880squadronNoise over Norfolk
I thought Lakenheath was in Suffolk !
Being in Norfolk myself, I enjoy hearing and sometimes even seeing aircraft over where I live. I have seen Harriers, F15s, F17s, F18s, Chinooks, some 4 engined American transport plane over Fiveways doing circuits (707?), low flying Hercules, The Red Arrows, and even the heard the beautiful sound of 4 RR Merlins on 3 separate occasions.
When the bombing of Libya started, Saturday mornings became a tad noisy (Typhoons from Marsham?).
Last weekend I saw a biplane, and there is even a Fokker Triplane sometimes spotted. Occasionally I see a lone microlite, and I have even seen two paragliders with back-pack fans at about 100ft.
Long may my quiet life in Norfolk be occasionally interrupted.
880squadronUp in Norfolk, the crocuses are just appearing, the daffodils are hiding, and just having driven back from the pub, I can see through all the hedges in daylight for the first time. They are normally covered in leaves, but all the hedges and trees are still bald.
I wonder how much this long cold spell will affect the farmers with their crops.
880squadronUp in Norfolk, the crocuses are just appearing, the daffodils are hiding, and just having driven back from the pub, I can see through all the hedges in daylight for the first time. They are normally covered in leaves, but all the hedges and trees are still bald.
I wonder how much this long cold spell will affect the farmers with their crops.
880squadronI can’t see a MiG 21 worrying many nations’ airforces.
At least it isn’t a biplane.
I wonder if they are negotiating with Standard or Brocks for the supply of rockets.
880squadronI believe nuclear weapons are probably classed as air power (they are due to be rocket launched due East across the Pacific). :-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21995224
I fear the combination of a collection of complete nut-case generals trying to rattle sabres and create an impression internally, and a nuclear arsenal, is a mixture that is potentially extremely dangerous.
There is a similar situation in Iran, which appears not quite as far advanced, and that is scaring the sh*t out of Israel. Top Iranian nuclear scientists keep conveniently (for Israel) disappearing.
How long before a dark hand starts intervening in N Korea to try to stop a nuclear holocaust?
880squadronI must be very naive, but who do Algeria class as their enemy, against which all this expensive kit is needed to defend itself?
Judging by recent events, the biggest threat to the Algerian government might come from within. I cannot see either Morocco or Tunisia wanting to take any military action against Algeria, with or without these planes. France and Spain are the nearest countries on the Northern edge, and Libya, Niger, Mauritania, and Western Sahara are the southern neighbours.
Any ideas?
880squadronI hope it ends with many more flying Spitfires being restored from the preserved remains recovered from the Burmese pits. To see a whole squadron of near identical Spitfires flying at Duxford, will be a fitting conclusion.
880squadronI hear Cuba are interested in buying whatever is found in the packing cases. The Cuban Air Force say they have the expertise to repair the Spitfires using Budweiser cans for repairing the wings and fuselage, and they can fit two Lada engines into the nose to give around 100BHP at sea level.
Meanwhile India have put in a bid for the packing cases as they can whittle the wood into souvenir model Spitfires in three days at £10.00 a dozen, with further discount for orders over 100.
Easter Islanders are interested in buying the teak logs for carving into Polynesian statues.
Seriously, what exactly is Burma going to do with a load of “seriously in need of” or “an ideal modernisation opportunity” Spitfires. They have no expertise in their renovation, they have no drawings or spares. Far better they sell their share of what is found, at market price, to those who cherish the aircraft, and have the resources to renovate them to full flying condition.
Keep an eye on eBay to see if they come up for sale soon!
880squadronThis article, published recently, says “this month” which has few days left:-
This is the quote:- “With excavation work due to begin this month, military historians and aviation experts will be asking themselves what, exactly, will Mr Cundall find?”
880squadronIs there actually a date for a dig yet?
It is supposed to be the end of October, and according to my calendar, October is ending very soon.
If Harrison Ford is spotted in Rangoon, game on.
