Please let them find these Spitfires!
 

First off no nacyboys comments in this thread. Thread is for guys that pee standing up.

BBC News - Spitfires in Burma 'could be found'

It seems that during WWII some British military man decided to prevent 20 Spitfires NEW in the crate from being lost to the enemy. He buried them in their crates in Burma.

Fingers crossed!

Great news...........
 

for warbird fans! Finding that many restoreable Spits would be a great boon to both the warbird industry and to history! R J Mitchell's baby lives on!

That would be an amazing find. I hope they find them!

Where does one sign up to go help dig?

Talk about buried treasure. That is awesome.

After being buried in crate for half a century, will there actually be any plane left?

Not to be negative Nancy - just asking.

angela

That story has been around a long time. They supposedly are under a runway.

The serial #'s and a great story!

Jim-hope this is true! These stories pop up from time to time and usually don't pan out. I had a guy call me probably 25 years ago. He was swinging a deal on some Corsairs in a South American country. Would I be interested in going down and helping get them airworthy and fly one back. Yea, I'll go. After some more calls I didn't hear further. Hopefully this will be different.

That would be so cool if they found them, although I fear they would be in worse condition than that car that was sealed in a vault for 50 years. However, being Spitfires, restoring them would be a worthy cause.

They have found them.

Spitfires buried in Burma during war to be returned to UK - Telegraph

It will be interesting in seeing how they faired being underground all these years.

Remember "Glacier Girl"? The P38 that was buried under nearly 300' of ice in Greenland. I always thought it would look like a crushed beer can with all that weight on it but it was restored using 80% of the original materials.

Glacier Girl - The Lost Squadron (Recovery of a P-38 from beneath a Greenland ice cap)

That is some serious timecapsule stuff!

Really freaking awesome!

Back then everything was wrapped in or covered in cosmoline.

Another article below. I would love to go help!

British farmer’s quest to find lost Spitfires in Burma - Telegraph

This is going to be an amazing project. I can't wait to see pictures of them in their "as found" condition.

If they are found they should be in very good condition.

Great story - now if we can get them running - we can use them on our new aircraft carriers that are being built!!!!
Almost perfect solution.

I hope they keep ONE as found.

told ya....under a runway..

Burmese treasure: 'We've done some pretty silly things but the silliest was burying the Spitfires'
Adam Lusher
April 16, 2012
Read more: Burmese treasure: 'We've done some pretty silly things but the silliest was burying the Spitfires'
Burmese treasure: 'We've done some pretty silly things but the silliest was burying the Spitfires'
http://images.smh.com.au/2012/04/15/...20ld-420x0.jpg


British farmer’s quest to find lost Spitfires in Burma
By Adam Lusher7:50AM BST 15 Apr 2012
British farmer’s quest to find lost Spitfires in Burma - Telegraph
Click on link:
British farmer’s quest to find lost Spitfires in Burma - Telegraph
Image 3 of 3
Spitfire being prepared for burial in Burma Photo: Sean Spencer

Really exciting stuff. 1945- these will later Mark aeroplanes, but regardless- I say it every time a Spitfire thread comes along- the Spitfire is, IMHO, the most elegant machine ever penned. Certainly one that continues to capture the imagination all these years on.

Considering that they were brand new and packaged to survive a trip to Burma, I would think there's a good chance that they are very restorable. The engines were likely pickled and the airframe packaged to protect against dirt and corrosion. I would LOVE to see their condition when uncovered.

I'll take dibs on one.

To your credit you give credit to a British aircraft but don't forget the Mustang was a formidable aircraft during WW11 especially with the long range tanks so that they could escort the bombers and penetrate deep in the heart of Germany. Anything preserved from WW11 is a great reminder of what went on. Lest we forget.

Spitfire vs P51
 

Both were great airplanes, each in their own way. And, while the P51 has a justifiable claim to the "best fighter in WWII", no airplane before or since has had the grace and style of the Supermarine Spitfire. Those who flew them in combat had nothing but praises for their capabilities. If I could own just one WWII warbird, the Spitfire would be in the top 2 or 3 on my list!

IIRC the P-51 design was the result of a request by the RAF for new fighter . Also, the P-51 was just an average performer until the RR Merlin engine was installed.

Both great fighters but on grace and style, the Spitfire wins it IMHO anyway.

Kind of an Emma Peel vs Jane Russell thing . . . you know you'd crawl through molten glass for either.

I just read an article on AVWeb that they have in fact found at least 12 of the aircraft.

http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Lost_Spitfire_Squadron_206526-1.html

UFB!! - This is really great stuff and I am not even an aircraft fanatic! Could be one of the best "barn" finds ever. I hope someone is filming a proper docu-drama here??

If politics don't get in the way this should turn out much better than brushing the snow off of some P-38s in Greenland.

I hope some corrupt official doesn't step in after all the grunt work is done and declare the aircraft "Property of Burma".

Yes this is good History Channel material. It would be exciting to watch them unearth them, then put them together and then fly them. It should be good for a series. :)Where do I sign up to be a teamaker?:)

Cool story!!!

Yes they have been located - I saw the article today.

Regarding Spitfire vs. Mustang - I'm in the Spitfire camp. It's such a BEAUTIFUL aircraft plus IMO most symbolic of Britain's valiant fight and victory over Germany in WW II.

http://www.airmuseumsuk.org/airshow/...MKVB%20HAC.jpg

Burma signs deal to dig up buried World War II planes | Fox News


Folks! READ this. there's MORE than the 20 that they said. there's more in the ground than what's flying!

60 Sweet!

60 like 6 and a 0 like FREEKING SIXTY?????????????


holy sheet! well that means at least one will be made flyable. un damn real! what a FIND!


can wait to see what they go for on cheese bay?


i want the model with the "rockets option".

I hope 10 or more are made flyable, otherwise, you might as well just display replicas. Can't wait to hear more about the expedition.

I wonder if current Spitfire owners are concerned about how this'll affect the value of their planes. Kind of like finding an additional fifty Ferrari GTOs stashed in some forgotten warehouse.

Cool story nonetheless...can't wait to see some photos!