This is the place where the majority of the warbird (aircraft that have survived military service) discussions will take place. Specialized forums may be added in the new future
Post a reply

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Fri Dec 18, 2020 5:24 pm

Norwegian fjords for sure, most awesome is the gigantic bv222 waiting to be discovered

My hope would be for a reasonably intact Stirling down in the baltic somewhere as it was a popular mine laying destination IIRC

I did have a good look at the bv138 wreck in the Danish museum pulled from the kattegat - was very rotten but better than nothing so suppose depends where in baltic as to how good

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Fri Dec 18, 2020 6:57 pm

I can't believe that as a nation of history buffs and aviation fanatics, there isn't a REAL serious program in the UK to find or build a complete Stirling.

Then again, they didn't restore the Halifax at the RAF museum, but the Canadians recovered and restored one for their museum.

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Fri Dec 18, 2020 10:13 pm

http://www.57rescuecanada.com/phone/index.html

https://fundrazr.com/Halifax57?ref=ab_9 ... hRFtvbGmFO



-

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Fri Dec 18, 2020 11:53 pm

PinecastleAAF wrote:
Dan Jones wrote:
PinecastleAAF wrote:I think there is still an intact P-40 similar to the one found in Egypt a few years ago somewhere in Northwest Canada.


There is supposed to be, as a deceased friend of mine tripped over it one afternoon flying a Turbo Beaver back into a place called Fort Simpson, NWT, and Ron knew his airplanes. He was mildly lost and scud running through snow showers, but he flew right over it, low, saw it, and circled it a couple of times. He told me about thirty years ago "It's an E model, on it's belly, the prop is bent, and the canopy is open." He also said it's about a hundred yards from a powerline cut, about a hundred miles south of Fort Simpson. But he looked and looked for it for a couple of years afterwards and could never find it again.


I keep hoping it will be found, it's been on my mind for a LONG time.


If this indeed true, how hard could it be if you were motivated? If its 200 yards off a power line, you could easily find out where all the lines are charted, then charter a plane or helicopter and fly up and down the power lines, it would just take money and patience along with some tenacity.

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Sat Dec 19, 2020 5:03 am

Regarding the Short Stirling, although not a complete aircraft, a volunteer group here in the UK is constructing a forward fuselage with some original parts.
https://stirlingproject.co.uk/

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Sat Dec 19, 2020 9:51 am

Re the P-40

Once the laws were changed I gave up any idea of trying to find it since the government would step and and take it away (Halifax B-24 and Watson Lake B-26). Maybe someone did find it and kept it secret. Once I checked to see how many missing P-40's there still were in that AO lost on ferry flights, now I can't recall the data. The story I heard also did not include the power line reference.

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Sat Dec 19, 2020 12:12 pm

years ago at Oshkosh i was talking to a Chinese P-47 pilot that claimed he saw P-66s being buried on the main land to use after the war on the commies.

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Sat Dec 19, 2020 2:06 pm

Had a co-worker that was on a seismic crew I believe in the 60's in Bolivia. Jim told me that C-46's were being used to haul meat at the
nearest airfield. Some were in rough shape but did keep flying. I wonder whatever became of those?

Stephen

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Sat Dec 19, 2020 6:21 pm

From Warbird Directory-
B-24 on an airfield in Northern China
A couple of F8F Bearcats in SE Asia last spotted in 1987.

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Sat Dec 19, 2020 7:31 pm

I also heard there were crated Spitfires buried in Burma...

pop2

C2j

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:12 pm

wendovertom wrote:I tend to be pessimistic on hidden finds but I love to dream that someone could / would find all those P-47s that were dumped into a South American river - was that Guatemala / Brazil ?...

Tom P.



My guess is you're remembering the Colombian Air Force F-47's at Palanquero.

Are they there? Perhaps. But some recoveries just aren't meant to be.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1802&hilit=Colombia

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Mon Dec 21, 2020 12:07 am

There was a little known pole barn full of P-47 parts and 2 fuselages liberated a few years ago. Some 20+ QEC’s, 2 fuselages, at least 1 wing, and a ton of control feathers and parts. I have photos somewhere, it is real and they went to a good home AFAIK. I think there are still stashes yet to be found.

Jim

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Mon Dec 21, 2020 7:30 am

JimH wrote:There was a little known pole barn full of P-47 parts and 2 fuselages liberated a few years ago. Some 20+ QEC’s, 2 fuselages, at least 1 wing, and a ton of control feathers and parts. I have photos somewhere, it is real and they went to a good home AFAIK. I think there are still stashes yet to be found.

Jim

Was one of the fuselages 44-89213? The N last spotted at the Museum of Speed in Daytona Florida? The pic I saw of it was quite a but further north than Daytona...

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Mon Dec 21, 2020 7:36 am

Warbirdnerd wrote:
JimH wrote:There was a little known pole barn full of P-47 parts and 2 fuselages liberated a few years ago. Some 20+ QEC’s, 2 fuselages, at least 1 wing, and a ton of control feathers and parts. I have photos somewhere, it is real and they went to a good home AFAIK. I think there are still stashes yet to be found.

Jim

Was one of the fuselages 44-89213? The N last spotted at the Museum of Speed in Daytona Florida? The recent pic I saw of it was quite a but further north of Daytona...

Re: Who here believes WWII aircraft are still to be found? .

Mon Dec 21, 2020 8:54 am

Warbirdnerd wrote:
JimH wrote:Jim

Was one of the fuselages 44-89213? The N last spotted at the Museum of Speed in Daytona Florida? The pic I saw of it was quite a but further north than Daytona...




Maybe from the old Doan's Aviation in South Daytona?? Back in the 60's/70's....used to see his old helos and plane's flying over.
Post a reply