Simviation Forums

It would appear that 20 Spitfires that were sent to Burma shortly before the end of the war are about to be found. They were buried in the crates they arrived in to prevent them falling into enemy hands and then "forgotten".....
I wonder if that includes shed loads of spare parts too??

Fingers crossed

The only slight problem I see is that the government will auction them off, half will disappear into storage after the price of good intentions is realised and the other half will end up going to America (sadly where the collectors have the cash to rebuild them) and the UK will not really get a look in. Still, if that is the price to double the world's collection of flying Spits, then maybe the it is a price worth paying..........

if that is the price to double the world's collection of flying Spits, then maybe the it is a price worth paying..........

20 wouldn't exactly double the number of airworthy Spitfires. It's difficult to give an accurate figure but according to the Spitfire Society

if that is the price to double the world's collection of flying Spits, then maybe the it is a price worth paying..........

20 wouldn't exactly double the number of airworthy Spitfires. It's difficult to give an accurate figure but according to the Spitfire Society

Really good news and I wonder how many more aircraft got hidden after the war of various types?

A Pacific Theater veteran at the museum told me that most Spitfires which arrived in late 1941 or early 1942 in the Pacific Theater were burnt out from the Battle of Britain and a Riggers and Fitters nightmare.

I've heard these sort of tales before. I hope it is true and that some of them are fit enough to be restored. It would be lovely to see more of them on the circuit 8-)

20?! Oh my gosh *falls down*

*gets back in chair* This news just made my day!! Britain needs the vast majority of these beautities. In the states we could use a couple more hitting airshows, as I have said before, they are pretty rare at airshows here.

Anyone know what type these are?

Why do people in the states and england complain about what isn't at airshows???
Here in Ireland there are no airshows at all!
Unless you count the ocasional helicopter taken out for a short flight.
The closest I had seen to an airshow here was a 3 helicopter line flight over the harbour today!

Wow...that does surprise me jetprop...

No airshows in Ireland at all???

We have relatives in Ireland and I will need to give them a call...oh boy...that call will cost a dollar or more...

I believe the one lad flys a Shorts Aircraft of some sort and they were over several years ago...when we talked there was no mention by him about the lack of airshows...

Why do people in the states and england complain about what isn't at airshows???
Here in Ireland there are no airshows at all!
Unless you count the ocasional helicopter taken out for a short flight.
The closest I had seen to an airshow here was a 3 helicopter line flight over the harbour today!

True, we should feel fortunate, but I tend to feel all aircraft deserve to fly and deserve a chance to be revered by the general public. As I stated in a different topic, the P-51 has absorbed the warbird scene here in the states at airshows. Many times that is the only warbird. Yes there is a wide variety of warbirds flying in the states, but too many seem to come out only for certain special shows like those put on by air museums (Chino and Thunder Over Michigan come to mind). The vast majority of students in my aeronautical engineering course have no idea what a Spitfire is, a Hurricane, Lancaster, F4F, F6F, F8F, F7F, P-38, P-47 (yes the Jug), B-25, B-24, and on and on...keep in mind these are AERONAUTICAL ENGINEER STUDENTS, they (we) are in college to learn how to design aircraft and the vast majority do not know what some of the most influential and important aircraft are!! You ask them what a P-51 is they know (they are common at airshows) and most know what a B-17 is (thank you hollywood)...but the P-51 is not the fighter that everyone makes it out to be. There are many other piston pounders in WW2 that could out-fly a Mustang (Spits being one)...so my beef has more to do with frustration with the INCREASING lack of enthusiasm for historical aircraft. Every time I over hear a lay-person at an air museum or airshow talk about the warbird in front of them it is usually something along the lines of "oh, so this plane did this....whatever"  . This is very very frustrating for me!!

Anyone know what type these are?

Mk II apparently.

Don't get too excited there are and are romoured to be various aircraft across the far east. Finding them is one thing, getting them out another...

About 10 years ago the Shuttleworth lot tried to get a Balliol or two out of Sri Lanka IIRC; a two seat Merlin trainer being a rare commodity. Peter Vacher also had "fun" getting his the derelict Hurricane hulk out of India (he details the fun in his book). Lots of "diplomacy" is needed - particularly in far reaching former corners of the empire where we taught them the art of bureaucracy, and having everything in triplicate, and signed by everyone including the cleaner's dog. And giving the correct bloke a tenner... or three. Or a cheque. A blank one.

Obviously "someone" has the ear of the PM to bring up what is monetarily a very small topic.

Anyone know what type these are?

Mk II apparently.

Apparently not. According to the worlds foremost Spitfire survivor authority (who frequents a couple of internet corners), it is a mix of late war Mk VIII and Mk XIV. They've (whoever "they" are) been trying to invesrigate and recover them for 12 years, but only now has the local political "climate"allowed the matter to be raised at the highest possible level.

Obviously "someone" has the ear of the PM to bring up what is monetarily a very small topic.

The Telegraph mentions that the bloke who's trying to mount the

I guess NZ is very lucky.

We've got a few Spits in flying condition & more in museums; the Polikarpov

[quote]I guess NZ is very lucky.

We've got a few Spits in flying condition & more in museums; the Polikarpov