This is such extraordinary news that one wonders if it can actually be true: the Telegraph reports that twenty Spitfire Mk XIV that were discovered buried in Burma will be returned to the UK. David Cameron himself, having taken an interest in the case, has asked and obtained permission to recover the aircraft from the famous Burmese politician Aung San Suu Kyi.

Awesome find.

http://www.worldwarbirdnews.com/2012/04/14/twenty-spitfire-discovered-buried-in-burma-to-return-to-the-uk/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9203822/Spitfires-buried-in-Burma-during-war-to-be-returned-to-UK.html

Brilliant!

Sweet, I want one.

Yes and can't be out posted by elephant threads.

No pics :(

inorite

also, WTF is with people burying planes? (and sinking ships in area's that clearly aren't for recreational diving)

Whilst I'm sure the parts aren't salvagable or particularly reuseable, you'd think that if we're recycling milk bottles and cans, that there'd be SOME materials (prodominantly metals) that would be worth while to melt down and attempt to re-use.

Yes and can't be out posted by elephant threads.

Haha, haters gon' hate.

Coincidentally there is some really good Aussie war history stuff on iView right now.

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/924248

inorite

also, WTF is with people burying planes? (and sinking ships in area's that clearly aren't for recreational diving)

Whilst I'm sure the parts aren't salvagable or particularly reuseable, you'd think that if we're recycling milk bottles and cans, that there'd be SOME materials (prodominantly metals) that would be worth while to melt down and attempt to re-use.

Well if you had bothered to read the article they were buried during WWII to prevent the Japanese from capturing them. You're 100% wrong about the parts being unsalvageable. Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen are taught basic preservation and servicing of their equipment, cleaning a rifle and apply lubricant is short term preservation.

Military equipment is normal placed into preservation for long term storage/transportation. In this case the aircraft are coated in wax which prevents moisture, gaps are sealed with goop or tar and taped. The complete aircraft is packed into a crate disassembled. The crate being a convenient way to package the aircraft and serves as addition protection.

You would be amazed what is still stored around the country from WWII and earlier. I've seen DAP Beaufighter parts, Mustang wings, DH98 Mosquito fuselages, cowls and propellers. Even a Rolls Royce Kestrel engine for the Hawker Hart the RAAF restored during the 80's.

During my service I was part of the federal branch of the MHSA and we went to one of the AWMs warehouses just to see what was stored. We assisted the AWM staff opening crates to find out the contents. Much was nothing spectacular but one crate had 500 Nambu pistols all complete with holster and cleaning kit in perfect condition.

i think you'll find the F-111 were buried in that (shameful for an aircraft like that) was because the US is still shit scared of the F-14's they gave to Iran (and dont want any parts what so ever to go to iran and fix up the aircraft there)

(remember a story of the navy visiting the JAG set after the discovered that the swing wing was still usable, the navy fixed that)

i saw that story a couple of days ago and it really made smile, fuck i hope those aircraft are in good condition or able to be restored easily.

I watched a pretty interesting doco on shipwreck yards in Bangladesh.

what was the name of that doco Alize?