20 Spitfires found

[rtalbott]

Anyone what to buy a Spitfire

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ds-newsxml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[rtalbott]

they say that they are mk II's so would say yes to merlin engines

[tc2324]

I very much doubt they are Mk II Spits.

They may be Merlin powered, but no way are they Mk II`s if they were shipped out to Burma in mid 1945.

EDIT

Just seen another report that they are Mk 14`s which make a lot more sense. If correct, that makes them Griffon engined.

Good old Daily Fail, only out by 12 Mk`s.

[lmgaylard]

Nice to hear that they will be returned to Britain and returned to airworthy condition.......maybe the PM thinks this will make up for the horendously stupid scrapping of the Harrier. Who knows, with this Government we may well see them returned to the frontline equipped with Sidewinders........

[SteveS]

They've got to find them first! They think they've got them from some satellite images, but I've heard loads of stories about buried aircraft from the war!

Steve

[jonnyweb]

Great find ...Telegraph calls the Spitfire a jet !! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... to-UK.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SteveS]

The same supposedly happened at the Castle Bromwich Spitfire plant (now Jaguar Land Rover) in east Birmingham. Rumours of crated up Merlins buried underneath areas of what was the airfield there, now buried under a housing estate. I don't think anyone has ever got anywhere in trying to establish the truth of the situation however.

I also remember, possibly on here, a rumour of several Stirling fuselages buried beneath an airfield, in the UK I think?

Steve

[rtalbott]

I very much doubt they are Mk II Spits.

They may be Merlin powered, but no way are they Mk II`s if they were shipped out to Burma in mid 1945.

EDIT

Just seen another report that they are Mk 14`s which make a lot more sense. If correct, that makes them Griffon engined.

Good old Daily Fail, only out by 12 Mk`s.

did think it was a bit out

[22A]

I also remember, possibly on here, a rumour of several Stirling fuselages buried beneath an airfield, in the UK I think?

Some years ago I was told (and not in a bar) that some crated Albermales were buried in Cumbria.

[GOOSE]

Wow - Armstrong Whitworth Albemarles would be a real find.

As far as I'm aware there are none left?

[paullangford]

Sky News version

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16208791" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[XPLUMBER]

Be ideal to whack some ASRAAMs to them and use them for slow speed interceptions during the Olympics

Or I might start up a charity named... The People's Spitfire.

What do you reckon?

Take it a stage further and call your charity THE PEOPLE'S SPITFIRE'S, lets get all of them fixed and flying together! Surely it can only be a question of funding!

[PR9]

These will be ideal for intercepting helicopters while not disturbing Southern folk.

[Sparts99]

I've heard of two locations where there are buried Packard Merlins, alongside the A4 at Brentford, and under the VOR at Biggin Hill, in both cases left by USAAF at the end of hostilities. There have been rumours in the past of buried Typhoons and Lancasters in Wiltshire too, I believe someone did try to locate the Lancasters without success, anyone know any more on these ?

[roughcutter]

Wonder how many of them will end up in the US (if it's true)?

[Sparts99]

Oh, I forgot about the rumoured 6 or 7 Mk22/24 Spitfires in the 'middle east' along with some crated Griffons, in a part of the world it'd be inadvisable to visit right now. And a complete Stirling in a Norwegian fjord, I was told RNoAF know it's exact location and condition having sent divers down to inspect it. Anyone read 'War In a Stringbag' by Charles Lamb ? I wonder if the abandoned Wellington is still hidden at the secret airfield in the mountains in Albania or if the Germans found it and destryoed it ?

[Dunk]

Pretty sure the Americans buried plenty of aircraft at Merryfield , worked there for a while, and I'm sure its mentioned on the history boards in the Tower. not sure if they were boxed or destroyed though!

[Jabba]

Very interesting all this information about buried aircraft, most of it just after WW2. A while back I was told of a location near Elgin where numerous aircraft from Lossiemouth were dumped and covered with earth after the war. This isn't a particularly accessible location but it would be fascinating to know what could be recovered if there was the necessary permissions and finance to do it.

[quid21]

Perhaps rather than mothball the second new Carrier, the MOD should bury it alongside the new Nimrod and F-35.

[phoenixjfc]

I had heard rumours of various U.S birds buried at Goxhill in North Lincolshire? Would make for a cracking series on Time Team would it not?
Andy