More pictures…. (and possibly the longest link title ever)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2203219/Found-70-years-Divers-discover-wreckage-Second-World-War-Giant-German-transport-plane-shot-British-fighter-flying-base-Sardinia.html

That’s fabulous!

And what a contrast Raymond Baxter makes to the modern 24-hour-rolling news-rentagobs too: A commentator who so obviously knows his stuff inside out and is loving every second of the action.

…but they did spot a bit of coral that looked exactly as if a 1930’s twin engined aircraft had once floated past it.

Fundraising for the expedition to investigate it further has already begun….

The mighty English Russia had a few more pics and some basic details

http://englishrussia.com/2012/06/22/war-finding-in-the-lake/#more-103588

A site well worth keeping an eye on BTW – they often have old aviation -related stories… among much other bizarre tat

Yep – And not just Yeager: Crossfield, Engle, Bill Dana and many more of the famous names from that period at Edwards. Among other things, it was a chase plane for the X15 programme. I think there is a list of pilot names on the car somewhere.

I’ve been following their project from the start: I love the spirit and dedication – but they’ve had the car running for about seven years now and I don’t think they’ve got much above 300 mph: with lots of problems and bad luck along the way. I believe there’s more test runs tentatively pencilled in for the Spring – so hopefully things will come together for them.

It is a seriously edgy project though. Can’t remember where I read it but someone once wrote that “the only way that thing will break the soundbarrier will be end-over-end in a ball of flame.” And you do wonder…

Hope no one’s trying to flog it on ebay as their own… I think it comes from this source

http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/2179070073/

It’s been discussed before: but there’s some truly amazing photographs in it from the 30’s and 40’s, aviation related and otherwise.

(….best not look unless you’ve the whole day free though…..)

I think the most likely outcome is just what you say – he’s still wrapped up in the remains of the chute, at the bottom of a ravine or something. I believe the area got a fair bit of ash deposit from Mount St Helen’s a few years later too… so any remains could be further buried.

At first glance the money washed up on the river bank obviously supports that too: maybe he landed in the river and drowned, maybe he just lost the money in midair. As always with this story though, there’s a twist; the 5k or so that was recovered was still secured in bundles of 100 notes, just as it had been given to Cooper: apart from one bundle which had had about $200 missing. So maybe… just maybe….