Posted on 08/09/2017 9:33:40 AM PDT by simpson96
(full article title: A long lost airplane that crashed during WWII is finally discovered almost perfectly preserved on the riverbed of a remote Pacific island)
Holidaymakers can expect to witness numerous unexpected wonders when they explore the world.
But tourists visiting the Micronesian archipelago of Palau discovered an unusually rare sight, recently - after stumbling across a doomed WW2 plane.
The long lost aeroplane was found in a shallow river on the archipelago of Palau, which boasts 500 picturesque islands.
An image of the remarkable relic, which surfaced on Imgur, shows the plane largely intact with the wings still attached to the fuselage.
Eerily positioned upside-down, it's not clear which country the military craft belonged to, but the undisturbed site has now become something of a makeshift grave.
And, clearly, it exerts a fascination with holidaymakers, two of whom can be seen canoeing past the plane's rusted body.
Unsurprisingly, the image has stunned people across the internet, with one saying:, 'Looks like a movie set or the beginning or end of a novel.'
Another added: 'If was the pilot that died with that plane, I'd be happy with my final resting spot. So beautiful and serene.'
A third chimed-in: '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.'
One plane expert told MailOnline that the wreck is 'probably' that of an American aircraft, possibly a flying boat, he added.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Would it perhaps be a Lockheed Electra?...............
It isn’t an avenger or a wildcat. Could be a dauntless.
I see what you did there. :)
Looks kinda like a Japanese betty bomber.
Look at the aft end where the wing meets the fuselage...the way it tapers off. Not a P-40, but I suppose it could be a P-39.
If there were more than one picture, we could probably tell.
Yeah. It looks “almost perfectly preserved”...pfft!
It’s not upside down, based on the angle of the wing to the fuselage.
I’m guessing either a flying boat or a damaged aircraft attempting to make a water landing and hitting the ridge just to the right of the nose ... which then flipped it over.
Crew could’ve survived that scenario depending on speed at the tip.
Beautiful juxtaposition.
Yep, looks kinda like a Betty.
I was wrong about the betty. It looks to be single engine. No engine mounts or bracing on the wings. It also looks like the wings were attached kinda high on the fuselage. That has to be the top of the plane because the wings are attached farther down in the rear than in the front.
Looks like a single engine. Don’t know why the “expert” thought it was a seaplane. We only had a few single engine models, and it doesn’t appear to be a Kingfisher either, based on that trailing wing root. Heck, how do they know it is American? Looks Japanese to me.
It is a single engine aircraft. You can see the propeller in the front water. P-51 Mustang?................
I read the article, and their “expert” thinks it is a Japanese Aichi E13A, but it isn’t that either. Or some kind of Zero or Zeke variant.
I am sticking by a Dauntless.
Well, if it's upside down, there is no landing gear...........;^)
Given it's inverted with no visible wheel wells, could it be an A6M2-N Rufe with the central float torn off?
If it is a Zero, that would be a GREAT FIND!
There are very few intact Zeros!...................
Mustangs were pretty rare in the Pacific war. Frankly, with only the one picture, it is hard to tell. They say it is upside down, but the angle of the connection of the wing to the fuselage strongly implies both that it is upright, and that the wing attached to the top section of the fuselage.
The plane is not very big, but it seems to be pretty wide compared to the boater.
That is definitely not a Dauntless wing. The air brakes are missing and it is just the wrong shape.
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