Now that's what I call a dive bomber: Greek fighter jet salvaged from the Aegean Sea

The Daily Mail, UK ^ | 24th June 2011

[sukhoi-30mki]

Now that's what I call a dive bomber: Greek fighter jet salvaged from the Aegean Sea

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 3:43 PM on 24th June 2011

This Mirage 2000 fighter bomber of the Greek Hellenic airforce was rescued from a watery grave after it crashed into the Aegean sea.

The two-seater aircraft went down on June 9 this year after running into trouble while on an exercise with two other jets near the island of Samos.

Both pilot and co-pilot were able to eject safely and were rescued before being taken to Athens Military hospital.

Embarrassingly for the Greeks the accident happened just a day after one of their F-16 fighters caught fire while taking off from Souda air base on the island of Crete.

A team attached cables to the stricken plane earlier this week before carefully hoisting it to the surface during the successful salvage operation early this week.

Black Hawk Drown: The Greek Mirage fighter bomber lies at the bottom of the Aegean Sea

[DesertRhino]

What will they do? Put it on a post at the front gate? Use it as an indepth maintenence trainer? It has to be trashed from one end to the other,,,,

[smokingfrog]

You’re going to need a longer snorkel.

[driftdiver]

I helped pick up pieces of a F16 which had gone down in a rice paddy. They said the engine would be repaired and reused. The rest of the plane was just a little banged up. Surprisingly it didn’t burn that much with ample amounts of jet fuel still sitting around.

[fish hawk]

I saw that scene in Thunderball. (James Bond film)

[AnalogReigns]

What will they do? Put it on a post at the front gate? Use it as an indepth maintenence trainer? It has to be trashed from one end to the other...

I'd imagine that in spite of a week in salt water, there are hundreds of (very expensive) restorable/usable spare parts in the plane. It looks remarkably intact.

They'll take everything apart, clean everything up, inspect everything carefully, and reuse whatever parts are not damaged.

Of course that AIRFRAME will never fly again...

[Covenantor]

note on canopy: Gone Fishing

[cranked]

I heard the note read: “Help! I am flying a piece of crap!”

[cpdiii]

“I saw that scene in Thunderball. (James Bond film)”

Yes, it was a British Avro Vulcan delta winged heavy bomber.
I have seen them fly, and they are beautiful in a sinister way. One look at the Vulcan and you know it is not Federal Express and it is not dropping roses!

[Ronald_Magnus]

Somebody needs to bring this guy in for questioning.

[WellyP]

Looks more like a lawn dart!

[Wiggins]

[sukhoi-30mki]

For a downed aircraft, it looks pretty much intact. The Mirage-2000 is considered to be one sturdy jet.

[Hulka]

In the USAF, jet engines are not returned to flight unless if is something like a bird-strike down the intake and repairs can be made. In a true mishap sequence this is not the case. There is a lot of damage to the engine that simply can't be seen in any viable way, even bore-scopes and other NDI means are not conclusive. So, I think you were told the engine would be repaired and returned to flight, but actually a crashed jet's engine returned to flight is not very likely.

[Hulka]

Will put it on a stick, most likely.

(Looks very natural on the bottom of the sea. . .french-made military kit usually ends up on the bottom, anyway).

[driftdiver]

I dunno, I just know what they told us. We were hip deep in mud and JP4 so perhaps I misunderstood.

I do know rolling the afterburner section up a steep muddy hill is not on my list of things to do again.

Nor is hauling the landing gear out by hand.

[Rebelbase]

As good a place as any for this pic:

[Hulka]

Whole new meaning to “a place on the beach.”

[blueunicorn6]

I’m glad I’m not the only one here who thought of supercar.

[SunkenCiv]

I think I saw something like this in a James Bond movie.