Pat Carry wrote:
I know very little about recoveries in salt water but isnt there a real possibility the plane will fall apart when it reaches the surface? I mean its been in salt water for the quite a number of years now.
I had the pleasure of sitting through the RAF Museum presentation on this project this past Tuesday at the Smithsonian Mutual Concerns of Air and Space Museums conference.
This particular project has been researched and engineered to death and there is an extensive and detailed plan for every step from the lift to the desalination and preservation.
There is little chance this one will come apart in the lift. There is a cage that goes under, over and around the airframe to support it through the lift and disassemble. Matter of fact as the as the Aircraft is disassembled the frame stays in place and supports it through that procedure and then breaks into sections to support the wings etc while they are being moved to site.
The RAF Museum has done extensive research on the potential corrosion issues using bits from the airframe that were lying on the seafloor (yes small bits) and learned the corrosion starts as soon as the airframe begins to dry as well as just how frighteningly rapid the corrosion takes effect and how fast it does serious damage to the components.
As such they have set up spray systems and special gel coats to make sure the airframe remains soaked through all phases of lift, transport and dis assembly.
Finally the disassembled aircraft will move (still wet) into a series of special enclosures that will maintain a 24hr spray on the outside and inside of all components over an 18 month process where the airframe will be monitored and adjustments to the desalination and preservation chemicals in the spray will be adjusted to eliminate as much of the potential corrosion as possible and stabilize and preserve the airframe and components.
In the end it will apparently be displayed in as found condition as another piece of our history with it's whole story and how it represents the Battle of Britain.
This of course is a short summary, but it gives an inkling to the preparation, research and work that has been done.
They have their poop in a group.
Tom H
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