Any P-40 experts care to comment on this image?

[Mark Allen M]

Could someone on here who has a youtube account contact the guy who uploaded both of those video's and tell him what to do with the airplane?!?!?!!?!?

Already done! don't hold your breathe though. I think he already knows what he found.

[Tony]

All in all, an incredible find, and probably preserved by being entombed in sand, and being in one of the emptiest places in North Africa helped. I doubt it will be the last airframe found in that part of the world though. So many missing aircraft in action, and on the Takoradi trail, someone is bound to fall over another one soon.

[Shay]

Has anyone considered the possiblilty that this Kittyhawk may already be in the throws of being recovered and that is what we are witnessing? I only consider this because at 1 min 1sec in the 2nd vid, the gentleman on the right seems to me to not be Islamic, appears to be of caucasian decent and is seen elsewhere in the vid documenting the removal of the munitions. Perhaps he's just a tourist. I hope she is being recovered.

Imagine what stories she'd tell if she could. Here's praying for the best outcome for her pilot.

Shay
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Semper Fortis

Last edited by Shay on Sun Apr 22, 2012 8:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Dan Johnson II]

Scares me to death that it will soon be 40,000 different pieces offered up for sale on E-bay.

What a terrible loss of a time capsule if someone doesn't get in there fast.

[bdk]

Already done! don't hold your breathe though. I think he already knows what he found.

You mean the Spitfire referred to in the video title?

[JDK]

Here is another video...noooooooooo....looks likes she is being mistreated....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFe8CsOdoG8&feature=relmfu

This is the same video Mike linked to originally. So far we only have two videos from one source.

[Mark Allen M]

Already done! don't hold your breathe though. I think he already knows what he found.

You mean the Spitfire referred to in the video title?

I mean the scrap metal he already knows he found. And the fact he probably already knows what he can get for it. But look on the bright side, if he thinks it's a Spitfire maybe he also thinks it's worth more than scrap metal.

[Ashley Briggs]

A fantastic find great to see that it's recent. Looking at the videos the vehicles appear to be different suggesting different expeditions. Let's hope the fact that it's appeared on the net that it's already been recovered and is safe from looters. And hopefully will end up in a museum conserved, but that will be up to the people involved.
Cheers,
Ash.

[Shay]

Something to think about. This may very well be the only remaining Warhawk/Kittyhawk that wore a sharksmouth "originally".

Shay
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Semper Fortis

[Jollygreenslugg]

The best hope for it is if those in control think they can make more money by keeping it intact. If the videos are from March 2012, then a month has already elapsed. If those who have access to it are aware of its value, then action may already have been taken. The fatalist in me says that if it's going to be dissected for souvenirs and bazaar sales, it has probably already happened.

I'm sure all will be revealed soon enough. Is there an eBay Egypt?

Cheers,
Matt

[Dan Jones]

The ring for the gunsight, visible in the first video is now missing in the second. The clot climbing all over it either kicked it off or it's been souveneired. I think you'll see this rapidly become "Lady Be Good II" and stripped and destroyed. What a shame...

[Jollygreenslugg]

G'day folks,

Thinking further about the fact that the video footage is at least a month old, the possibility exists that there may have been a deliberate choice not to release it until now. My best-case scenario is that the machine has been moved, and the footage is being released in dribs and drabs to generate interest.

It's easy to dismiss the locals as 'camel riding fools' or such, but one may be surprised at just how savvy they may be. It isn't hard to work out how to make a buck, and people in a country where rich foreigners come to look for oil or other 'booty' wouldn't have to think too hard to know that a P-40 is a valuable item. The fact that the team on site had at least cameras or camera-phones would imply that they're used to worldwide electronic communication.

Ninety years ago, cluey Egyptians realised that mummies were valuable, and a trade developed. Who's to say that such people don't know that an aeroplane wreck isn't more than it'd appear?

And as it is, who's to say that the people who live there shouldn't profit from such a find? It's easy to have a condescending attitude that we're dealing with camel jockeys who don't know squat. Seventy years ago, a bunch of Europeans (and people with European lineage) fought in their countries. We left junk behind. It's not up to us to tell them what they're 'obliged' to do.

I can almost picture a savvy group of locals, sitting back and watching the frenzy, as they wait for the bidding to begin. The world is too well-connected via modern technology for anyone to 'put one over' them now.

But having said that, I'm open to correction. I'd still keep an eye on the local bazaars and eBay Egypt!

Cheers,
Matt

[Steve Nelson]

I don't have a problem with the Egyptians making a buck or two off the plane..considering how many of their ancient artifacts were looted by Europeans in the 19th and early 20th centuries. My only concern is that the aircraft atays in one piece, and finds its way to a museum. My personal preferance would be to see her displayed "as-is" in a diorama setting. Certainly the aircraft is restorable, but to me it has more value as a historical artifact. As warbirds go, we already have a fairly healthy population of restored, flying P-40s (and more in the pipeline.) I don't think setting one completely original combat veteran aside is too much to ask.

One of the biggest questions I have at the moment is the fate of the pilot. There's been no mention, pics or video of remains at the crash site, and if the cockpit is "unoccupied" and the caonpy closed, that would lead me to belive the pilot survived and got out of the aircraft, shutting the door behind him so to speak. The question is, was he rescued, or did he simply disappear into the desert?

SN

[Sutts]

Some thoughts on the 2 videos......


The big guy at the end of vid 2 is the rich guy, the boss. My guess is he is associated with the oil drilling operation. From the look of him I think his interest extends to more than a few ebay sales.

The guy with the hood and his arm around the big guy is possibly AWOT's friend, the oil explorer who made the discovery and reported the find to someone - possibly the big guy.

Most of the guys in the 1st vid are wearing the same trousers with a stripe - employees of the big guy and have been tasked to move the aircraft.

The recovery is officially sanctioned - based on the army removing the ammo.

The guy on the wing at the end of the 2nd vid is removing a wing root access panel - this isn't souveniring behaviour - it suggests to me that they are trying to remove the wings the proper way.

The gunsight removal may be souveniring or could be an attempt to remove items that may be damaged in the recovery / lifting operation. In almost all recoveries from far off places things go missing - the 110s/Stuka/Fw190 from Russia all suffered in some way so a few pieces may well go astray.

The deep slash in front of the windscreen is new and quite worrying - why do such a thing and what tool would make such a mark with outward facing tears?

They have already made an attempt to remove the rudder (top hinge disconnected) and possibly the left elevator (access panel open).

From all this I think we have a guy in charge who knows the value of what he has. He is wealthy and has a team who work for him. I think the videos show the start of the dismantling process and these have been put out there to generate interest.

This may be an overly positive view but I hope I'm right. I do hope AWOT can get back to us with a real assessment of the future of this bird.

[JDK]

Very acute post, Sutts.

They have already made an attempt to remove the rudder (top hinge disconnected) and possibly the left elevator (access panel open).

Agree with the rest, but the P-40 rudder at a high (ground) angle of deflection often looks 'broken' / disconnected anyway. Think that's it.

Regards,