Buried Spitfires in OZ?

[Holedigger]

MUCH more likely to find in a barn or back corner of a warehouse near where they were selling them off or scrapping them. Back when you could buy a P-40 for $50-U-Haul it off!!! But I think the days of "Finding" one (or a dozen) like that are pretty much gone. I'm sure there are still plenty of scrap pits, full of deteriorating, crushed and burned bits, but rumors persist! I would really be shocked to hear of a cave full of crated birds being found.

[Jesse C.]

What happened to the cave on Iwo Jima full of old Japanese stuff?

[Stoney]

I know a guy that talked to a guy that heard it in a bar in Hong Kong that there's a complete Zero in a cave on Staten Island

[the330thbg]

I know a guy that talked to a guy that heard it in a bar in Hong Kong that there's a complete Zero in a cave on Staten Island

Well.., that may have been the case.., but another friend of mine's cousin, had a neighbor, who's sister's ex-fiances nephews aunts, neighbor witnessed FIRST HAND a large crate being loaded onto a barge off of Staten Island and he watched it ship all the way to England. This was a while back., so it could have been the Zero. We missed it by a couple of years.

[the330thbg]

Has anyone ever successfully built an underground hangar at all?

Didn't 'DOC's" Delorean wind in a cave for a hundred years? A little plutonium and she was like NEW!

[The Inspector]

Several years ago, 'someone' claimed they had found several Boeing Model 'C' aircraft in a tunnel, sewer extension, abandoned subway tunnel take your pick somewhere in Australia or New Zealand. The Model 'C' was the second type built by Boeing in 1916/17 so it was pretty spindly wood and fabric, but a search was launched, never heard the disappointed report of failure. I'll bet this is the Southern Hemisphere's version of TIGHAR since they also seem to be a 5 year rotation, and is a lodge brother to the guys who claim underground runways/factories built into Gibraltar and/or Hickam Field in Hawai'i.

[Iclo]

Hum, by the way, knowing that the German built lots of aircraft factory underground to avoid destruction during bombing raid. It's not impossible to find, one day, one of them with part of dissambled airplanes.

The question would by: "why not in the past 65 years" ?

In French, we say: "Rêver ne coûte pas cher", what could be translated in "Dreaming doesn't cost much"

[Obergrafeter]

So are you saying my underground bunker at 5C1 doesn't exist. Sure fooled SNJ-5 and O-2 pilot all those years. I still have hangar space in it for lease, and it houses the magic box of aircraft parts (sorry Russ it is out of machine gun parts though)

[agent86]

If anybody can find these phantom warbirds, Its Tighar.Remember,they solved the Amelia Earhart mystery.They found the sole of a womans shoe and a box made of aluminium from an airplane.The proof is beyond question.They are the premiere warbird experts( if ya dont believe this,just ask them). and will make sure that all priceless WWII warbirds are grounded forever so we can all appreciate them sitting on the ground.So what if someone spent millions of dollars to restore some pile of scrap into a flyer.they know better. They also own a few shovels. they will find them.

[Iclo]

agent86: when you see them, don't forget to remember them that they have a P-38 patiently waiting them on a beach

[Rossco]

Close to home here..I live about 5 minutes walk from the mines at the old drive in theatre.These stories are just rumours are just that till found true..
http://www.warbirdz.net/forum/showthread.php?t=884
Pic was taken in 08 on a dig out the 6AD site next to a Bellman hangar slab.
Wasn,t there some Uboats found in a French Uboat pen that "weren,t supposed to exist"??

[The Inspector]

You're right! But they were all assigned to the Swiss Navy

[agent86]

The U-boats did,might still exist.They were in pens in Germany that were blown up by the soviets.I've seen the pics and they are well known. Still waiting for the buried warbirds.

[Rossco]

Here we are..The Elbe Bunkers..
http://www.ubootwaffe.net/forum/viewtop ... 026c4f0230
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32716355@N ... 901766272/

[daveymac82c]

I wonder how many stories started with an individual saying that they saw some airplanes being hacked up into bits, then buried, and then that story gets translated into there being mint condition airplanes put in crates and buried in a mine shaft? Sounds like a pretty normal game of broken telephone.

If indeed they did get the location mixed up on their attempt a few years ago, why haven't they tried a dig in the proper spot, or underneath the drive-in theater?

If they are planning it... I'd love to hear how it goes. There were some people who purchased airplanes after WWII knowing full well how important these artifacts were to become nowadays, so it isn't too far fetched to consider someone diverting airframes away from destruction, and hiding them. Just like the search for Amelia Earhart, I hope somebody makes some progress, somewhere.

Peace,

David M