Bell XFL-1 Found?

[Speeddemon651]

Any coordinates for the wreck just off of Pax ? I'm quite local, have base access and are a diver. The time is now to check it out before the algae bloom takes place.


There were also target planes off of Blossom Point in the Potomac river I believe. Where they were located was very shallow water.

[SaxMan]

The Institute of Maritime History was employed by the Maryland Historical Trust to survey these sites. The IMH's policy is "No Take, No Talk". The MHT tends to be very guarded about the release of specific details out of fear (with more than a fair degree of justification). that the sites would be looted by souvenir hunters.

I guess one could say the motto of the IHM is Loose Lips Damage Sunk Ships.

[Speeddemon651]

The water by pax has a extremely high salt content. If there is a mostly complete fuselage in the water there isn't going to be much left by now. Hypothetically if someone tried to recover it, if its in one piece on the bottom, it might not be by the time it gets to the surface.

The upper potomac depending where is a bit of a different story. It's very brackish and not as corrosive.

[SaxMan]

Rob Rohr and I were able to get a copy of the sidescan sonar imagery. Our conclusion is that this plane is a Grumman F8F Bearcat. The wing profile is unmistakably Grumman and the dimensions and bubble canopy pretty much match the description. Now the question is which F8F is this?

While an F8F is an interesting find, there are definitely far more intriguing planes at the bottom of the bay. Tops on my list is a Martin Baltimore. Considering that there are no surviving examples, locating the Baltimore would be a very historically significant find.

[Chris Brame]

or a pair of B-10s that had a midair collision in the waters off Ocean City. We'll see.

Do you have serials or a date for these? I couldn't find any midair collisions involving B-10s or B-12s in the Baugher list; however accident-report.com lists both B-10Bs 34-82 and 34-112 in accidents on April 4, 1937 in Maryland. Thought that was it but Baugher lists 34-82 as ground looping in Georgia in 1941 (and no info on 34-112).
Over to you, and say hi to the Colonel for me.

[SaxMan]

or a pair of B-10s that had a midair collision in the waters off Ocean City. We'll see.

Do you have serials or a date for these? I couldn't find any midair collisions involving B-10s or B-12s in the Baugher list; however accident-report.com lists both B-10Bs 34-82 and 34-112 in accidents on April 4, 1937 in Maryland. Thought that was it but Baugher lists 34-82 as ground looping in Georgia in 1941 (and no info on 34-112).
Over to you, and say hi to the Colonel for me.

Those are the same serials that I have. The collision was out in the Atlantic 1 mile off Ocean City. I don't think there is much left of either plane from after the collision.