Pickled Spitfires

[Tom Allensworth 1,532]

If you are not a reader of the daily aviation news feeds that appear on the front page side bar and can be found here in the forums, you are missing gems like this. We can't make this stuff up! So, for your reading pleasure:

 

QUOTE:

 

Aviation historians and warbird enthusiasts are drooling at the discovery of at least 12 and maybe as many 20 perfectly preserved brand new Spitfire Mark 14s buried in Myanmar, which was formerly Burma. Thanks to the tenacity (and apparently considerable diplomatic skills) of British farmer David Cundall, the lost squadron of pristine fighters was found where they were buried by U.S. troops in 1945 when it became clear they wouldn't be needed in the final days of the Second World War. At least a dozen of the aircraft, one of the latest variants with their 2,035-horsepower Roll Royce Griffon engines replacing the 1,200-1,500-horsepower Merlins in earlier models, were buried without ever being removed from their original packing crates. It's possible another eight were also buried after the war ended. After spending 15 years and $200,000 of his own money, Cundall was rewarded with visual proof of the enormity of his discovery. ''We sent a borehole down and used a camera to look at the crates," he told the Telegraph. "They seemed to be in good condition.''

 

UNQUOTE

 

View the full article

[Matthew Kane 1,343]

That's a great find. Hopefully there wasn't too much moisture in the ground over all these years

[vc10man 732]

Tom, what a gem piece of news. I'm astonished as not many folk connect Myanmar with Burma as do not with Rangoon and Yangon.

[SpiritFlyer 987]

Wow, I want one!

[Chase 304]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[RYR738 9]

Wow !!

My favourite plane of all time. Just the sound of those RR engines is enough to make the hairs on your neck stick up !!

I have been lucky enough to have been taken for a spin in one a few years ago.

:Kiss:

 

Fred

[Chock 17,769]

Put me down for four, I'll be Green Section.

 

Al

[BillCusick 75]

Wow !!

My favourite plane of all time. Just the sound of those RR engines is enough to make the hairs on your neck stick up !!

I have been lucky enough to have been taken for a spin in one a few years ago.

:Kiss:

 

Fred

 

I flew one yesterday.... :LMAO:

 

I wonder what they are worth .....a lovely find. Can't wait to see them in the air...

 

Regards

[vololiberista 205]

They won't be ready for the Queen's Jubilee Flypast. Apparently more than 80 a/c will take part!!!

vololiberista

[Christopher Low 5,434]

Fantastic news. Let's hope that they are all in good condition.

[vololiberista 205]

Fantastic news. Let's hope that they are all in good condition.

There is a rumour that there will be a VC10 as well. But with all those a/c in the air they will need more than one keeping them all refuelled!!

vololiberista

[vc10man 732]

There is a rumour that there will be a VC10 as well. But with all those a/c in the air they will need more than one keeping them all refuelled!!

vololiberista

Let's just keep fingers crossed that day we have blue skies!

[747-fan 19]

Wow, wouldn't it be great if they crack open the crates and the parts looked brand new... Thinking about it makes me day dream... excuse me while I fire up the A2A spit for a run over the channel islands... :yahoo: Great find, thanks for sharing!

[vc10man 732]

excuse me while I fire up the A2A spit

Thanks for reminding me that I MUST buy this!