Burmese Spitfires

[Dave Parry]

I am still waiting for some articles from this southern lot, what’s the old saying all talk and, well you know the rest. one day vince, one day.

[Vince Raia]

Hi Dave, I always found that if you ask nicely with your foot near their precious model, it did the trick

[Mike Booth]

The thing to do with this project is look at it like a major bonus, rather than get all negative and down talk what will be a huge head start in increasing the numbers of Spitfires in the world.

We British designed and built them so it's only right that we will make the most of a 'holy grail' find.
They must be rubbing their hands together up at Historic Flying at Duxford.
After a walk round of the workshops with Baldock-Marrow a few years ago, I left being certain that their positive attitude and superb engineering capabilities will have Spits flying for decades to come.

[David Middleton]

I remember reading an article some years ago about the BBMF and the chief engineering officer was quoted as saying something along the lines of "if there's the will and the money we can keep them flying forever"

[Vince Raia]

Anyone heard any news about the "BIG DIG"??

[Mark Partington 2989]

Anyone heard any news about the "BIG DIG"??

Yes, current rumours circulating are

there are unconfirmed reports beginning to circulate that one or more crated, unassembled, zero hour aircraft have been recovered from the excavations in Myanmar (Burma) initially launched to recover Supermarine Spitfires believed buried. The rumours include DH Mosquito, Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfires in transit to the UK in August 2012.

Still trying to get more info on these rumours though


Mark.

[Vince Raia]

Well done Mark, very exciting.

[Mike Booth]

I don't want to sound a killjoy on this thread but I've been in the company of those in the know at Duxford recently.
Not mentioning any names but condition of said airframes is suggested , very poor.
I hope it's better than that .
I don't think it's clear that a shovel has even been lifted yet as its still monsoon.

[Alan King]

digging for anything buried for that length of time in those conditions even if in crates is going to find airframes in poor condition, the country is quite wet and as the planes are buried i am pretty sure that moisture ingress will be a major problem, rumours of all sorts of things buried all over are quite rife, my uncle knows that parts for spitfire etc were buried near new serum baracks in what was Rhodesia, i have another friend whose father worked on a loch in Northern ireland where he says they scuttled some catalinas after the war.

the problem with any of these components and airframes is not so much finding them but having the money to get them rebuilt, all the rivets on the airframes would have caused corrosion with just a small amount of moisture to begin with due to type of rivets used ( material not shape) , personally i hope they find them and can do something with them and they dont get parted out.

I know many planes were recovered form Ethiopia and suroounding areas a few years ago by a South African these included Saab Safirs and some sabre jets besides a few others, these were in a dry country but still had major corrosion and damage but some were rebuilt at huge expense.

[stewart clifford]

Word on the street is, t'he diggers are moving in in the next few days.

[Denis Brown]

Good old digger

[Vince Raia]

You don't want one of them Dennis, Brussels grow above ground mate

[Mike Booth]

Contracts signed this week for the dig to start .
Wish I was there to help and see what comes up.

[Ken Bones]

From what we were told Mike a couple of months ago I wouldnt hold your breath for a ready to fly Spit!

Bonzey

[stewart clifford]

Thats good, if they were RTF they'd be too shiney, tails would be too big and the wheels would retract inwards.

[Mike Booth]

And they won't be made of foam.
The Griffon motors and the makers plate and serial are the important bits.
My feeling is there could be some surprises yet.

[chris willis]

What Suprises Chockey, that they are made of fibreglass and havn't decayed at all. !!!

[Denis Brown]

http://www.itv.com/news/calendar/story/ ... excavated/



Not only do Lincolnshire Farmers grow Brusselsprouts this looks even better

[Paul Holt]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20515659

a bit more info.

[Vince Raia]

Ooooohhh, getting exciting isn't it