Anyone for a brand new crated Spitfire?

[Otter]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17710598

 

[Phantomfixer]

Otter, you beat me to the punch!!! but how about a great story. We all heard about 50.00 jeeps in a crate after the war.. These really are Spits in a crate, buried for 65 years but hey maybe the Brits made the crates water tight????
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...in-Burma-during-war-to-be-returned-to-UK.html
John

 

[PADDY]

Interesting story.

 

[Otter]

If it is delivered for $50 I might take one of those!

I suspect that there might not be a lot left of the Spits after all this time in tropical conditions, but you just never know.

 

[John in Covina]

New, unused and unassembled! These would be quite a find. There was a story years ago that one of the catalog stores perhaps Sears or maybe Hudson Bay up in Canada had gone thru an ols warehouse and found some brand new, unused, unassebled in crates Model T Fords. They were speciallly design to be put together using minimal tools, nuts and bolts were limited to just a few specific sizes. I recall the auction reach some really high $$$ amounts.

 

[Spitfire]

I would be perfectly happy with a spade grip.

 

[Phantomfixer]

I would be perfectly happy with a spade grip.

Agreed Spitfire, fingers crossed

 

[Edward]

New, unused and unassembled! These would be quite a find. There was a story years ago that one of the catalog stores perhaps Sears or maybe Hudson Bay up in Canada had gone thru an ols warehouse and found some brand new, unused, unassebled in crates Model T Fords. They were speciallly design to be put together using minimal tools, nuts and bolts were limited to just a few specific sizes. I recall the auction reach some really high $$$ amounts.

Really clever piece of design: The shipping crates, once unpacked, were used for the wooden floors of the finished cars.

 

[Buggnkat]

If the crates were the same ones they loaded them onto the ships, they are wrapped internally and sealed. Usually aircraft being shipped overseas were cocooned in a wrap material then crated. As long as they werent buried in a swamp, they may be in still very good conditions.

 

[Stearmen]

Having worked on to many old British motorcycles, I have low expectations on the Spitfires being preserved in water tight containers. Anyone up for Magnesium rivet soup!

 

[Buggnkat]

Never said "water tight" just they were wrapped and preserved for the trip overseas. In THAT condition, they are better protected than just burying the ship sans protection.

Having shipped MANY aircraft and being on the other side removing them from shipment, they can hold up pretty good. Now that isnt burying them for 60+ years agreed but that is what is going to make it a better raise and restore than taking one off the ocean floor. The dirt will act as an insulator controlling damages of time. I am sure the crates are all but gone, and the tar paper is going, so getting them up and checking them now.

I was part of an experiment for the Army in the 80s where we took a UH-1 and AH-1 and buried them. A year later we dug them and and returned them to service. Our group used the sandy loamy soil of North Carolina, another group did the desert. After cleaning and reservicing the major systems we were surprised to note that for the most part the ships were in pretty good condition. That was only one year, and with little preservation, but soil conditions were pretty similar to where the Spits are buried. I would still love to see their conditions. I suspect they are rough but rebuildable.

 

[Stearmen]

I just notice they said they buried them to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. That does not sound good for a propper preservation job. Will be interesting to see, but I can't help thinking of the Greenland P-38s, just need to dig them out, lower the gear, put fuel and oil in, and away we go!

 

[cookie]

http://www.smh.com.au/world/burmese...was-burying-the-spitfires-20120415-1x1kn.html

 

[DesertDan]

I was reading about this elsewhere, amazing story! I'll keep my fingers crossed hoping for the best.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Sounds like the homework has been done. "pretty good shape " is very relative term in this case. I would think he is looking for financial backing and would not say the Spits are "rusting away" to future investors....
But the possiblities....be nice if a sealed crate of flight jackets were in each crate. All size 44..
JZ

 

[MisterCairo]

I'll take the lot, condition no barrier!

 

[Treetopflyer]

It's going to be interesting to see how they look. Anyone know when they are to be unearthed?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

It's going to be interesting to see how they look. Anyone know when they are to be unearthed?

Hopefully not like this Iraqi MiG 25 that was found buried in the sand by US troops a few years ago.

 

[Phantomfixer]

ah yes the one and only WMD but still I would love to dig up an airplane next time I go to the beach....

 

[Stearmen]

I would definitely be thrilled if the Spitfires were in that condition! Not holding my breath.