Recovering airframes from ships torpedowed enroute to europe

[Dan Jones]

It was said at the time of recovery that the F6F that got fished out of the Pacific some years ago could have, at the time it was recovered, been restored to flying condition. If money was no object there are probably airplanes that could be rebuilt from what's left of them on the bottom of the ocean, but realistically the numbers just aren't there to make it feasible. Probably a more cost effective solution would be the building of 100% replicas, like Gerry Beck's P-51A or the 262's, Ki-43's, F3F's, etc.

[gregv]

Don't forget to take into account Risdon Beazley; he and his firm salvaged cargoes from most of the WWII vessels that were at workable depths in the Atlantic. I recall watching a tv show where one such vessel was visited, and the P-40s that were part of the cargo were well and truly chewed up in the process of recovering the main cargo (some strategic metals IIRC). There's also taking into account what damage may have been done to any aircraft carried in a ship during the sinking, what with the ship partially collapsing etc. plus cargo shifting. Then there's actually getting to the aircraft inside a ship, i.e. tearing apart the metal structure, and that's after you've located exactly where they're at.

Not that it can't be done, but it would take a lot of resources, and at the end of the day you'd more than likely be further ahead starting with a better project.

greg v.

[tom d. friedman]

i would liken it to retrieving / salvaging treasure from a house made out of a deck of playing cards!!

[Dan Jones]

One ship that Beazley salvaged had a topside cargo of A-20's and P-40's, and some years later somebody went back with an eye to getting the aircraft. I think the "Sea Hunters" did an episode about it. I think they found one semi recognizable Allison engine - if you knew what you were looking at. The rest was just rubble.

Dan

[agent86]

Ok guys,
lets not get carried away.I never claimed to be an expert on either salt water corrosion nor deep sea salvage.its just something that I have wondered about for years and if its a pipe dream then so it is.We all have fantasies about where we can find the next warbird score,dont we?

[rwdfresno]

There are so many warbirds that are sitting on dry land that will likely never be restored or were flying but have been grounded due to lack of resources. While it's fun to think about being Indiana Jones and unearthing some rare treasure of an aircraft cocooned away in a hidden place I think it would be money much better spent to restore and preserve what is sitting on dry land today.

Ryan

[Dan Jones]

Ok guys,
lets not get carried away.I never claimed to be an expert on either salt water corrosion nor deep sea salvage.its just something that I have wondered about for years and if its a pipe dream then so it is.We all have fantasies about where we can find the next warbird score,dont we?

I don't think anybody here is trying to defecate on your parade. It's an interesting idea, but airplanes are incredibly fragile and the sea is incredibly harsh. If you could take all the water out of the oceans and drive around on the bottom you would likely find something, somewhere, well worth salvaging. The USS Yorktown for example is in incredible condition. Who knows what goodies lie inside her and maybe still lashed to the overhead? But deep sea salvage is akin to space exploration in many ways - cost certainly being one of them.

Dan

[12XU2A3X3]

There are so many warbirds that are sitting on dry land that will likely never be restored or were flying but have been grounded due to lack of resources. While it's fun to think about being Indiana Jones and unearthing some rare treasure of an aircraft cocooned away in a hidden place I think it would be money much better spent to restore and preserve what is sitting on dry land today.

Ryan

i think the appeal comes from the fact that, notionally, the idea of recovering an airplane would be cheaper than purchasing a project that someone recovered and is trying to make a profit on top the recovery.

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

How about the P-40 in a crate that was lost off the dock in Rangoon while unloading for the AVG?

[PinecastleAAF]

How about the P-40 in a crate that was lost off the dock in Rangoon while unloading for the AVG?

I used to day dream about the Seawitch cargo on the bottom of the harbor in Java. I was told it was salvaged for scrap after the war.

Also there is an early (E) model P-40 in a lake in the Phillippeans according to the excellent book "Doomed at the Start".

[Jiggersfromsphilly]

How about the P-40 in a crate that was lost off the dock in Rangoon while unloading for the AVG?

I used to day dream about the Seawitch cargo on the bottom of the harbor in Java. I was told it was salvaged for scrap after the war.

Also there is an early (E) model P-40 in a lake in the Phillippeans according to the excellent book "Doomed at the Start".

Wasn't there a P-40 in China that was going to be retrieved from a lake or river ?

[DaveM2]

Yes, Lk. Kunming. There was an American Assn. supposedly involved with this. Dan Ford had quite a bit about it on his website, which I don't have the link to at present. Not sure what, if any, progress has been made to date.

[Russ Matthews]

No updates since December of 2003 ...

http://www.sinoam.com/operation_save.htm