The Vulcan XH558 & General Aviation Thread

[Jordangbr]

From BBC News;

Hope for finding Burma Spitfires.

The Spitfires were concealed by the RAF in 1945 to prevent them falling into Japanese hands
British and Burmese authorities could work together to find 20 Spitfires buried in Burma at the end of the World War II, officials say.

The case of the missing planes was raised when PM David Cameron met Burmese President Thein Sein.

A Downing Street source said it was "hoped this will be an opportunity to work with the reforming Burmese government".

The exact location of the planes is unknown.

The planes were buried in 1945 by the RAF amid fears that they could either be used or destroyed by Japanese forces, but in the intervening years they have not been located.

At the time they were unused, still in crates, and yet to be assembled.

Until a general election in 2010, Burma was ruled for almost half a century by a military junta.

It has been reported that experts from Leeds University and an academic based in Rangoon believe they may have identified the sites where the craft are concealed using sophisticated radar techniques.

On Friday, officials said President Thein Sein was "very enthusiastic" about the prospect of finding and restoring the planes.

A Downing Street source said: "The Spitfire is arguably the most important plane in the history of aviation, playing a crucial role in the Second World War.

"It is hoped this will be an opportunity to work with the reforming Burmese government, uncover, restore and display these fighter planes and get them gracing the skies of Britain once again."

[mtskull]

From BBC News;
Hope for finding Burma Spitfires.

Buried Spitfires, still in their crates?
-About 13 days too late with that story, methinks

[Jordangbr]

Aye, sounds far fetched enough...

[Dominic Owen]

Sounds far-fetched and too good to be true but has been posted online today by virtually every news oranisation.

From what I've been reading, they were sealed, waxed and had their joints tarred, so there's the possibility of them being found in unprecedented condition (as long as the crates haven't collapsed, of course!). Can you just imagine if all TWENTY were returned to the air? That's virtually a whole squadron, all of the same Mk and (one would hope) all in the same livery!

[mtskull]

Sounds far-fetched and too good to be true but has been posted online today by virtually every news oranisation.

From what I've been reading, they were sealed, waxed and had their joints tarred, so there's the possibility of them being found in unprecedented condition (as long as the crates haven't collapsed, of course!). Can you just imagine if all TWENTY were returned to the air? That's virtually a whole squadron, all of the same Mk and (one would hope) all in the same livery!

Posted online by virtually every news organisation? Must be true then.
Sad to say, once a story (or a rumour) has been posted online by one news site, all the others simply steal and re-publish it.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to eat my words and for this to be true, it's just that for as long as I can remember, every couple of years along comes a story like this and nothing ever comes of it. There were all the (crated) tanks, jeeps and planes that the Yanks buried in Devon, the sealed railway tunnel full of (crated) WW2 aircraft, the (crated) Lancasters in a quarry near Elsham Wolds (there were ground-penetrating radar images there, too).
I could go on, but you get my drift. As I said, I would love it to be true but I wouldn't hold out much hope.

[Renegadenemo]

A story of a Spitfire float plane on the bottom of Ullswater keeps cropping up too. Despite all the Spitfire float plane conversions being properly accounted for and the fact that we've thoroughly cleaned out Ullswater with the sidescan another hopeful pops up every year asking if I know where it is.

[Dominic Owen]

As with most things, you have to sort the wheat from the chaff and, in this instance, it becomes clear pretty quickly who got the story first-hand and where the 'Chinese whisper' effect begins. Only one newspaper article (The Grauniad, I think) seemed closest to the source, although a lot of that appeared to have been lifted from a lengthy interview with the man behind the search, already published elsewhere. In that interview he says that they have not only found several identical hits using GPR but have even had a camera into one of the crates through a small borehole. The actual number is thought to be more likely around 12-14, between 2 or 3 burial sites, but could be as many as 20.

As for whether any of this amounts to anything, we'll just have to wait and see. Personally, I think the prospect of even one being found and recovered makes it too interesting to not keep tabs on.

[Dangermouse]

The other old favourite is the Strategic Steam Reserve - the legend that the best of the steam engines were quietly disappeared to underground bunkers rather than being scrapped, with records falsified to cover this up. Problem is, nobody has convincingly explained where they'd be kept or indeed what the point would be - after the radioactive dust settled you'd be left with a lot of steam engines and no intact railway lines to run on.

Now, Sweden did have one of these, but made little secret of it. Steam engines were prepared for long-term storage and kept in various locations around the country for use in the event of crisis (such as an EMP blast knocking out the electrics in newer locos).

I almost wonder if it's a modern version of some of the Arthurian legends - British heroes sleeping underground, ready to rise again when their country is in danger...

[DamienB]

Spitfire float plane on the bottom of Ullswater. We've thoroughly cleaned out Ullswater with the sidescan. I know where it is.

And thus begins a Daily Mail story!

[Dominic Owen]

Spitfire float plane on the bottom of Ullswater. We've thoroughly cleaned out Ullswater with the sidescan. I know where it is.

And thus begins a Daily Mail story!

You may jest but I'll be checking tomorrows edition now!