Kittyhawk Found.

[Guest DJH]

Found in the Sahara desert after 70 years. Link to pics and story.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2142300/Crashed-plane-Second-World-War-pilot-Dennis-Copping-discovered-Sahara-desert.html

 

 

[fly_tornado]

wow, what a find. goes to show you how empty that desert is.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Still in amazingly good condition.....no moisture I suppose.....................................................Maj..

 

 

[facthunter]

Yes. Deserts seem to be pretty deserted. Generally. When over Egypt at around 35,000 the Nile and adjacent areas look like a thin green thread in a big empty sandpit.

 

The area where he landed looks pretty rocky. Perhaps there was a bit more sand around when the plane landed, otherwise you would expect more damage. I would have expected more sandblasting effect over that time too. Pretty amazing condition. Nev

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

Let's send some ATSB rookies there to give us a detailed report on why it came down, good training exercise.

 

 

[turboplanner]

I'd say it was too much lead

 

 

[facthunter]

Not enough ESSENSE. Nev

 

 

[damkia]

Let's send some ATSB rookies there to give us a detailed report on why it came down, good training exercise.

Gravity?

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I'd say it was too much lead

I might have read it wrong but I don't believe it was shot down in the desert, the flak damage apparently occurred elsewhere at an earlier time.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes I believe the article said he was ferrying to a repair facilty for repairs to prev damage. By the look of the prop he landed with power on. But by the position of the prop to the rest, I'd say he did a pretty good job of putting it down as slow as possible. The less than ideal rocky country is probabily not what you would choose over straight sand, if you had a choice.

 

Possibilities abound really.................

 

Lost and low on fuel...decided to put it down while still having power.

 

Same..and ran out of daylight, hence the landing on rocky ground.

 

Flew unexpectantly into a sand storm and lost visability.

 

Suffered some kind of engine mechanic failure (coolant leak etc) and had no choice where to put it down.

 

Who knows ???............very interesting really. Was there any fuel remaining in the tanks ?...were the instrument lights on ?....was there any mechanical damage to the engine prior to the landing ?.......Was there any notes left by the pilot that may have blown away or suffered the same fate as the fabric covered surfaces ?............They may find more as time goes on.......................................................................................Maj...

 

 

[fly_tornado]

dying alone in the desert next to your plane is a sad and lonely way to go.

 

 

[ayavner]

dying alone in the desert next to your plane is a sad and lonely way to go.

but would make the basis for an excellent song or movie...

 

 

[turboplanner]

There is a book "Nicky Barr" by Peter Dornan which is all about a pilot and his Kittyhawk in this area.

 

I found it a very absorbing book because the Kitty was used primarily against ground targets defended by very irritated Germans who were also good shots, so you had to go in, but you had to be on your toes to survive, and a few seconds later you were out over the desert in complete calm.

 

So much of what we read about WW2 involves air to air combat and the European or American approach, but this one was all Australian.

 

 

[Guest pookemon]

There it is...

 

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=27.397929&lon=27.6292&z=18.5&r=0&src=msa

 

 

[dazza 38]

Im surprised they (the locals), haven't ripped her apart yet to make heaps of pots and pans out the aluminun.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I don't think there are any locals around there, good luck finding the wreck without a GPS. Its a long way from where the fighting was.

 

 

[rdarby]

Look at the comments below the article. What a weird bunch!

 

 

[dazza 38]

Bedouin FT

 

 

[Guest DJH]

The wreck is bang in the middle of " bugger all ". I certainly pity FS Dennis Copping, what a hopeless situation.

 

 

[eightyknots]

The article says: there are still 20 in flying condition. I watched one flying in Masterton, NZ, at the World War I plane exhibition 2-1/2 weeks ago. Yes, I know, it's a WW II plane but this was the only exception, exhibited to demonstrate the development of aviation between the two world wars.

 

I like the quote in the article:

 

It’s the aviation equivalent of Tutankhamun’s tomb.