P-43 Lancer

[Chris Brame]

I just looked at my tape of "God is My Co-Pilot" and there is one decent medium shot of the P-43 taxiing; the tail number may have been painted over, but frankly it's a 25-year-old tape from a 16-mm TV broadcast print, so next time it's on TCM, I'll make a video capture and post it.

P.S. It won't be on again until January 17, 2006. Oh well. Is it on DVD?

Last edited by Chris Brame on Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

How was it the #1 film between '42 and '45 if it was released in '45?

Brandon...think about what you just said. Now it would be weird,
if someone in 1941 made that observance about the most popular movie
of '42-'45!

Better yet , the book wasn't published until 1943.

God is My Co-Pilot by Scott, Robert L. Jr Edition: First Edition Binding: Hard Cover Publisher: Charles Scribner's Sons, New York Date Published: 1943

The gentleman from the West Coast may have a point.

NO P-43's anywhere?? That's an unpleasant thought but not surprising, given the smelting frenzy post WWII. Getting the heck away from the war was probably uppermost on the collective mind, not preserving artefacts of what we'd just done.

Rob / Kansan

[SRS]

But perhaps that's not the LAST P-43!

Two bits of good news this morning:

1) My long-term memory isn't quite as bad as my spouse calims it is, and

2) Remains of a crashed P-43 apparently do exist

For anyone who has access to the April, 1987 issue of Flypast, page 35 carries an article entitled, "Underwater Lancer to be Lifted." The article includes a photo of one John Ryan, then (and still?) owner of American Air Salvage (of St. Petersburg, Florida), examining the remains of the Twin Wasp that he recovered from a submerged P-43--described as lying 30 feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico, 8 miles out from Tampa, Florida. The article states that Mr. Ryan had obtained exclusive rights to the crash site. The article infers that Mr. Ryan would continue with the recovery in the future.

So where might she be now? Anyone want to track down Mr. John Ryan?

A P-47D was pulled out of the Gulf of Mexico by Rick Lee. Real bad corrosion. Maybe that's what it turned out as.

[airnutz]

The gentleman from the West Coast may have a point.

I got what you guys are inferring. My point was, post-1945 they had
beancounters and historians with too much time on their hands, too. In my
understanding of the wording, the author was pointing out, that of the
wartime period movies...God Is My Co-pilot...had the most popularity in
1945(box office receipts, requests for the film at military bases,USO
showings, etc.) than of similar movies of the previous 2years.

This is still a common method today, to compare this years movie
popularity to previous years or baseball stats, record-breaking speeds,etc.
...Not always accurate, but it gives the beancounters something to argue
about.

Last edited by airnutz on Wed Nov 02, 2005 4:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Dan K]

A P-47D was pulled out of the Gulf of Mexico by Rick Lee. Real bad corrosion. Maybe that's what it turned out as.

Nope. P-43. Engine is correct with a 3-bladed prop attached. The wreck had been visited by divers in the past, but the reason it had been overlooked for recovery for so many years was due to many assuming it was a Jug. The salvor was knowledgable of WWII types, and wasn't interested in securing rights for a corroded P-47.

[airnutz]

Somewhere in China there is a P-43 chicken coup...or in a lake...or
buried with other Lancers in a cave never resurrected for the post-war
Chinese civil conflict, or...

China is a BIG place, no telling what'll come to light after we tourists
visit in the future years. Like the Col. and others are pointing out, there
are still discoveries being made, and to be made, here in the US 60years
later.

[bdk]

Ok Folks,

Here is a list of Lancers lost in the US that might still be out their.

39-711 Lost Near Alpena MI 7/16/1941

So their you go the five that might be out their that could be recovered of these I would say the last one might be a chance and the one North of NI is in rather shallow water less then 100 feet.

Maybe a good prospect for our friend Taras?

And where is Wagga?

[m50a1ontos]

Well as far as North Island...they dredge pretty regularly...and if it's not in the shipping channel it's probably buried under a development, in Navy owned water or deep in the goop on the bottom.

Still be interesting to look for it though. any records as to where it crashed exactly?

[setter]

Col Rohr Sir

41-6718 Lost on flight from Wagga found in 1958 on Hursville Hill

I think this must surely be a reference to Australia and perhaps one of the 8 Australian Machines operated by the RAAF and then handed back to the US. One of these Crashed near HEALSVILLE Victoria Australia and I think that is this reference - There are reports that this wreck and the wreckage of another Australian example survived and efforts are going on at present to establish the facts surrounding these crashes and any surviving wreckage.

Regards
John P

[big fatty]

speculation is great give it a couple of years an maybe there will be something on the circuit we can speculate about, they exsist!

[Dan K]

In an attempt to be both discreet and informative, here's what has been revealed to me by those in the know:

1) Salvor John Ryan passed away approximately 10 years ago.

2) A few bits of the P-43 submerged off Tampa are currently in the possession of someone well-known within the US warbird community (Yes, I know who. No, I won't be the one to reveal that info.).

3) What remains in the shallow, warm, and salty environment of the Gulf of Mexico isn't worth a recovery.

[SRS]

Ok Folks,

Here is a list of Lancers lost in the US that might still be out their.

39-711 Lost Near Alpena MI 7/16/1941

Maybe a good prospect for our friend Taras?

Listed as a landing accident at the county airport. Doubt if it's still there.

[DaveM2]

What happened to the P-47 raised from the Gulf....I remember there were pics on Barnstormers a few years ago...probably disolved by now I suppose?

Dave

[bdk]

Listed as a landing accident at the county airport. Doubt if it's still there.

Oops! I'm so embarrassed! I mistook Rob's abbreviation of "North Island" as a misspelling of the abbreviation "MI" for Michigan...

Maybe I need an online translator for Rob's posts?

[Originalboxcar]

39-711 Lost Near Alpena MI 7/16/1941
39-714 Crash Packard Proving Grounds MI 9/15/1941
RER

If that's the case, I can say for certain unless someone crated the remains up, that 39-714 is no longer at Packard. I grew up 1/2 mile from there and it has been developed into light industrial, condos and single family homes.

Rob, if you have more specific info on the crash location of 39-711, I'd be willing to investigate this further. The north county is fairly rugged and depending on the area, is surrounded by national forests.

regards,

t~