Warbird Information Exchange

Thought I'd pass this along to WIX. Congrats and thanks for a job well done to all involved.

From the Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society,

Ensign Harold P. DeMoss, WWII F6F Hellcat wreck has been found! On 26 Nov 2011 a HAPS search team located the wreckage near a stream in the remote Kahuku mountains of the Ko’olau range. The search crew was comprised of Naval Air Museum staff Brad H. and Howard E. HAPS volunteers Scott G. and Mike W. came across wreckage parts at 1100 hours in the watershed stream below the... Helicopter LZ created by Graham P. and Brian D. The 66 year old wreckage appears to be undisturbed, except for the foliage growth that now masks it.
HAPS will provide JPAC the actual coordinates so that they can now, after months of no formal response to us, take action to recover Ensign Harold P. DeMoss.
Colin Perry, Director, Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society

Interesting scheme on the Hellcat in the background, never seen a scheme like that before, wonder what the colors are on the checkerboard cowl. Photo states NAS Barbers Point, Oahu, but it also could be NAS Melbourne, Florida.

Ensign Harold P. DeMoss lower left, RIP



And take a look at the recovery photos on the Hawaii Aviation Preservation Society's facebook page, these photos surely show just how easy it is to lose an airplane for 66 years in Hawaii.

http://www.facebook.com/flyingheritagec ... =1&theater

Hopefully there are other photos of larger pieces of the wreckage because whats shown all looks like it came out of a metal shreader and if that's all that was left, it must have been difficult to make a positive I.D. of the airframe.
Anyone else notice that the F6F in the photo has a bald and very flat left main tire?

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

According to official documents posted on their facebook page, the wreckage was found three days after the crash in June 1945, but for some reason they buried the pilot or left the pilot or some sort of thing happened where they did not recover the pilot, so the wreckage was known and located, but back then things were much different as to recovery efforts. (speculation on my part) I'm assuming it was extremely difficult to recover anything back then in terrain like that. As for parts to identify the airplane, I would say the photo of the prop and wheels would possitively identify the wreckage as that of an F6F (again speculation on my part)

Tire isn't flat - what you are seeing is the cross brace that connects the front chock to the back chock (standard US Navy wheel chock design - chocks are always connected and are adjustable for different wheel sizes (back chock slides on that brace. We still use those today ableit made of more modern material)

Actually, tire is ok, as long as the fabric reinforcement layers don't show it legal to fly.
But where are the gear doors?
Neither side has the gear door that would be on the inner side when the gear is extended. It should extend from near the top of the gear leg down to about even with the axle. Kinda takes the shape of a shovel, bottom portion is wide to cover the wheel and tire and it gets narrow just above the tire all the way to the top.

_________________
Rich Palmer

Remember an Injured Youth
benstear.org
#64- Stay Strong and Keep the Faith

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The gear doors were often removed on Hellcats used in Stateside training units, which judging by the strange markings is the case here. I've watched a lot of footage of flight ops on the Lake Michigan training carriers, and all the Hellcats have the gear doors removed. As for the tire, it looks to me like there are a couple of pieces of wood beside it, similar in tone to the ground, giving the illusion that it's flat (part of a wheel chock, maybe?)

Back to the original topic, I hope they can retrieve the pilot's remains and give him a proper burial.

SN

The photo may very well be from NAS Melbourne. Some of the pilots' life jackets are stenciled with "NAS MELB".

_________________
Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

http://www.joebaugher.com

"Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat

42153 (VF-100) while on routine night formation flight over Oahu TH. from Barber's Point NAS entered overcast
and was not seen again 23 Jun 23, 1945. Burning wreckage spotted after daylight in the rugged
Ko'olau mountain range 7 miles from the Kahuku airfield. Land party was able to reach the wreckage after 3 days
of trailblazing. Aircraft was completly destroyed. Due to the extreme terrain and climate, pilot's remains
were buried at the scene."

That is what I said above - standard Navy wheel chock. Like what this sailor is carrying:

Sorry..I saw your comment on the tire condition, but missed the bit about the wheel chock.

SN