British Spitfire planes to be dug up in Myanmar

[planedriver]

British Spitfire planes to be dug up in Myanmar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By AYE AYE WIN, Associated Press – 1 day ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — Myanmar signed a deal with a British aviation enthusiast to allow the excavation of a World War II treasure: dozens of Spitfire fighter planes reportedly buried by the British almost 70 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aviation enthusiast David J. Cundall said earlier this year he had found the aircraft after years of searching and they were believed to be in excellent condition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While details of their reported burial are obscure, Cundall has said they were shipped to the then-British colony called Burma near the end of the war and abandoned unused and in packing cases when they were not needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aviation enthusiasts say only three dozen or so airworthy Spitfires still exist worldwide. The single-seat fighter planes were about 9.1 meters (30 feet) long with an 11.2-meter (37-foot) wingspan. The wings may not have been attached to the packed planes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The British Embassy said Wednesday that the agreement was reached after discussions between Myanmar President Thein Sein and British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to Myanmar earlier this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The excavation is to begin by the end of October.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Myanma Ahlin daily reported that the excavation agreement was signed Tuesday by Director General of Civil Aviation Tin Naing Tun, Cundall on behalf of his British company DJC, and Htoo Htoo, managing director of Cundall's Myanmar partner, the Shwe Taung Paw company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"It took 16 years for Mr. David Cundall to locate the planes buried in crates. We estimate that there are at least 60 Spitfires buried and they are in good condition," Htoo Htoo Zaw said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"This will be the largest number of Spitfires in the world," he said. "We want to let people see those historic fighters, and the excavation of these fighter planes will further strengthen relations between Myanmar and Britain."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The British Embassy described the agreement as a chance to work with Myanmar's new reformist government to restore and display the planes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We hope that many of them will be gracing the skies of Britain and as discussed, some will be displayed here in Burma," said an embassy spokesman, who spoke anonymously because he was not directly involved in the excavation agreement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The country gained independence from Britain after the war and was long ruled by its military, which changed the name to Myanmar in 1989. Thein Sein's reformist government has turned away from the repression of the military government and patched up relations with Western nations that had previously shunned it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myanma Ahlin cited Transport Minister Nyan Tun Aung saying the agreement was a milestone strengthening the friendly relationship between Myanmar and Britain and amounts to the British government's recognition of the democratic reforms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cundall has said his quest to find the planes involved 12 trips to Myanmar and the expenditure of more than 130,000 pounds ($210,000).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[turboplanner]

The story is about a year or so old, but has resurfaced on social and antisocial media in the last week or so.

 

The visit that was supposedly made by British Prime Minister David Cameron "this year" was also referred to in the same context that year.

 

There was also a story that put some doubt on how much Cundall was involved.

 

Part of the story was that Cundall had established they were there and the crates were in excellent condition by drilling down and lowering a camera, however he, if he exists, has not been able to produce a photo.

 

It would be nice if it turned out to be true.

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

There's an echo in here!

 

 

[planedriver]

The info I got from the FlightAware weekly this morning and it stated that permission to dig them up had finally been given.

 

Maybe i'm too much of a trusting soul. However it could be very interesting if it turns out to be true.

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

I'm hoping it is true, even half true!

 

 

[turboplanner]

Let's keep our fingers crossed

 

 

[Captain]

Planey,

 

The story was actually broken in the Never Ending Story via NESTwitFacePad.

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[turboplanner]

Sorry I couldn't tell you Planey, but I deferred to Captain.

 

 

[Bandit12]

I wonder if these aircraft really do come out of the ground whether the sale prices of existing Spits will be affected? Supply and demand will surely change?

 

 

[eightyknots]

I hope they find Merlins down there, once they start digging, not Gremlins.

 

 

[fly_tornado]

I wonder if these aircraft really do come out of the ground whether the sale prices of existing Spits will be affected? Supply and demand will surely change?

I am guessing not that they will be severely water damaged

 

 

[flyerme]

was in our local paper last week digging has started!

 

 

[mAgNeToDrOp]

I thought they found pipes, no spitfires, search continues, sad outcome, so far

 

 

[eightyknots]

I am guessing not that they will be severely water damaged

Well, I wouldn't get too pessimistic about that. They found this Spitfire under sand and seawater at a French beach. I believe it was fully restored and now flying:

 

[ATTACH]15494[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]15495[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

 

[Gentreau]

Well, I wouldn't get too pessimistic about that. They found this Spitfire under sand and seawater at a French beach. I believe it was fully restored and now flying:

Yes but apart from the ID plate, how much of what they found in the sand is actually in the flying aircraft ??

 

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[eightyknots]

Yes but apart from the ID plate, how much of what they found in the sand is actually in the flying aircraft ??.

Probably not a lot.

 

 

[Gentreau]

Latest on the dig in Myanmar is that they have discovered there are shallow buried water pipes and electrical cables passing above the suspected location of the crates. They are part of the infrastructure of the airport and so cannot be damaged. They have to design a new digging plan to go around those obstructions and get the plan approved by the airport authorities.

 

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/21/169621797/in-myanmar-a-hunt-for-fabled-cache-of-buried-wwii-spitfires

 

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/myanmar-spitfire-hunters-search-hit-snag-18245031

 

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[Gentreau]

Probably not a lot.

In which case, it makes me wonder how it that be called a restoration, when in fact 99% of it is a brand new aircraft ?

 

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[facthunter]

Agree. It would be magic if they found Merlins down there.

 

I would be surprised if much of that salt water affected stuff would be good for anything to use.

 

Re-store might be stored somewhere different. Nev

 

 

[metalman]

Most of these restorations are about the data plate, I've read they can build a complete P40 from scratch ( not sure about the engines though) but it still needs a genuine data plate to be a "real" P40, I guess it would be the same for most of the warbirds . Probably the one found in the Middle East desert would be put in the air using a lot of the original componants,

 

Met

 

 

[facthunter]

I don't think anyone is making engines. Some individual parts are. Magnesium bits don't keep well. Deserts are nice and dry but sometimes the sand blasts things a bit thin. Nev

 

 

[eightyknots]

Agree. It would be magic if they found Merlins down there.I would be surprised if much of that salt water affected stuff would be good for anything to use.

Re-store might be stored somewhere different. Nev

The modern definition of Re-store:

 

1. Find any wreckage of any warplane (this can be any condition as long as the ID plate is in good condition);

 

2. Source as many components as possible from surplus stores;

 

3. Any that cannot be sourced that way are re-built according to the original blueprints;

 

4. Assemble all the parts as per the original blueprints;

 

4. Attach the original ID plate to the finished product (important!);

 

6. *Presto* your Re-storation is finished;

 

7. Contact the media and announce that the wreckage found three years earlier has now been completely Re-stored.

 

 

[flyerme]

http://gadling.com/2012/10/27/lost-wwii-planes-discovered-in-mint-condition-in-myanmar-jungle/

[bexrbetter]

7. Contact the media and announce that the wreckage found three years earlier has now been completely Re-stored.

.. and sell the completely original ID plate for millions.

 

 

[rankamateur]

http://gadling.com/2012/10/27/lost-wwii-planes-discovered-in-mint-condition-in-myanmar-jungle/

Seems odd that the article written 27th Nov 2012, hasn't been followed by articles about the recovered planes being pressed back into service, me thinks there has been a break down in the digger.