fully intact betty found in jungle needs to be saved

yak52 · **Joined:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:54 pm **Posts:** 3

Was looking at videos on line and found this its an intact betty in the jungle still sitting on its tires!!!! Somone go get her before its too late http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5MSqrK5Tbo

Stephan Wilkinson · **Joined:** Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:23 am **Posts:** 699

Those are wheels, not tires. Tires long gone.

yak52 · **Joined:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:54 pm **Posts:** 3

Well shes standing on her own two gear so that says alot after almost 70 years in the jungle

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 2:45 pm

What if any are the plans for it

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:13 pm

man you don't find them like that to often!! what island is it on?? it's a miracle 1 of the native villages hasn't taken a cutting torch to it for the scrap man!! it has to be on an abandoned japanese airstrip hence the gear down!! who knows what's beyond it??

Jerry O'Neill · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 3:53 pm

I wouldn't even care if they just preserved and conserved it as is, in what ever country it resides in, just don't let it rot any more!

yak52 · **Joined:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:54 pm **Posts:** 3

I think one of the videos of it tell the island i emailed planes of fame and they said they wernt intersted

Dan Jones · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:23 pm

Makes you wonder what it looked like in the 'fifties...

Travisd80elcam · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:30 pm

this is something that jerry yagen and his boys at fighter factory should go and get. would be a great static display but would make an even better flying display. hope some one saves it.

tulsaboy · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:33 pm

That sure looks like the one that was part of a group of WWII Japanese aircraft in the Solomon Islands, where several aircraft were recovered a couple of years ago...

kevin

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 12:12 am

I may be labeled a heretic for this, but if anyone's to save it, I personally think it should be a Japanese group working with the Solomon Islanders... Of course, I would LOVE to see it flying, but as rare and intact as that is, it ought to be a preserved artifact. Perhaps in the restoration or preservation of it enough measurements, etc... could be taken to make a replica as well.

Ryan

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

ryan i fully agree with you,if it saved it should go back to japan.
there is a nose in the nasm collection plus a wreck in the (iirc)planes of fame collection and MR Harada in japan is building one pretty much from scratch(though i think his rear fuselage is based on original parts).
I'm pretty sure this one is in the book by Charles Darby and it looked much better then.
it really should be saved

Travisd80elcam · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 11:20 am

I do agree with Ryan and Oz, it would be great to see a museum from Japan recover this and either preserve this or restore it. I like the idea of getting it inside and stopping the corrosion from getting worse and have it displayed as it sat for 70 years. But I think the idea of building a replica like Mr Harada is doing. His aircraft shows what a dedicated man can do.

lmritger · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:15 pm

Throwing my vote in with Ryan... this machine belongs in a place of honor in Japan.

Lynn

peter · **Posted:** Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:47 pm

Wouldnt it be nice to see this repatriated to Japan and remain conserved rather than be restored and become a memorial shrine to the japanese airmen??

Warbird Information Exchange

fully intact betty found in jungle needs to be saved

Who is online