I Hate To Ask, But Swamp Ghost....?

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

David J Burke wrote:

That makes me wonder did they actually view the swamp as a good place to keep her for 30 plus years ? Or could it be that a Flying Fortress is now worth a lot more money in flying condition than it was in 1972?

Wasn't someone in this thread making exactly that point? :roll:

P-39s recovered in the 1970s are only now valuable enough to restore to airworthy condition. I'm not sure I understand your point. If I bought a P-51 in 1972 and stored it until now, certainly it would be worth more money- even if I left it outside all that time.

David J Burke wrote:

...how many U.S pilots flew the Dornier Do335 or for that matter the Arado jet? I don't just relate this to the U.S - I would be the first to argue that the unique Me410 belongs back in Germany instead of the U.K.

I would be the last to argue that. They surrendered all that equipment when they lost the war. Should Vietnam return all the aircraft the US abandoned after that war?

David J Burke wrote:

I think it's more than a little naieve for people to believe that there is no interest in these machines outside the U.S.

Apparently not enough interest to do anything about it or it would have already happened. In the case of PNG they can't even fund a building to house anything the size of a B-17. When they can then they can buy one. It appears that they already sold SG.

David J Burke wrote:

PNG certainly doesn't have a great record in preserving machines - you do have to wonder though in which way the various interests who have removed aircraft from the country have tried to encourage or indeed assist preservation in any way in the country.

If PNG isn't interested, why should anyone else be? Why is it anyone else's responsibility? I'm sure PNG appreciates you lobbying on their behalf however. That is very socially conscious of you!

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:15 pm

some forgotten info on swamp ghost.......
1. tallichette went to new guinea in the early 70's for the recoveries. he was granted recovery rights for both swamp ghost & the black cat pass bird. he still has documentation from that trip.

2. mr t payed for the rights to do the recoveries of 225 different aircraft. he has the legal info on this aspect too.

3. in 1984 when travis afb tried to get the aircraft they talked to mr t about his ownership of the ghost & he was willing to trade it for other stuff from the usaf museum.

the upshot of the entire mess is that certain high profile people & a high profile aviation history group associated with the ghost stuck their noses into personal projects that already received the nod of approval from the papua new guinea government.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Wed Dec 20, 2006 10:04 pm

I think she would be better off out of the friggin' water no matter where it went. I have seen first hand what water can do to a B-17. I don't care what kind of water she is sitting in, it needs to get out of there. The message is, if the people pf PNG cared about it, it would have been moved. At this point it would be in better shape in Iraq, at least it wouldn't be subject to the corrosion it is there. I don't care where it goes, just so it is saved and preserved. SItting in mud is neither. This aircraft would hold more value to the U.S. becasue it was Americans that flew it for the most part. If it was a Spitfire, then I woould say send it to England, and an ME-109 to Germany, and so on.

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I Hate To Ask, But Swamp Ghost....?

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