or metal tail feathers?.. but that's a minor prob..
No matter...if you can afford to buy one , you can afford a rivet gun and a bucket containing 1,457,319 rivets.
Should be very interesting to see the first one out the box.!
Wow...something very special.!
Imagine in years to come seeing a"scramble" by a couple of squadrons of Spits!
Spitfire Dreaming ???
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Just for the sounds
Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XIVe - YouTube
Video 2
Mk. XIV Spitfire Startup - YouTube
Video 3
Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV Visits Reno - YouTube
Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XIVe - YouTube
Video 2
Mk. XIV Spitfire Startup - YouTube
Video 3
Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV Visits Reno - YouTube
Last edited by Engineer_aus; 20th Oct 2012 at 05:08.