20 Crated Spitfires Found in Burma????

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by RangerJimK

With all due respect, have you ever heard of a chap named Sidney Cotton and/or the Nr. 1 Photo Reconnaissance Unit (PRU)?

Jim Kirk

Yup, the sneakily-modified-Lockheed-Electra guy. But you I don't think a journalist could embrace the concept of photo-reconnaissance variants (sorry, "spy planes"!) without their head exploding, do you?

Re the beer adverts, I always liked "It's alright Smudger, it's one of ours."

[John Beaman]

Well, Yahoo, according to a recent story says "experts" are on their way to Burma to start looking/digging. They have a vet, Stanley Coombe who apparently says he saw them buried.

If they are found, the story says that they plan to return them to the UK, restore them, and fly them.

Wonder what the Myramar Generals will have to say about that?

Or, is this an "old" update story?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by John Beaman

Well, Yahoo, according to a recent story says "experts" are on their way to Burma to start looking/digging. They have a vet, Stanley Coombe who apparently says he saw them buried.

If they are found, the story says that they plan to return them to the UK, restore them, and fly them.

Wonder what the Myramar Generals will have to say about that?

Or, is this an "old" update story?

Take a look at this BBC report. It appears they have an archaeologist on board and a deal has been struck with the Burmese government.

[John Beaman]

Thanks, Nick.

I love the caption quote from him, "Mr Cundall said the Spitfire was a very special aeroplane". Wow, what a relevation! To give him his due, he probably realizes he's talking to a completely ignorant audience.

[Nick Beale]

There's a short film clip as well now: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20925300

They're now talking in terms of over a 100 Spits buried at various sites in Burma.

[John Beaman]

Gee, I wonder how they dealt with the "Struck Off Charge" form?

[Nick Beale]

Meanwhile in England: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013...-lands-airport

[Larry deZeng]

According to The Guardian article:

"........"We will have a box on the surface, you can open the doors, and you will see the aircraft inside," Cundall said. "These are 100% original Spitfires that have been buried for 67 years, and they will still be shining.""

'Scuse me, but these were the days before shrink-wrapping and I strongly doubt if they would have applied Cosmoline to every square inch of each Spitfire's fuselage, engine, instruments, cockpit interior, etc. Hence, the image portrayed here of bright, shiny Spitfires fresh out of the box merits a measure of skepticism. Burma is one of the hottest, steamiest countries in the world where even the soil has high water content. If these chaps think they are going to run the Spits out of their boxes, slap on the wings and fly them back to the U.K., then I have a nice house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington that I would like to sell them!

L.

[Bruce Dennis]

Has anyone predicted whether or not they have engines? Might affect their plans ...

Bruce

[RangerJimK]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

According to The Guardian article:


'Scuse me, but these were the days before shrink-wrapping and I strongly doubt if they would have applied Cosmoline to every square inch of each Spitfire's fuselage, engine, instruments, cockpit interior, etc. Hence, the image portrayed here of bright, shiny Spitfires fresh out of the box merits a measure of skepticism. Burma is one of the hottest, steamiest countries in the world where even the soil has high water content. If these chaps think they are going to run the Spits out of their boxes, slap on the wings and fly them back to the U.K., then I have a nice house at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington that I would like to sell them!

L.

Good point, Larry. But, please to remember that they had to get to Burma somehow, and to me that means by steamer - either as hold cargo or deck cargo. And whether the Panama Canal - Australia - Burma or around the Cape, that's a long journey by ship and it's salt air and salt spray all the way.
How were they protected?

Larry, I haven't even thought about cosmoline in about 50 years, but I remember cleaning cosmoline from crates of M1 Garands and M-1919 Browning MGs! [Yeah, I'm that old.... ]

A more than a bit OT here, but how were aircraft shipped from GB to down under? Were there any companies manufacturing Spitfires, et al in Australia?

Cheers,
Jim