Fw 58 book - Progress report!

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Dear Sergio

Hope you are progressing well in your work on the FW 58. Maybe you know already the existence of a FW 58 wreck close to Geneva: there is an amazingly preserved FW 58 in "le lac du Bourget", a lake in France, some 70 kilometers away from Geneva. The plane took off from Lyon-Bron airfield on 30 March 1944 at 13h15, with two instructors and two aspirants; they tried to buzz the lake surface but misjudged their height and slammed in the water; two of the crew were rescued by local fishers, the other two unfortunately drowned, the water being then at a chilly 3 degrees Celsius. Since that day, the Weihe is at the bottom of the lake, its wreck at a steep angle, tailplane high, at a depht of 112m; the cold fresh water preseved even most of the fabric covering the structure. The wreck was first dived in 2004; to see the current state of this FW 58 wreck, please check the following link:

http://www.watalibi.com/FW58.htm

and also this one:

http://resdlpbourget.free.fr/html/avion.htm

And here one look at the fin and rudder as is... after a 63 years immersion!

Hope this helps

Cheers from Geneva

Marc

[Sergio Luis dos Santos]

Thanks Marc. I´m aware of this plane and even sent some material to another article published at internet where this plane is mentioned. At end of 2006 another Fw 58 was rescued but in not so good condition. A photo is published in Preserved Axis Aircrafts site.

On other hand I faced some personal troubles and lost my focus on the work. Nice material and photos are still arriving but got a complete blank in my mind so a big delay on the first volume. I´m returning slowly to the work, selecting images and still cross checking several listings of Stkz and W.Nr.

I was in doubt how to display some of the information but after releasing of Dan Hagedorn´s Latin American Air Wars I found Hikoki´s way, downloable archives with text for chapters is the best option to me also.

I hope in some weeks post here a complete "status report" so all people that has given his support will know how things are going.

Hugs from hot Rio,

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Dear Sergio,

Thanks for your reply and sorry to hear from your difficulties. I do hope you recover well and that you'll be able to pick up your work. We're looking for it!

Cheers

Marc

[Sergio Luis dos Santos]

Thanks Marc,
Fortunately my health is fine, that´s important. When our head is full with troubles beyond our control... Well, life is a daily challenge and I´m going ahead and very soon things will become clear.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Sergio,

Un abraçao de Ginebra!

Marc

[Sergio Luis dos Santos]

No! It´s not Friday 13! Neither the living dead are coming back with Fred Kruger... It´s not turning a Stephen King novel!

Just time to make an update for this project.

After collecting a large amount of photos and information I was unable to decide the way to share all that information in a friendly way. In this meantime I returned for a long time project that where to be published by now defunct Flugzeug Publikations in Germany. After years of research and photo collecting I was able to find a publisher in Brasil so I´m very optimistic to see my 3 volume set book dealing with the German Aircrafts in Brasil published. Maybe volume one will surface this year but not sure.

It´s my desire to work again in the Fw 58 book but I´d like to say that all material in my possession will never be shared or used for another work without a previous contact and authorization from the owners.

Thanks for all help and understanding.


Hugs,