An Update on TIGHAR's P-38...

[Warbirdnerd]

The ghost rises: Ambitious plan to salvage WW2 Lightning fighter from sea off Welsh coastLockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft found in 2007 after 65 years under sands
Last seen when it crashed off the Welsh coast in 1942 while on exercise
Retrieval from secret location near beach at Harlech, Gwynedd, will move ahead as soon as a home for the aircraft is found.
The decaying wreckage of a Second World War fighter plane, exposed after 65 years by changing tides on the Welsh coast, is to be removed.
Known as the Maid of Harlech, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft was discovered in July 2007 after decades hidden under the sands.
It was the first time the rare United States Army Air Force (USAAF) fighter had been seen since it crashed off the Welsh coast in 1942 while on exercise.
Known as the Maid of Harlech, a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter aircraft was discovered in July 2007 after 65 years hidden under the sands. It will now be carefully removed from its secret location
The retrieval, from a secret location near the beach near Harlech, Gwynedd, will move ahead as soon as a home for the aircraft is found.
The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR) hope to be able to remove the wreckage from the sea.
When it was discovered in 2007, it was the first time the rare United States Army Air Force (USAAF) fighter had been seen since it crashed off the Welsh coast in 1942 while on exercise
Project director Ric Gillespie said: 'Once we have a home for the aircraft we can proceed with getting the necessary permissions from the local government, finalising the recovery plan and raising the all-important funding.
'Daunting, but do-able.'
He added: 'The plane remains safely buried in the sand. We know where it is, no one else does.
'That's the only reason it hasn't been picked apart by looters. Our intention is to recover the aircraft and conserve rather than restore it.'
'That means a lengthy process of treating the metal so it doesn't corrode away when it is removed from the beach.
'We need a UK museum to partner with us in conserving and then exhibiting the aircraft.'
'The major aviation museums such as the RAF museum and the Imperial War museum are aware and interested but unable to devote resources right now due to other commitments and shortages of space and funding.'
It is believed that the aircraft crash landed in 1942 while it was taking part in training exercises and its engines cut out.
Amazingly pilot Lt Robert Elliott walked away from the incident without a scratch but tragically went missing in action just three months later serving in the American's Tunisia campaign in North Africa.
The TIGHAR website dedicated to the project describes the find as one of the most significant WWII related archaeological discoveries in recent history.

Local historian Matt Rimmer first alerted TIGAR to the wreck's discovery and assisted the TIGHAR archaeological team throughout October 2007 carrying out a survey at the site.

Found it here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... coast.html

[Dave Lindauer]

I sure hope they hire on some Norwegians to plan and execute the recovery and conservation.

[DaveM2]

What 'update'? The same spiel was trotted out when it was first discovered back in 2007 IIRC?

[PinecastleAAF]

The TIGHAR website dedicated to the project describes the find as one of the most significant WWII related archaeological discoveries in recent history.

I hope they leave it where it is. It's providing housing for the local indigenous population......of crabs.

Perhaps the AE 'faucet of fame' is dry so it was time for a new garbage press release.

[The Inspector]

What a blast of hot air!!! Over the top bovine byproduct to the max!!!!

[cooper9411]

Now they are trying to raise funding , maybe some of the hundreds of thousands spent running around the South Pacific should have been used to salvage it. At least that way the investors would have had something to show for their investment

[eagle21]

Knowing as I do how rare an aviation museum is in Britain, I am sure they are having all kinds of difficulty finding a suitable place. Like Duxford. Or the Shuttleworth Collection. Or Brooklands Museum. Or the Medway Aircraft Preservation Society. Or the Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford. Or probably close to a dozen other places in Britain that could probably handle a good preservation, if not outright restoration, of this airframe.

In my opinion, it is too bad TIGHAR got their hands on it first, and I am a bit surprised that IWM at Duxford hasn't tried to take it from them.

John

[Russ Blow]

Found this report on the crash

27/09/1942, 41-7677, T/O Llanbedr on a Tow Target mission and after 55 minutes lost power in the left engine. Returned to Llanbedr for a single engine landing but when about two miles from the runway at 800 feet the right engine also cut out due to pilot not switching over from the reserve tank. Pilot turned towards the beach, undershooting and landing in about two feet of water. RTD, c/n 222-5804, condemned combat 11/11/42.

Think I will go looking for it on Google Earth

[CoastieJohn]

Found this report on the crash

27/09/1942, 41-7677, T/O Llanbedr on a Tow Target mission and after 55 minutes lost power in the left engine. Returned to Llanbedr for a single engine landing but when about two miles from the runway at 800 feet the right engine also cut out due to pilot not switching over from the reserve tank. Pilot turned towards the beach, undershooting and landing in about two feet of water. RTD, c/n 222-5804, condemned combat 11/11/42.

Think I will go looking for it on Google Earth

Didn't take too long to find it if you know where to look.

[Dave Smith]

It used to be visible on GE but they must have updated the coverage as I can't see it now. Tide in maybe. It's only about two hours' drive from here so I'll really have to find time to have a look.

[CoastieJohn]

It used to be visible on GE but they must have updated the coverage as I can't see it now. Tide in maybe. It's only about two hours' drive from here so I'll really have to find time to have a look.

If you read the comments section of the UK news article above, someone posted the GE coordinates. I plugged them in and it sure looked like it. The physical position of the object you see in GE matched clues you see in the 3 pics of the news article. The GE image was taken at a real low tide, that helped.

Here's the 3rd pic....

[JFS61]

Believe it when I see it. And, if they were so concerned about its preservation, they should have reburied the exposed portions the second they found it, to have prevented any further corrosion (not to mention deterring relic hunters).

[Zachary]

Question for the UK legal experts. What is to stop any other team or group from going in and recovering the airplane right now? Does TIGHAR have some sort of registered legal claim to the airplane?

Zack

[CoastieJohn]

Question for the UK legal experts. What is to stop any other team or group from going in and recovering the airplane right now? Does TIGHAR have some sort of registered legal claim to the airplane?

Zack

Ya...I was wondering that too. Maybe one of the guys over there may know.

[PinecastleAAF]

What is to stop any other team or group from going in and recovering the airplane right now?

Probably nothing except the reality that it is much too far gone to bother with. It would turn to dust and crumble into little bits once it dried out.