880squadronBuried treasure
Not spitfire related but I have recently been involved in a dig for ex us army vehicles that were supposedly buried in a local field we dug for two days made 40 holes and all we found was a dinky toy.(This was done due to a very popular rumour that a lot of people talked about) Until some one actually shows me these spitfires or a jeep or harley in a crate I will not believe that there is any buried kit in great amounts. With these buried planes it would of taken months to dig a hole that size with the machinery they had back then and if there are so many its even less likely. Even if they had hydralic excavators and an army of dump trucks and people it would of taken weeks. If you work it out how long a spit is and the length of the wings and the size of the crates they were packed in that gives an idea of the size 36 feet of wing 29 feet of fuselage and 6000lbs in weight. No it does not add up. Has any one seen any pictures of them yet?
I understand your doubt, but if you go to Cairo, right next to the Great Pyramids, the Egyptians buried a ship that was used to transport the dead body of one of their dead Pharoahs up and down the Nile as part of his funeral parade. This ship was dismantled and buried (OK it was dry sand, not a Burmese jungle) covered with large wooden logs and sand, to be found 3000+ years later, and rebuilt, and they didn’t have a photo of the jig-saw to work out what it looked like.
The Egyptians did not have JCBs to dig the hole, so it does prove that this method of preserving treasures is possible, using basic digging tools.
880squadronIn the book “They Gave Me a Seafire” by R ‘Mike’ Crosley, he gives an account of how two Seafires landed on USS Essex after running short of fuel following a strike on mainland Japan at the end of the war. Unfortunately both pranged – the Americans used a different landing and batting technique – one floated into the barrier and was later tipped into the sea; the other ripped its hook off and smashed its prop, but its ultimate fate is unknown.
It’s a good book, available in the Airlife Classic series.
Hello YakRider. I have just seen your post. Is there anything you want to know about this incident? The second pilot was my father. I have researched it well.
880squadronWhy weren’t they sold/given to the Indian Air Force ?
Why weren’t they brought home ?Thanks in Anticipation
ST
1) Weren’t we having big independence problems with India straight after WWII? When exactly were they buried? If it were 1946, they might have used them against us.
2) The cost of bringing them home would have been substantial. They were bringing troops and allied POWs home as priority, not surplus to requirements aircraft that had no immediate use. My father told me they were flying pilotless Avengers straight off the back of the aircraft carriers after VJ day, rather than give them back to the US.
880squadronB17 Crash with 11 Crew
The B17 that crashed in my back garden, the “Eager Eagle” had a crew of 11 on board, flying at night. There were 10 American airmen and a British pilot teaching them how to fly at night. Sadly the British pilot was not very good, hitting a Beaufighter over Norwich. The two Beaufighter crew were killed straight away, two side gunners bailed out of the B17 and parachuted to safety, but the other 9, 8 American and 1 British, all died in my back garden. All I find now are brass 50 calibre casings, and lead bullets, and a bit of Perspex. All the rest has corroded.
Maybe there were 11 on board this one, and they were trying to teach 10 Americans how to fly at night.
I would like to put up a commemoration plaque on my wall in memory of the 9 who died. Anyone know any American USAF to contact at Mildenhall or Lakenheath who might be interested in providing the plaque?
880squadronDigging up treasure
1) Why does a Lincolnshire farmer go all the way to Burma to dig up 60 Spitfires when King John’s lost treasure is right on his doorstep in the Wash (and probably worth a lot more)?
2) I do hope Lord Lucan is not spotted in Burma with a pilot’s license, riding Shergar, as my wife dealt with the claim for Shergar and paid out a substantial sum to the owner. She does not want to re-open that file.
3) Wasn’t there a rumour of loads of Hurricans sent in the Russian convoys to help our then allies Russia fight back against Nazi Germany? They were supposed to still be in their boxes as the Russians never threw away anything.
4) When the Spitfires are all dug up, they will be brought back to the UK, a purpose made factory will be made at Duxford to convert them to MkXV Seafires, and due to recent defence cuts, they will replace the Harriers on our carriers.
You couldn’t make it up, could you. Personally I hope they are all brought back to the UK, fully restored, and flown all over the World. I wonder what Tony Robinson is doing for 3 days at the end of October !
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