Aleutian wreck : any idea ?

A2C · **Posted:** Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:58 pm

Could be a a B-10 or G3M Nell

Mark_Pilkington · **Posted:** Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:22 pm

.
Same photo set has photos of an ungeared 9 cylinder engine,
and a float plane, planing hull or Flying Boat outrigger float? as the first and second photos in the set

http://flickr.com/photos/amnwr/50628118/in/set-538672/

Regards

Mark Pilkington

ltdann · **Posted:** Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:24 pm

Not a Nell or a B-10.

There were at least 20 of the B-18/B-18A/B-18B series that made it to Alaska at some point in their careers. Here are the less fortunate

B-18As that crashed in AK
37-466 - Went in the water
37-604 - Locked brake on landing - condemned
37-630 - Taxied into construction zone
39-23 - Takeoff crash

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Wed Mar 04, 2009 9:31 pm

Quote:

Could be a a B-10 or G3M Nell

No, although I wish it were one of those - the landing gear retracted aft in both of them. B-18 looks more likely... Woo hoo! Another B-18 found! Not quite as good shape as the one in Hawaii, though.

The Baugher list has a different fate for 37-630:

"(37-)630 MIA 2/16/1944, Alaska."

airnutz · **Posted:** Thu Mar 05, 2009 2:30 pm

ltdann wrote:

Not a Nell or a B-10.

There were at least 20 of the B-18/B-18A/B-18B series that made it to Alaska at some point in their careers. Here are the less fortunate

B-18As that crashed in AK
37-466 - Went in the water
37-604 - Locked brake on landing - condemned
37-630 - Taxied into construction zone
39-23 - Takeoff crash

Any B-23's lost or written-off in AK?

airnutz · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 2:18 pm

N3Njeff wrote:

My vote is B-23. If those are bomb doors, they look pretty flat. The B-18 had a big belly.

...aannnd now I'm leaning back toward B-23. Bolo had 4 narrower doors which scissored open...clic on lower right for full size image..
http://lisar.larc.nasa.gov/IMAGES/LARGE ... 00207.jpeg

B-23 had 2 doors which opened conventionally...scroll down the left side..
www.aviationarchaeology.com/b23p3.htm

Again, hard to say given the small image. :roll:

jdvoss · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 3:23 pm

One of the early threads above made the comment that the landing gear looked British. Here is a SWAG on the aircraft type. As the RCAF supported the US in the defense of Alaska is it possible that it could be be a Bristol Bolingbroke or a Bristol Beaufort? Both types were employed in Alaska.

airnutz · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 4:13 pm

jdvoss wrote:

...is it possible that it could be be a Bristol Bolingbroke or a Bristol Beaufort?

Gear retracts aft of the firewall in both the The Boli and the Beau...the wreck appears to have features opposite of that action.

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:27 pm

I am of the opinion that it is a B-18. The landing gear, aft strut and opening are identical, there is no evidence of gear doors (though the damage could be why you can't see them), and I think the bomb bay doors are folded but not fully opened. Here is a link to their normal opened configuration for comparison: http://www.historylink101.com/ww2-plane ... mber-c.htm

The forward fuselage remains also bear a strong resemblance to the nose of the B-18A, and the engines look like a single-row design.

Scott

N3Njeff · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:43 pm

Second Air Force wrote:

I am of the opinion that it is a B-18. The landing gear, aft strut and opening are identical, there is no evidence of gear doors (though the damage could be why you can't see them), and I think the bomb bay doors are folded but not fully opened. Here is a link to their normal opened configuration for comparison: http://www.historylink101.com/ww2-plane ... mber-c.htm

The forward fuselage remains also bear a strong resemblance to the nose of the B-18A, and the engines look like a single-row design.

Scott

Did that pic show a engine????? That album showed a engine but it had a 2 blade prop hub attached???????? believe the B-18 had 3. think that engine was from a different wreck.....................

Ok who on wix is in AK!!!! We need to clear this up:)

Second Air Force · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 7:55 pm

N3Njeff wrote:

Did that pic show a engine????? That album showed a engine but it had a 2 blade prop hub attached???????? believe the B-18 had 3. think that engine was from a different wreck..............

Look closely at the left side of the wreckage in the original photo and you can see one engine located roughly at the #1 position and the other is located at the outboard end of the center section where the outer panel was ripped off. The other engine in the album isn't related to this aircraft.

Scott

airnutz · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:36 pm

Second Air Force wrote:

there is no evidence of gear doors (though the damage could be why you can't see them), and I think the bomb bay doors are folded but not fully opened.

..Or the 2 centerline doors are missing.

Quote:

The forward fuselage remains also bear a strong resemblance to the nose of the B-18A, and the engines look like a single-row design.

Scott

I agree, that's why I'm wobbling. There are elements pushing me both ways.

Who's gonna stop the torture and E-mail the owner for a large format image???

JDK · **Posted:** Sun Mar 08, 2009 3:22 am

Interesting. Definitely a Douglas DC- derived wing and undercarriage retraction, but not a DC - so B-18 / B-23. Tough call between them, I agree! Not a Bristol, for certain.

Mark_Pilkington wrote:

...and a float plane, planing hull or Flying Boat outrigger float? as the first and second photos in the set

http://flickr.com/photos/amnwr/50628118/in/set-538672/

Easy. Large chunk of a Vought Kingfisher float (inverted, with the step middle top). Why? The Kingfisher float/pontoon had a distinctive 'fold' in the float planing bottom either side of the keel. As far as I know it's unique, unless anyone knows different...

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Aleutian wreck : any idea ?

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