Warbird Information Exchange

I have just found out via Alvaro Romero (at Laahs.com), that an unspecified Fairchild airplane, missing since 1939, has been found in the Atacama Desert, Chile.

The Chilean Air Force and the Aviation museum are mounting a recovery operation.

More, when I find out.

Saludos,


Tulio

Tulio: I updated the information, because Museo's personnel have just noticed that the aircraft -well, the remains of it- belongs to a 'Tipo LAN' instead of a FC-2. The 'Tipo LAN' was built in few numbers by the airline in the mid-1930s, and the found wrecks belong to th aircraft registered with the number 18. As far as I know, FC-2 were serialled between 1 to 9, and LANs were on the 14-19 block.

I published some images of the wrecks shot at Museo Aeronáutico's facilities last Tuesday, please click on the link, and scroll down to get to the post (click on the images to see them larger): http://www.modocharlie.com/

The official version -still unmodified by Museo's page webmaster- can be seen -and read- here: www.museoaeronautico.cl

Regards,
Álvaro Romero

Alvaro,

Thank you for the update.

Fascinating story; I just wonder how many other historically significant airframes could be found in the Atacama desert?

Saludos,


Tulio

Tulio:

as far as I know, there is a de Havilland Vampire preserved on a house located near Anofagasta. I also remember the Constellation that made a forced landing near Colchane -there is almost nothing left of it, sadly-. Somebody dreamed on locating the airframes of a number of Junkers Ju86 that 'landed'on the Andes mountains near Santiago in the early 1940s, but I asked people of the zone and there is nothing left.

Nos vemos,
Álvaro