# 20 brand new spitfires found!



## simaving (Apr 14, 2012)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...in-Burma-during-war-to-be-returned-to-UK.html

I know there is a lot of aircraft enthusiasts on here,How awesome is this!!!!


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## flyboys90 (Apr 14, 2012)

Thanks I missed that.


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## Pincheck (Apr 14, 2012)

was mentioned on skynews as well woukld be a interesting find


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## gingrove (Apr 14, 2012)

I don't hold out much hope, even in a transit crate 40 feet of earth will have probably squashed them flat over the last 65 years!


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## Flexible (Apr 14, 2012)

Great story. I can't help thinking what else is hidden and buried not only abroad but back here as well.


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## Sectionate (Apr 14, 2012)

Holy crap!


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## urbexdad (Apr 14, 2012)

Wow..amazing story ! Fingers crossed this works out and they find them !!


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## stevejd (Apr 14, 2012)

if as he believes, that these could be made airworthy then that would effectively double the number of flying spits in the uk, now that would be an awsome sight if he could get them flown in formation


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## historyman09 (Apr 14, 2012)

this is pretty damn awsome !!  great find !!


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## Derelict-UK (Apr 14, 2012)

W O W


He should get an award for locating them, such an achievement and especially as his first few trips were unsuccessful, he didn't just give up!

And good on Mr Cameron for getting stuck in there and securing their return too.


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## gushysfella (Apr 14, 2012)

Bloody amazing but after 60+ years and under all that weight of compacted earth what's going to be left?


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## garethestate (Apr 14, 2012)

Thats unreal. I love the spitfire and never thought they`d find anything like this.What id give to go out there and give them a hand.


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## Derelict-UK (Apr 14, 2012)

gushysfella said:


> Bloody amazing but after 60+ years and under all that weight of compacted earth what's going to be left?



Are they not in shipping containers?


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## gushysfella (Apr 15, 2012)

Derelict-UK said:


> Are they not in shipping containers?



Think they said wooden on news!!


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## woody65 (Apr 15, 2012)

on the bbc site it says they have not been found yet..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17710598


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## Dirus_Strictus (Apr 15, 2012)

I wouldn't hold your breath on the outcome of this one. Like Mr Cundall's statement that 'the Spitfire saved our neck during the Battle of Britain', much of what he has said should be viewed with caution. The Hurricane was the most numerous fighter with the RAF during this period - but no matter which fighter aircraft were involved, it was the incredibly brave pilots of many nationalities who volunteered to join the RAF that turned the tide. This, and the fact that the well trained and equipped Luftwaffe was led by an egotistical idiot who would not argue against Hitler's stupid new order to start saturation bombing of London, were the reasons why this Island Nation survived to continue the fight.

Those of us who have an interest in WW11, and are of an age to remember that the information only came from reading the vast amounts of printed matter on the subject, not by pressing the Google key and receiving very subjective/dubious - read inaccurate - information on the subject, will already know that there are many other pitfalls that may/will derail this project.

For instance - 

Why should Burma release what are potentially valuable items, that were abandoned by their owners, completely gratis. This has been the stumbling block on a number of other aircraft recoveries from poor nation states, who by delaying exportation of the recovered items, allowed the aircraft to decay and be vandalised beyond economic restoration.

The transit crate and waterproofing applied to the airframes were designed to protect the aircraft when they were carried as deck cargo out to the Far East, the aspect of long term preservation did not enter the equation.

However the biggest pitfall is probably due to the fact that it was the Americans that did the burials. Now we all know the term 'over here, well equipped and over sexed!', so this lot were not just a few 'erks' with a shovel each, they had enough mechanised equipment with them to equip at least two British Armies. The standard method of burial of material used by our American allies was to bulldoze out a deep trench, push the crates in, back fill and compact by running the dozer up and down the trench! So sitting there all shiny and new begins to look doubtful.

Given the fact that if I had enough money I can actually buy a brand new Spitfire airframe from specialised firms located in the UK, New Zealand and the US, the most valuable items in the burial cache will be the brass data plates. With a set of these, my multi £ million new build Spitfire suddenly becomes a priceless fully restored WW11 fighter. But then again why line Mr Cundall's pocket - there are still undiscovered Spitfire losses to discover on/off the South Coast, so I could go and discover my own bit of history whilst the airframe is being built.

Unfortunately I think this whole project is being driven by the perceived enormous value of the recovered aircraft. If twenty restorable airframes are released onto the market, the value of projects already underway could be seriously devalued, thus halting progress and eventually leading to less aircraft in the sky, not more.


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## Meridian (Apr 15, 2012)

A bit nearer home, a few years ago there were alleged to be a number of Lancasters buried up at Brigg in Lincs, I believe that never came to anything even though soil boring and ground radar were brought in and initially there were some promising results. 

Hope they do find the Burma Spits but if you look at a few aircraft forums you'll find similar stories, including whole carrier-loads of US a/c being dumped at sea. See also "Million Dollar Point"! 

Bye!


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## snap_happy (Apr 15, 2012)

I hate to say it but i suspect if they where found there wouldnt be alot of material of use now apart from the dataplates.


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## Richard Davies (Apr 15, 2012)

*Test*

This is a test as I can't seem to post in another thread.

Hopefully at the least there's some parts that could be salvaged to keep other restored Spitfires.

The most interesting plane to be discovered was a Lockeed P-38 Lighting found in a glacier in Greenland.

Thanks to the unique conditions, some TLC & a lot of money it was restored to a flyable condition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacier_Girl


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## RichardB (Apr 16, 2012)

I've moved the post for you


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## Richard Davies (Apr 16, 2012)

Thanks I was getting some odd error messages.


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## lower (Apr 16, 2012)

http://www.smh.com.au/world/plans-to-dig-up-buried-spitfires-20120415-1x1oa.html

Another report states that they've got a camera into one of the cases and conditions are good.


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## simaving (Apr 16, 2012)

lower said:


> http://www.smh.com.au/world/plans-to-dig-up-buried-spitfires-20120415-1x1oa.html
> 
> Another report states that they've got a camera into one of the cases and conditions are good.



hope this is correct i was excited about this one till people commented on the chances of them being in good order was slim....


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