Goodwin Sands Do-17 Recovery Starting!

[Wildchild]

At the German Technical Museum in Berlin, they have considerable experience of raising WWII planes from water. The museum's Prof Holger Steinle showed me the aluminium tail section of a Focke Wulf Condor. It was unrecognisable, badly eaten away, and held together largely by the limpets and barnacles attached to it.

Dorniers too, he says, were made of aluminium, which corrodes badly in sea water. He warns his colleagues in Britain not to expect too much. "In 20, 30 years you will find nothing from that Dornier. So try it. But you should not be highly optimistic. Do it, but don't start dreaming too early."

Do the germans know what fresh water and lemon juice is?

[redvanner]

.........
Do the germans know what fresh water and lemon juice is?

Refreshing when you drink it on ice.

Sorry, I could not resist.

But to answer your question: Yes, I do think so. Dr. Steinle is far from being a dumbass.

Michael

[davidwomacks]

Are there any pics of the wreck and it must be in a decent state if the tires are still inflated

[Dan Jones]

And where is TIGHAR in all of this?!?

(Sorry, but somebody had to say it!)

[B-29 Super Fort]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C75adowLzEQ

[bdk]

Maybe the USN can give them some pointers...

[Pat Carry]

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.

[Chris Brame]

They're doing beautiful work on that Condor. I get the idea from the links that they are using the remains of a Luftwaffe plane to reconstruct a civilian airliner version. Wonder if there was any argument about that from the warbird community in Europe?

[Tom H]

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

[Mark Allen M]

They have their poop in a group.Tom H

Sounds like 'They' also have a poop load of $$$$ for a process of that proportion. Good for them and best of luck. Interesting endeavor indeed.