Posted on 04/16/2012 1:58:33 PM PDT by Theoria
EXTRAORDINARY plans to raise a lost ''squadron'' of Spitfires that have lain buried in Burma since the end of World War II were revealed at the weekend as David Cameron, Britain's Prime Minister, visited Rangoon.
A Lincolnshire farmer who devoted 15 years of his life to finding the planes has spoken about his quest to recover them and get them airborne.
David Cundall, 62, has spent £130,000 ($200,000) of his money, visited Burma 12 times, persuaded its secretive regime to trust him, and all the time sought testimony from a dwindling band of Far East veterans in order to locate the Spitfires. Advertisement: Story continues below
His treasure hunt was sparked by little more than a throwaway remark from a group of US veterans made 15 years ago to his friend and fellow aviation archaeologist, Jim Pearce.
Mr Cundall said: ''They told Jim: 'We've done some pretty silly things in our time, but the silliest was burying Spitfires.' And when Jim got back from the US, he told me.''
Mr Cundall realised the Spitfires would have been buried as they had been shipped, still in their crates. Before they were shipped to the Far East, they would have been waxed, wrapped in greased paper and their joints tarred, to protect them against the elements.
The first step was to place advertisements in magazines, trying to find soldiers who buried Spitfires. ''The trouble was that many of them were dying of old age,'' Mr Cundall said. He visited Burma over and over again, slowly building relations with its junta. Finally, he found the Spitfires, at a location that is being kept a secret. Mr Cundall said: ''We sent a borehole down and used a camera to look at the crates. They seemed to be in good condition.''
In August 1945, the Mark XIV aircraft, which used Rolls-Royce Griffon engines instead of the Merlins of earlier models, were put in crates and transported from a factory in the West Midlands to Burma. Once they arrived, however, the Spitfires were deemed surplus to requirements. The order was given to bury 12 Spitfires without even unpacking them. It is possible that a further eight were then buried in December 1945.
Mr Cundall said: ''In 1945, Spitfires were 10 a penny. Jets were coming into service. Spitfires were struck off charge, unwanted. Lots of Spitfires were just pushed off the back of aircraft carriers into the sea. On land, you couldn't leave them for the locals - they might have ended up being used against you.''
Ground radar images showed that inside the crates were Spitfires with their wings packed alongside the fuselages. The Britons want to work to restore as many of the 20 Spitfires as possible and get them flying. There are only about 35 flying in the world.
The final obstacle to recovering the Spitfires, however, is political: international sanctions forbid the movement of military materials in and out of Burma, and it was also feared the regime would not allow any foreign excavations.
But because of the new, reforming stance of the government, the sanctions on movement of military material may be lifted on April 23. With the help of Mr Cameron and his visit to Burma, a deal is being negotiated and hopes are high that it will conclude with President Thein Sein granting permission for the dig.
SkyRaiders! Yes!!
I HAD A PAIR OF THEM FLY CLOSE AIR SUPPORT FOR MY COMPANY ONE TIME. Got right down on the deck with us.
The aircraft that are being floated as light counter-insurgency strike aircraft are going to be turboprops. Modern turboprop engines can produce more power per pound than even the best piston engine, with far less complexity, easier maintenance, and easier access to fuel. (Jet fuel is actually easier to find than the leaded aviation gasoline than even light piston engines require...much less the serious high-octane juice that engines like the Merlin and Griffon were built for.)
The plane you’re thinking of is the Embraer Super Tucano, from Brazil. It’s already in use with several South American countries, and won the USAF competition though it’s tied up in court with the losing company, Hawker Beechcraft. If the court case gets resolved, the USAF Super Tucanos will be built in Jacksonville.
Interestingly, in the 1980s, Piper Aircraft *did* try to produce an upgraded, modern, turboprop version of the venerable Mustang for the USAF as a strike and counterinsurgency. They called it the PA-48 Enforcer. I’ve seen one of the remaining prototypes, it’s at the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_Enforcer
}:-)4
Agree. What a waste. But then again in the postwar, if you could buy a Corsair at the Army-Navy store, would Piper Aircraft ever had a chance?
“There are only about 35 flying in the world. “
If he’s still alive, he would be 84, one of them is at Whitman Air Park in the San Fernando Valley belonging to Nelson Whitmnan.
When he returned from Korea his dad had a newly refutbished one waiting for him!
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| GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
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Thanks Theoria.Ground radar images showed that inside the crates were Spitfires with their wings packed alongside the fuselages. The Britons want to work to restore as many of the 20 Spitfires as possible and get them flying. There are only about 35 flying in the world.Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. |
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Fascinating... I did not know that.
I recall there were some old smokestacks next door painted white and orange. Made it easy to locate from the air.
It's been a loooooong time, so I hope by old brain isn't playing tricks on me.
That’s the airport.
The Whitmans not only owned it and lived in a neat home on top of the hill at the airport, they also produced concrete punping equipment.
I haven’t seen Nelson aince the 50s when I quit building and racing cars to get married.
I didn’t start flying until the late 70s but knew Nelson when he was a hotrodder in the early and mid 50s.
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