A long lost airplane that crashed during WWII is finally discovered almost perfectly preserved on

U.K. Daily Mail ^ | 8/9/2017 | James Draper

[xkaydet65]

Curtiss Helldiver SB2C. Definitely a dive bomber, note the perforated flaps and not a Dauntless ,

[pfflier]

Looking at the flaps, they appear to be perforated like those of an SBD. If so, the wreckage isn’t inverted as the story claims or wheel wells would be prominent. Also in the rear of the cockpit area, what looks like the gunner’s seat is visible (rotated forward).

[75thOVI]

Oh! Don’t give me a P-39,
With the engine that’s mounted behind.
It’ll tumble and roll,
And dig a big hole!
Oh! Don’t give me a P-39.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Yeah...saw that right off....but dismissed it since it wasn’t all that clear that it wasn’t some part of the fuel tank or other subsystem under the skin of the wing...which looks to rotted away. But...if it was an Aichi E13A, then it wasn’t a tail dragger. You can also see what might be the remains of a pontoon landing assembly near that broken cowl.

[Red Badger]

You can also see what might be the remains of a pontoon landing assembly near that broken cowl.

Yes, I saw that with max magnification...................

[higgmeister]

Yeah. It looks “almost perfectly preserved”...pfft!

That's what I was thinking. lol

[riverrunner]

Just a little duct tape and it would be flying again.

[DFG]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aichi_E13A Aichi E13A "Jake" http://www.dive-the-world.com/reefs-and-parks-palau-peleliu-ww2-history.php Jake's Seaplane This is one of the most accessible sea planes to dive in Palau. This 1938 built Aichi Navy float plane which had a 3-man crew now rests among hard corals in 13 to 33m depth meaning it is visible from the surface. It seems to have crashed shortly after take-off. Unbent propellers suggest they were not turning at the time of impact with the water's surface. Much of the inside of the plane has been stripped of artefacts although some dials and gauges remain. You can inspect the surrounding reef for cuttlefish, octopus and nudibranchs.

[Bubba Ho-Tep]

Alternate headline: Palau Kayak Tour Visits Well Known Local Wreck: Photgrapher Sells Picture to Online Publisher, Writer Cranks Out 500 Words of Click Bait Fluff and Nonsense.

[bar sin·is·ter]

Rules are rules... the pontoons in question.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I agree. Dauntless. Look at the dive flaps (air brakes). Dauntless had very unusual flaps with all the holes in them to slow the aircraft down in a steep dive. The flaps here look like that.

[partyrepub]

That is what I saw. The Dive Breaks. It has to be a Dauntless.

[Phlyer]

Curtiss Helldiver SB2C. Definitely a dive bomber, note the perforated flaps and not a Dauntless ,

I'm not sure I see perforated flaps as much as the ribs under (originally) fabric-covered flaps on which the fabric has rotted away.

However, after my first glance analysis, I looked up the TBF/M and SB2C, and the TBM has split flaps, so it's not a TBM. I still think the wing looks too high on the fuselage for the SB2C, and probably for a TBM as well. My current guess would be something like an OS2U Kingfisher.

I'm not about to claim certainty. It's an interesting question, though.

[353FMG]

“Almost perfectly preserved”?

[Robert A Cook PE]

No, P-39’s would not have been flying/shot down in that area.

Dauuntless possibly - based on those wing-to-fusalage smooth transitions and the possible dive brake opening under the wings. No wheel/landing gear openings though ??

[Mears]

“’For me, it’s the juxtaposition between the wreck and the person kayaking carefree right next to it. It seems disrespectful given that someone could have died in that wreck.’ “

—

I never thought of carefree kayaking as disrespectful.

.

[beelzepug]

If these are the first people to set eyes on this spot in
in more than 70 years it would be a good place to retire in peace and quiet.

[beelzepug]

If these are the first people to set eyes on this spot in
in more than 70 years it would be a good place to retire in peace and quiet.

[mountn man]

In the event of a water landing,
she can be used as a floatation device.

[Bonemaker]

Mustangs didn’t come into play until late in the war. They primarily flew long range B 29 escort missions from Iwo. B 29s from Tinian. Later when 29’s shifted to night missions the 51’s changed to ground attack role on Japan proper.

This plane is not a 51. It is not upside down. High wing monoplane with what looks like a rather long greenhouse with what could be a rearward firing machine gun , Flaps are down and appear perforated like dauntlass dive brakes.Appears to be a single radial engine that has partially broken off downward. Its not a dauntless. More likely Japanese of some sort.

After writing this I did more research and found they are saying its a TBM Avenger.