Burma Spitfires

[Apollo]

Getting closer http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oc ... excavation" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[vulcan71]

Fantastic news ,lets hope for a good outcome.

[Rory]

This is incredible! Lets hope they are all in good nic.

[Firefighter]

Rumour is that there are Spitfire engines, parts, etc. some still in crates, buried on Colerne, along with bits and pieces from other aircraft.

[nickowen]

There are similar rumours concerning Merlins buried at a site near Derby.

[Sparts99]

There are loads of rumours of buried planes all over the country. The ones I've heard include crates of Packard Merlins under the Biggin Hill VOR, more of the same under an industrial unit next to the A4 at Brentford, Lancaster fuselages and Typhoons near Kemble, and further afield, Mk22/24 Spitifres in Syria, crated, with spare Griffons. If those Burma stories are right, unloading 60 restorable MkXIV Spitfires into the warbird market will be interesting. Even half that number will make a huge difference to the value of the existing ones.

[paullangford]

Apologies if this has already been posted, but here's the man with the money behind it all;

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9638613 ... Burma.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ghastly Whisper]

unloading 60 restorable MkXIV Spitfires into the warbird market will be interesting. Even half that number will make a huge difference to the value of the existing ones.

I doubt they will hit the warbird market all at once, a very slow trickle is more like it to keep prices up, it just doesnt make sence to flood the market.

[Sparts99]

No doubt they will trickle out but companies like Airframe Assemblies will probably set up for producing spares and replacement major assemblies on a production line basis, cost will drop. Inevitably once they start appearing and the number of potentially airworthy airframes becomes clearer prices will be affected. From what I can gather the number of reasonably intact airframes is very hard to predict, but, as long as a fair chunk can be found with a data plate then anything's possible, go back to my first sentence. Someone I spoke to recently who is in a position to know said that the number of airframes could be much much higher than being speculated at present.

[willow70]

I just don't believe this story, they may find a few rusty engine blocks and some spitfire shaped aluminum oxide.

[Richard B]

I just don't believe this story, they may find a few rusty engine blocks and some spitfire shaped aluminum oxide.

About all I think they will find, number plates will be the big goal,
Cannot see all those crates being put in the ground,
most I believe would have been used for shelter and fire wood to keep the personal there warm and dry. sod the damp wet tents,
got some nice wooden sheds here and plenty of fire wood to keep and warm.

[SteveS]

It does all sound a bit far fetched doesn't it? Still, good luck to them, hope it does all work out.

There are loads of rumours of buried aircraft parts all over the place, last one I saw was a load of B-17 parts and USAAF jeeps being buried in a hole at Thorpe Abbotts in Suffolk, of course no-one has ever found them. Similar stories of Spitfire bits being buried under the landing ground for the Castle Bromwich plant at the end of the war.

Steve

[Sparts99]

Yes if the crates were used then not a lot will remain. There was a case of three Lancasters (in Norfolk I think ?) being located by underground radar, wings detached and up against the side of the fuselage. A test hole was dug and Lancaster shaped cavities were found as the airframes had corroded to dust. I think the story here is that after delivery, the Spitfires in Burma were never assembled, and were buried in the crates, still inhibited as sea freight, but as ever with these things there is lots of speculation and as someone has said above, believe it when you see it. I really hope they are there and a good number can be restored to fly.

[Richard B]

Just seen a post over on Key forums that they have found some spits, supposed to be in great condition with only rubber parts that have perished.
proper conformation and images still to be released, thou it does sound promising.http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=120778" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[SteveS]

Hmmmm, as they say on the internet, "Pics, or it didn't happen"!

Steve

[quid21]

Contrary to the post on the key forum website, wouldn't the Spitfires still be the property of Her Majesty's Government even if they were effectively disposed?

In the same way that the Navy I think 'owns' military ship wrecks and any treasure hunters have to seek permission to obtain parts thereof?

[Flyingmonster]

Hmmmm, as they say on the internet, "Pics, or it didn't happen"!

Steve

+1

[SteveS]

...and digging sideways under an active runway? Really???

[22A]

In the same way that the Navy I think 'owns' military ship wrecks and any treasure hunters have to seek permission to obtain parts thereof?

Some of those are classified as "War graves", hence the restrictions.

[quid21]

In the same way that the Navy I think 'owns' military ship wrecks and any treasure hunters have to seek permission to obtain parts thereof?

Some of those are classified as "War graves", hence the restrictions.

So does that mean that if I dug up a crate containing a Spitfire it wouldn't still belong to the UK government due to it being put in some kind of crate for storage so I could then sell it on eBay and live happily ever after?!!