Warbird Information Exchange

Aussie WW1 aviator plane maybe found finally after 70years.

Charles Kingford Smith a WW1 RAAF aviator who died in 1935 in a civil plane crash in Burma area .. the wreckage has been found according to fragment of the Lockheed Lady Southern Cross that a researcher found recently in the ocean.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25 ... 21,00.html

Wow, that is very very exciting if it proves to be true. I sure hope so.

Thanks for bringing it to our knowledge.

Cheers,

David

Gee it would be nice to put this mystery to bed. They did find a wheel assembly in the area and one of the theories was that the plane might have hit the ground and then run off the cliff into the ocean.
Ive been collecting Smithy stuff since I found a large photograph in an old guys shed of the Southern Cross after it landed at Mascot. Over the photo is transposed a picture of each crew member. Underneath each image is their autograph.
I showed this photo to another old aeroplane guy I know and he pulled a first 1928 edition book of the trans pacific flight. Inside the cover was Smithys and Ulms autograph. It took me 2 years to get it off him.
I also have original newspapers from the coffee royal affair.
Another friend of mine has his Grandfathers scrap book.
He lit the fires when he was kid to light the strip when Smithy flew in from his amazing flight. Later Smithy took him for a joy flight and also got his autograph. He spent his life being a pilot. The best bit about the scrap book is the boys drawings of the Southern Cross telling the boys story.
Id like to be there when they raise whats left of his plane.

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aaaaaaaa

As an aside, if they DO raise it, and it IS relatively intact (which would be nothing short of a miracle), that would make it the only existing Lockheed Altair in the world. I truly do hope they can raise VH-USB, if it is indeed the aircraft, and bring Smithy home.

Lynn

Don't hold your breath.

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com