Warbird Information Exchange

Just a quick one to throw in.

Would anyone like to take a guesstimate of how much it would cost to recover a B-17 from a lake? Including survey , floating the thing and derigging? Also, how many bods would be required.

I'm thinking aloud. Aircraft is NOT in Europe , Continental US or the Pacific.

Lake depth is approximately 20 metres.

Regards

Tony

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So there I was , with nothing on the clock except the makers' name, and that was in Hindustani and fast disappearing...

Hi Tony:

You ought to contact the Canadian museum with the Halifax, They recovered it from a Norwegian lake, and could probably give you a dollars and cents number. I wouldn't even venture a guess, because somebody could call them and find out.

Also, I'm going post something else regarding a lake in Indonesia.

Try asking the guy in Georgia who brought the B-17 out of Labrador?
Tom Rielly is rebuilding it and he might know a number as well.

But remember, where it is will influence the cost total significantly...
Just gettiing the crew & equipment to the site will cost a small fortune if it's really remote..airline tickets, helicopter charter, hotels, meals, etc...all this woill cost thousands, long before you ever touch the plane and or buy the floatation gear.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Tony, The man you need to talk to is Don Brooks in Douglas GA. He is the one that brought "Liberty Belle" back from Labrador. Try contacting him at The Liberty Foundation, info@libertyfoundation.org.
Regards
Robbie

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Fly Fast Make Noise!

Thanks all , Robbie, thanks for that link.

Let me make it plain though , that I am not contemplating recovering this aircraft myself , I just know a man who might be

(Assuming it's still there , is still substantially complete, not rotted , the value of your investments may go down as well as up blah blah blah)

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So there I was , with nothing on the clock except the makers' name, and that was in Hindustani and fast disappearing...

GET A HOLD OF GARY LARKINS HE WILL GETTER DONE AND HAS MORE EXPERIENCE THAN ANYONE ELSE I KNOW THANKS MIKE

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IF YOU CAN FIND IT WE CAN FIX IT

Here's Gary Larkins' website. There are some awesome warbird recovery pictures within, including recovering a B-17 from a lake. His contact link is in the lower left corner of the homepage.

http://www.airpirates.com/

Dennis

Don Brooks is the one who just pulled the B-17 out of the lake in Labrador, Canada in late '04. It was in something like 30-40' of water That's probably the closest cost estimate you'll find, given your vague description.

If you'd like his phone #, PM me.

Not another B-17 Why not spending those funds on something that is less common. We have plenty of B-17's already. A Liberator would be more suitable, and I am not even mentioning the British or German (Heinkel 177 in the Bodensee).

Just my two cents that is

Cees

Cees said,
"Why not spend funds on something less common?"

Might I suggest, that we cannot pick the favorable conditions which
present themselves tailored to our needs? We are faced with best
circumstances...and we attempt to act within our means.

I might search for a particular BV-222 , but if I am faced with a B-17
I can reach out and grab...will I pass on the B-17 because I wasn't looking
for it?

I'm a bit of a harlot...I'll take whatever the trade bares!

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

The company that recovered the B-17 for Mr. Brooks was UnderWater Admiralty Services, Kikland, Washington 98034. www.uasi.org. Contact Robert Mestor at 253-370-6980.

That's "Kirkland"

Hi,
Check out our web site, and if you have any questions, contact me direct.

www.deeptrek.net