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WW2 Spitfires found in Burma

Discussion in 'History Forum' started by padre31, Oct 17, 2012.

  1. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/1...to-dig-up-buried-wwii-planes/?test=latestnews

    How cool is that?
     
  2. MikeHoncho

    MikeHoncho -=| Censored |=-

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    Gonna have a read at this when I get home. Pretty cool indeed.
     
  3. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    The British shipped Spits to Burma and to Singapore in late '41-early '42 just as the US was shipping P-40's and other aircraft. Many were never uncrated and were either burned or fell into Japanese hands. Thanks to the lack of spare parts, the Japanese rarely did anything except test fly and evaluate the captured allied models. To find a cache of perhaps 60 early model Spitfires is remarkable! That should keep restorers busy for a decade or so.

    Wouldn't it be incredible to get 30 or 40 flyable for the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2015? A "big wing" flyover would be something very, very special.
     
  4. BigDogsHunt

    BigDogsHunt Enough talk...prove it!

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    Hope they turn this into TV Documentary, would be so cool to be present when crates were opened, etc. Just amazing to think about...love those planes.
     
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  5. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    I understand that the Spitfire was a warplane, that is an engine of destruction. That said, the Spit was, in my opinion, one of the most esthetically beautiful aircraft of WW II. That eliptical wing and balanced, streamlined look was breathtaking. A P-47 looked powerful, a P-38, curious, an FW-190, menacing, but a Spitfire was/is a beautiful piece of aircraft design.
     
  6. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    I liked the p-51's and P-40's.

    Love what the AVG did in China, that is an incredible story.
     
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  7. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    You may be aware of this but others may not. The AVG pilots had bought into the racial bias that all Japanese were terrified of Tigersharks so they wanted to call themselves the "Flying Tigers". They had meant the fish kind of tiger but then other folks who heard the name assumed they meant the striped cat since they were in the CBI theater and the rest is history. The pilots of the AVG averaged a huge number of hours in fighters (Over 700 hours if I remember correctly) and thus were an elite unit that would only rarely be matched throughout the war.

    The P-51 Mustang was probably the most esthetically beautiful American figther. It is interesting that both the Spit and the Mustang were powered by the legendary Merlin engine. The best inline engine of WW II.
     
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  8. cdz12250

    cdz12250 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    A whole wing. Four squadrons. The Brits will go berserk. The National Trust will be all over it. Nonagenarian vets and soccer hooligans will pony up their quid for the restorations. The Queen will want a ride.
     
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  9. jdallen1222

    jdallen1222 Well-Known Member

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    Any update on this? I think I heard they now believe the planes aren't there.
     
  10. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21483187

    It would have been very nice but alas......
     
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  11. Fishweiser

    Fishweiser New Member

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    Dang!! I missed this thread somehow and just read it today. Too bad this didnt turn out to be true.
     
  12. gafinfan

    gafinfan gunner Club Member

    I'm even later than you .... drats!
     
  13. JasonNorin

    JasonNorin New Member

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    Quite refreshing to read this types of news. Any updates about the planes this 2015?
     
  14. jdallen1222

    jdallen1222 Well-Known Member

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    About 4 posts up, Ohionphinphan posted an update about the search being called off. Nothing was found, I guess they stopped looking. That was 2 years ago. Unless any promising leads come up, I can't see why they would resume searching if they haven't found anything by now.
     

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