Don’t forget the unexpected Kittyhawk that they are chasing after as well. That is probably their priority right now.

Well that’s one way of displaying a P-47……

The P-40 will have undoubtedly triggered interest, but let’s not forget that it was found 200 miles away from the nearest town in a country rife with civil unrest. I think the Sahara will hang on to its secrets for a while longer yet…

IF they are serious about looking for human remains and IF they find any then the pilot will be confirmed that way, instead of identifying the airframe. If it was definitely Copping then surely someone will have confirmed it by now?

Yes, the RAFM do have their hands full at the minute. Maybe they could use the local smuggling route that’s been mentioned…

Yes, the RAFM is already full of scrap but this P40 is worth preserving in ‘as found’ condition. People have this obsession with making things that flew 70 years fly again but that doesn’t always work out and there are plenty of flying P40s out there already. If you made this P40 fly you would lose its story, and do great discredit to the pilot, whoever he turns out to be. I hope the most drastic thing they do is repaint it in its original markings.

Yes, I agree it should be left alone though perhaps replace the vandalised perspex panels. I sincerely hope they won’t do what they are doing with the Hampden or what the IWM did with the 109 and do a ‘half and half’. I hope they use the photos that are available and display it as it was genuinely found, and indeed left, by the poor pilot.

If the RAFM does successfully acquire it, it will be interesting to see what they do with it.