Paul Allen's P-40 was discovered by satellite imagery? Wow.

[Zagi-2]

This tickles the imagination:

"The [Paul Allen] collection includes a 1941 Curtiss Wright P40-C Tomahawk flown by the famed "Flying Tigers" - a fighter unit of Americans that battled Japanese forces in China. It bears the signature painted shark teeth on the nose and is riddled with patched-over bullet holes.

The plane was shot down in Russia and sat on the tundra for 50 years until a British collector spotted it in a SATELLITE PHOTO. While other Tomahawks have been restored, Gordon said Allen's is among the oldest still flying."

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/642 ... lanes.html

Can anyone tell us more about this?

(I can hear you WIXers clicking on your Google Earth icons right about now...

[norman malayney]

Genelemen,

Back in the early 1980s, the USSR propaganda magazine "Soviet Life" had two stories about the ALSIB route and its history from the Soviet side. In the article it mentioned that many aircraft crashed en route, and that one aircraft, a P-40 was found intact sitting on its landing gear somewhere near Siberia. Nearby they found the remains of the pilot.

Apparently he landed the aircraft on the hard snow?, and while waiting to be rescued, he froze to death.

I wonder if this is the same aircraft mentioned in the article that was eventually found by satellite photo as menioned above? I have the article somewhere in my apartment, but will eventually find it.

Norman Malayney

[DaveM2]

Norm

Nope, the FHC aircraft was one of three that bellied in the same 'basic' area after running out of fuel, in Karelia, Nth Russia. One is still there apparantly, but those who recovered the FHC aircraft can't locate it, which isn't as simple as it sounds, it is a large area and the closest 'civilization' is 600kms away.

regards
Dave

[astixjr]

I may have some good photos of this P-40 as it was found. It still had air in the tires. If this is the P-40 I'm thinking of, the Russian guy who "owned" it was a very interesting fellow. I've often wondered how much he really got for that airplane. I thought there would be many more like this one in the former USSR but I was wrong. The Soviet's were better than us at melting stuff down. Want to see some former Lend Lease airplane's? Just find a Soviet built Mig-15, it's mostly made of melted P-40s, P-39s, B-25s, A-20s, and maybe a few other types.

[DaveM2]

Al

Many of the early MiG jets have 109 and 190 sticks in them.

Dave

[Mike]

Norm

Nope, the FHC aircraft was one of three that bellied in the same 'basic' area after running out of fuel, in Karelia, Nth Russia. One is still there apparantly, but those who recovered the FHC aircraft can't locate it, which isn't as simple as it sounds, it is a large area and the closest 'civilization' is 600kms away.

regards
Dave

Wrong P-40 Dave.

I heard the story about the 3 P-40s ('E-models, I believe) as well.

This one was brought down by a small-calibre bullet through the oil tank, causing the engine to sieze. I've got photos showing the entry and exit paths of the bullet throgh the aircraft skin and oil tank, and the prop, with 2 blades damaged and 1 bent, showing that the engine was siezed before the belly-landing.

A real time-capsule, the airframe bore traces of RAF, US Army and Russian markings.

[DaveM2]

Mike

Aha... my Russian buddy must have mistaken which aircraft I asked about. He debunked the story that one of the P-40s blew up, killing the helicopter crew when they lifted it , setting off the still live bomb.

Dave

Last edited by DaveM2 on Tue Jul 18, 2006 8:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Mike]

Mike

Talking about the P-40C sold to Stephen Grey that went to the FHC, as told to me buy my Russian buddy who had a lot to do with the guy who recovered it. The guy has since fallen out with both Grey and my buddy. He debunked the story that one of the P-40s blew up, killing the helicopter crew when they lifted it , setting off the still live bomb.
Possible that he was confusing two different stories I suppose, although I don't see why he would.

Dave

Indeed, one and the same. Absolutely not a 'running out of fuel' incident, as the bullet hole through the oil tank and siezed engine prove.

The 3 E-models running out of fuel story was about different aircraft, I don't believe they were ever recovered?

[DaveM2]

Bugga...edited my post too late

[astixjr]

So now I'm confused as well. Does Paul Allen have a B/C or an E? The B/C that I saw had remains of U.S., British, and Soviet markings. It was eventually hauled to Tushino where I saw it a second time, and then to the UK and then to Chino I think? Is it the one with Paul Allen's collection?

[B-29 Super Fort]

Is it possible that with satellite imagery more available that some previously unrecorded warbird will be found someday?

[mrhenniger]

So now I'm confused as well. Does Paul Allen have a B/C or an E? The B/C that I saw had remains of U.S., British, and Soviet markings. It was eventually hauled to Tushino where I saw it a second time, and then to the UK and then to Chino I think? Is it the one with Paul Allen's collection?

Here is what I have...
Model: Curtiss P-40C Warhawk
S/N: 53 Soviet AF
C/N: 16194
C/R: NX2689
Owner: Vulcan Warbirds Inc.
History: P-40C (1941) 41-13390 USAAF, was to be transferred to the RAF, 53 Soviet AF TOS (1942/9/27), shot down in a forest near Archangelsk in Russia (1943), recovered (1992), to Patina Ltd. / The Fighter Collection (1992), shipped from Duxford to Chino for restoration, restored (1993-1998), to Fighter Rebuilders / N80FR (1998/8 ), fist post-restoration flight (1998/9/3), to Patina Ltd. / the Fighter Collection / G-TOMA (1998/12), not delivered and struck off the register, to Paul Allen / Vulcan Warbirds / Flying Heritage Collection / N2689 (1999/4/5)

Mike

Last edited by mrhenniger on Tue Jul 18, 2006 2:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Mike]

So now I'm confused as well. Does Paul Allen have a B/C or an E? The B/C that I saw had remains of U.S., British, and Soviet markings. It was eventually hauled to Tushino where I saw it a second time, and then to the UK and then to Chino I think? Is it the one with Paul Allen's collection?

It's a P-40C (Tomahawk IIb), reported as c/n 16166 or c/n 16194, ex-USAAF 41-13390, now with Paul Allen.

[astixjr]

Thanks guys. That is the one I saw in the former USSR. In my humble opinion, this P-40 remains the most important aircraft yet brought out of Russia. If I remember correctly, it had one B.F. Goodrich tire and one Goodyear tire. I'll dig out my photos. Thanks again.

[Mike]

Albert,

I'd love to see any shots that you have of it whilst in Russia.

I'd agree that it's a really fascinating machine, but I'd have to say that to me the most important recoveries have been the Fw189 (previously extinct) and the Hampden (only fairly complete example in the UK of this mainstay of Bomber Command in the early war years).