Warbird Information Exchange

well if anybody knows of any fighters sitting in fresh water I have an investor interested in search and recovery and restoration of such a plane, drop me a pm if you do, finders fees can and will be paid if it comes to pass...

Hope your investor has deep pockets! This line of activity aint cheap!

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A&P, A.A.S./Aviation Maintenance technology
Warbird salvage/recovery
One day I'll get that P-40!

There is a Flying Tigers P-40E in Lake Kunming. I don't want a finders fee just passing it along.

There is more than one in the lake! Good luck with Chinese government and then importing it back here.

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A&P, A.A.S./Aviation Maintenance technology
Warbird salvage/recovery
One day I'll get that P-40!

G'day everyone.

Just wanna say a few things re this topic, speaking (typing) from first hand experience.

Firstly, who is the investor, what do they want, when do they need it and what would the contract arrangements be. I ain't handed over anything regarding research I or associates of mine have done until these are answered, otherwise the investor has enough money and doesn't need anyones help.

Now, salt water recoveries can be placed into several different categories. I have recovered a fair bit of stuff from salt water and while 60% became useless that
was mainly due to my own ignorance. Pre and early WW2 allied aircraft fair better in salt conditions than anything made after late 1942. The percentage of non corrosive materials changed around about that time. However, it could be argued based on the liberty Belle announcement that any salt water recovery would provide enough re-usable or patternable material to justify a rebuild / restoration.

Earlier aircraft contained more stainless steel, copper, brass, bakelite etc and had better protection processes applied than later in the war when seats were made of wood and copper pipes were replaced by aluminium.

An early corsair will provide more re-usable parts than a later model. I recovered an early type and 75% of it would be used again, used as patterns or add to engineering knowledge. So, go for it, if you know where a salt water wreck is, can get permits, then go get it. But as stated, don't make the same mistake I used to make, follow some basic rules and you would be surprised by the results, we're not talking spray and wipe and refuel and fly here, common sense must prevail, but the returns will be worth the investment.


Peter

Two Fw190D-9 in a lake in Germany

Two Bu-181 in a lake in Germany

MiG 15/17 in a lake in Germany

Two Bf110 in a lake in Germany

Mustang in a lake in Japan - well know.

I think the Corsair might well be owned by the US Navy.

Knowing where the are is one thing, getting permits etc is a whole different ball game.

Mark

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'Coups De Foudre'
(511FS, 405FG watering hole), St Dizier, France 1944/45

Let's see, Webster's Dictionary; "Spectacular Tease"
1) Kate Upton doing the "Catdaddy" on Youtube.
2) That Corsair, 65 years in shallow salt water.
I will review both again to be sure!!

Getting permits really is not that difficult. The time it takes to get them is

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A&P, A.A.S./Aviation Maintenance technology
Warbird salvage/recovery
One day I'll get that P-40!

I have only seen photos of Shark wreckage

any info like the type of crashes? belly landing/fatallities etc....I've been up there with my side scan sonar tow fish and my boat mounted side scanner, found 2 crashes underwater but they were tore up....went looking for a mustang, never found it....quite ellusive it was...

Indeed! There's no reason to 'stop dreaming'. The question was to the state of saltwater wrecks. They can make great static displays, but other than the Collings' Corsair, I'm not aware of any aircraft from salt to fly, and that Corsair was a different order of immersion period. (Other saltwater-to-flight stories welcome, but let's remember short period recoveries after days, weeks or a couple of months are a different case to years and decades.)

The Hellcat Futurecorsairowner mentions is listed on the NMNA's website.

Digger's points are good, also.

Regards,

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com