New attempt at recovering the remaining Lost Squadron P-38's
Fri May 13, 2005 12:37 pm
Hi all,
According to the german magazine Flugzeug Classic, during 2006 an new attempt will be made to recover the remaining P-38's that forcelanded in Greenland. As you know Glacier Girl is flying again but a combined German/Danish team will be using a similar means of melting the ice to reach the other five airframes which are thought to be at 100 metres depth. After recovery the airframes will be offered to interested parties.
I hope they succeed, but it won't be duck soup.
Cheers
Cees
According to the german magazine Flugzeug Classic, during 2006 an new attempt will be made to recover the remaining P-38's that forcelanded in Greenland. As you know Glacier Girl is flying again but a combined German/Danish team will be using a similar means of melting the ice to reach the other five airframes which are thought to be at 100 metres depth. After recovery the airframes will be offered to interested parties.
I hope they succeed, but it won't be duck soup.
Cheers
Cees
Fri May 13, 2005 12:48 pm
Hi Cees!
I think I saw something on these guys a couple of years ago. I think they got the permits or something like that, but they ran into funding problems. It's good to see them going at it again. I wish them luck and hope they can do it very soon. The potential of a lot of Phillipine birds, would make the greenland recoveries unviable, in an economic sense anyway.
I think I saw something on these guys a couple of years ago. I think they got the permits or something like that, but they ran into funding problems. It's good to see them going at it again. I wish them luck and hope they can do it very soon. The potential of a lot of Phillipine birds, would make the greenland recoveries unviable, in an economic sense anyway.
Fri May 13, 2005 3:37 pm
Hi Guys
Here's is there website: http://www.lostsquadron.de/
My understanding is that funding has always been the big issue. These guys will be racing the clock aswell as battling the enviroment. The first team was hard pressed to recover the 1st P-38 in the window of opportunity. Would also be nice to seem them clear out the site and recoverall the remains of both B-17s even as smushed as they are. With some of the miraculous restorations that have taken place as of late. I'm sure there are slim possibilites that they too can be saved. Or atleast serve as parts for other restorations. Seems like too good of a resource to pass up.
Shay
Here's is there website: http://www.lostsquadron.de/
My understanding is that funding has always been the big issue. These guys will be racing the clock aswell as battling the enviroment. The first team was hard pressed to recover the 1st P-38 in the window of opportunity. Would also be nice to seem them clear out the site and recoverall the remains of both B-17s even as smushed as they are. With some of the miraculous restorations that have taken place as of late. I'm sure there are slim possibilites that they too can be saved. Or atleast serve as parts for other restorations. Seems like too good of a resource to pass up.
Shay
Fri May 13, 2005 4:08 pm
achtalieber!!!! der dumbkoff schweine hunds putinzie site info in german!!! worthless to me in that language, but i'll keep my ears open, as this is the 1st i've heard of another expedition. thanks for the heads up regards, tom
Fri May 13, 2005 6:31 pm
the site is setup for dual language (english or german)
tom,
for english, click on the union jack (like below) on the bottom left navigator at the web site.
as for the discussion forum, it looks like that strictly verboten (i mean in german). There's always google for a decent translator:
http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en
regards,
t~
tom,
for english, click on the union jack (like below) on the bottom left navigator at the web site.
as for the discussion forum, it looks like that strictly verboten (i mean in german). There's always google for a decent translator:
http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en
regards,
t~
Fri May 13, 2005 7:13 pm
Yeah, but we're in the US. We don't speak the Queen's English...originalboxcar wrote:for english, click on the union jack (like below) on the bottom left navigator at the web site.
Fri May 13, 2005 7:49 pm
guess i'm the dumbkoff, thanks i'll give it a try. regards, tom
Sat May 14, 2005 12:43 pm
Yes,
I heard this same story or a similar version of it several years ago. They seem to be most ambitious in obtaining the remaining aircraft. But, form what the folks who resurected Glacier Girl went through and the cost involved, the folks that end up with these planes, if recovered, will have to have VERY deep pockets to make them airworthy again. Nice idea and it would be fantastic to see them again, but practically speaking, is the cost going to be worth the effort ??
You can rebuild anything. All it takes is time and money. I have been fortunate to have particpated in some restorations and have done alot of work on flyable Warbirds before, and the cost for these planes isn't cheap by any stretch. I wish them luck. All the luck in the world on this.
Paul
I heard this same story or a similar version of it several years ago. They seem to be most ambitious in obtaining the remaining aircraft. But, form what the folks who resurected Glacier Girl went through and the cost involved, the folks that end up with these planes, if recovered, will have to have VERY deep pockets to make them airworthy again. Nice idea and it would be fantastic to see them again, but practically speaking, is the cost going to be worth the effort ??
You can rebuild anything. All it takes is time and money. I have been fortunate to have particpated in some restorations and have done alot of work on flyable Warbirds before, and the cost for these planes isn't cheap by any stretch. I wish them luck. All the luck in the world on this.
Paul
Tue May 17, 2005 12:43 pm
Shay wrote:Hi Guys
Here's is there website: http://www.lostsquadron.de/
My understanding is that funding has always been the big issue. These guys will be racing the clock aswell as battling the enviroment. The first team was hard pressed to recover the 1st P-38 in the window of opportunity. Would also be nice to seem them clear out the site and recoverall the remains of both B-17s even as smushed as they are. With some of the miraculous restorations that have taken place as of late. I'm sure there are slim possibilites that they too can be saved. Or atleast serve as parts for other restorations. Seems like too good of a resource to pass up.
Shay
I've wondered how much damage the additional years between Glacier Girl's recovery and today has done to the airframes. There was roughly 50 years worth of ice accumulation before Glacier Girl was pulled up. Today, there is about 63 years worth of ice on top of those planes...plus I suspect they have moved somewhat horizontally since the last time they were visited. Unless there is something about the dynamics of the ice buildup and ice flow that I'm not aware of in that area...
Tue May 17, 2005 1:38 pm
mjanovec
It depends. Over the years as snow and ice accumulated it did so at different rates. As different expedition found out some years dumped massive amounts of snow while other not much at all. Also about the glacier travel. I'm not an expert but I think I recall hearing that 3 feet year was normal. Still, I'm curious as well as to the aircraft current conditions. Glacier Girl suffered severe ice compression and her tail plane and separated from her by some 12 feet. Good luck to them truely a worthy treasure.
Shay
It depends. Over the years as snow and ice accumulated it did so at different rates. As different expedition found out some years dumped massive amounts of snow while other not much at all. Also about the glacier travel. I'm not an expert but I think I recall hearing that 3 feet year was normal. Still, I'm curious as well as to the aircraft current conditions. Glacier Girl suffered severe ice compression and her tail plane and separated from her by some 12 feet. Good luck to them truely a worthy treasure.
Shay
Tue May 17, 2005 8:36 pm
i heard the original team p.o.'d the greenies by leaving a mess of junk, drums, refuse, etc up their when they promised to clean it up upon departure. i don't know if they will as readily roll out the red carpet to another expedition. also factor in the cost of the logistical support in 1993 in relation to now, zowwwy!!! the costs have gone up in excess of 75 % on average. fuel, support, etc. as to current physical condition of the remaining birds under the ice........ their condition certainly didn't get any better, but how much worse??? regards, tom