Right:

It definitely didn’t fly.

The ‘boarding’ shot was done on land with one engine running. The foreground water was in a ‘pond’ built around the quay (parts of which ‘hid’ the beaching gear) and the background was a ‘matt painting’.

Well there you go.

WA$.

Wasn’t this the one seen (briefly) in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’?

WA$.

It depends on how modern the aircraft is. The MOD would remove any ‘sensitive’ items such as avionics that were ‘classified’ and manufacturers may wish to protect their ‘intellectual property’.

For example the recently retired Sea Harriers had their radars removed.

I think there is a camera displayed with the SR71 at Duxford but I’m sure it’s older obsolete technology.

Of course any dangerous items should be removed – ejection seat pyrotechnics, canopy detonation cords, avionics demolition devices (where fitted) and cable cutters (on older aircraft).

WA$.

There is footage (on that same website) showing a dummy Upkeep hitting the water – the resulting plume hitting and damaging the tail of the Lancaster that dropped it, although according to the notes on the film the crew got home.

Yes, I knew of this incident (but didn’t know it happened twice).

I’m certain no Lancaster (or Wellington) was lost during trials with Upkeep…

…but the A-26 is a mystery to me.

Apart from seeing this footage I’ve never heard any mention of it.

Was it a USAAF trial with Highball?

WA$.

What are the options?

Can I add my voice as one who has purchased recovered aviation relics but has never taken part in any dig.

As some have pointed out there is simply no way that every recovered relic could be conserved or displayed and very few museum visitors would benefit from seeing them in an un-restored state even if it were possible.

So that leaves four choices as I see it:

1) Don’t dig up anything.
2) Dig up a few things and keep everything.
3) Dig up a lot of things and then destroy most of what is dug up.
4) Dig up a lot of things and then sell what would otherwise have been destroyed.

I think it should be regulated (by the MOD) but (1) is not an option for me.

I’m sure many would go for option (2) as long as it was them that was allowed to dig to the exclusion of everybody else but the problems of storage and conservation would soon bring a halt to their activities.

I suspect that a mix of (3) and (4) is the current situation…and I would rather see (4) than (3).

The treatment of all crash sites should be respectful especially where any possibility of uncovering human remains exists.

I would also echo the sentiments that selling the personal effects of deceased aircrew recovered from the site is extremely distasteful at best and abhorrent if that is the motive for the dig.

I do not and would not buy such personal items.

WA$.

Just exactly where was this Gannet supposed to operate from…

…the South Atlantic…in May! 😮

A lot of Royal Navy warships and auxiliaries were damaged by the heavy seas!

WA$.

The de Havilland brothers (and their father).

I’m ashamed to say I can’t remember their names (apart from Geoffrey).

WA$.