Posted on 11/28/2012 7:11:26 PM PST by ameribbean expat
A lost squadron of Spitfires buried in Burma after the Second World War could fly over Britain within three years, the enthusiast seeking to restore the planes said yesterday.
Digging for the hoard of at least 36 Mark XIV fighters will begin in January at a remote airfield.
Should the archaeologists succeed, a number of the aircraft will be carefully packaged and brought home next spring, where they will be restored.The discovery could more than double the number of Spitfires flying.
More than 20,000 were built in the 1930s and 1940s but only around 35 remain in the skies.
Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/world/buried-spitfires-set-to-take-to-the-sky-20121129-2ahj0.html#ixzz2DZqOw2DB
(Excerpt) Read more at watoday.com.au ...
these things were still in the packing crates and grease!!
how awesome is that?
have you seen some of the things Metal detector people dig up , crates are gone and the grease was food for little beasties
I agree with Molson209. While it’s fun to imagine they are pristine and just need fresh petrol, that’s highly unlikely. If moisture has gotten to them, they are toast. Even if dry they could be very messed up by animals/insects/tomb raiders ect. We’ll see.
That would be awesome!
Geeez, is that a sample of one (?) of the Burmese Spits? That would be pretty disappointing after the buildup on this story. That looks like something pulled from under the sea somewhere.
Looks like that “Transformer” (which is on tv right now as I speak) just puked.
“It will take an engineer, artist, and magician to restore these.”
Hey, as long as they’ve got a complete VIN they can get a clear title from the DMV.
:)
The project boat I recently bought is looking a whole lot better now:) cept the wiring, that’s about the same.
“More than 20,000 were built in the 1930s and 1940s but only around 35 remain in the skies.”
Years I knew a guy that probably still has one, if he’s still alive, I haven’t seen him in almost 50 years.
Nelson Whitman was given a fuly restored one by his father when he returned from Korea in 1952
Wow!! Beautiful pic!! I have gone back and forth over the years on what I felt was the best looking allied fighter from the WW2 era. It always comes down to the Spitfire or the North American Aviation P-51D Mustang and I suppose it always will.
According to the link below, that is a different airplane that was recovered from the shallow sea off of Denmark.
“Heinkel He 219 was recovered from coast of Jylland only 3 meters deep sea. Or whats left of it. Heinkel He 219 was most advanced Night-Fighters ever produced having ejector seats and pressurised cabinet. Only about. 270 were produced.”
Scroll down to Reply #14....
http://forum.worldoftanks.eu/index.php?/topic/108217-20-brand-new-spitfire-xiv-uncoverd-in-burma/
There’s some more about the Spitfires here....
If we could build 20,000 more of them they would make quite an impressive Air Force, especially when you consider that a country like Iran has just aging F-14’s, even China would pause a bit.
20,000 available would decimate an incoming aerial landing force, too many for any sophisticate missile control.
20,000 would probably cost only a couple of F-22’s or F-35’s.
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