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 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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Aviation historians and warbird enthusiasts are drooling at the discovery of at least 12 and maybe as many 20 perfectly preserved brand-new Spitfire Mark 14's buried in Myanmar, which was formerly Burma.
Burma has now signed a deal with a British aviation enthusiast to allow the excavation which have been buried since the Second World War.
Aviation enthusiast David Cundall discovered the locations of the planes after 16 years of searching.
They were buried by U.S. troops in 1945 when it became clear they wouldn't be needed in the final days of the Second World War. At least a dozen of the aircraft, one of the latest variants with their Roll Royce Griffon engines replacing the Merlins in earlier models, were buried without ever being removed from their original packing crates. It's possible another eight were also buried after the war ended.
The aircraft were declared surplus when they arrived in Burma because the Japanese were in retreat by then and carrier-based Seafires were getting all the action. They were ordered buried in their original crates, waxed, swaddled in grease paper and their joints tarred against the elements.
Cundall found some of the soldiers who buried the planes by placing ads in magazines and was able to narrow down the search before using ground-penetrating radar to confirm the burial site.
The excavation is due to begin by the end of the end of the year, and will be the largest collection of Spitfires in the world.
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It will be fantastic if these wonderful aircraft come home again but why the hell were we so wasteful at the end of the war? Brand new aircraft still in their crates! I recently watched one of the war time programs on 'Yesterday' showing our government dumping thousands of crates containing millions of rounds of .303 ammo, all bought and paid for and considered 'surplus to requirements' as the war was nearly over. Millions of live rounds thrown away and then a few years down the road along comes the Korean War and guess what we needed then! If that wasn't bad enough have you seen the price of inert ammo for collectors? Sheesh! First wooden ship: The Grimsby 12 Gun 'Frigate' by Constructo Second: Bounty DelPrado Part Works Third: HMS Victory DelPrado Part Works 1/100 scale Diorama of the Battle of the Brandywine from the American Revolutionary War Diorama of the Battle of New Falkland (unfinished sci-fi), Great War Centenary Diorama of the Messines Ridge Assault Index for the Victory diary is on page 1
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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The excavation is due to start next week!
Mr Cundall said the planes were buried "at depth" and so would not be corroded by oxygen and is totally convinced that they will be restorable. "We want to restore them to flying condition so we can see them flying at air shows in three years time."
The team believe they are buried 10 metres underground on the site of Rangoon International Airport.
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 Rank: Elite        Groups: registriert, Registered Joined: 20/03/2011 Posts: 2,356 Points: 7,122 Location: UK
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Watched this on Sky News last night and with them being covered in Grease Proof Wrapping here's hoping all 30+ of them will be in pretty good condition!!
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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Archaeologists hunting for World War II Spitfires in Burma believe there are no planes buried at the sites where they have been digging!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21074699
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Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,051 Points: -13,308
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