I found a bunch of strange confetti inside an RA-24B Banshee I was taking apart for rebuild a few years ago. The Banshee (Dauntless) was used by MGM as a wind machine at one time, and we figured that this stuff must have been from those days. We also found an NOS panel, rattling inside the wing section, with no possible way for it have found its way in there other than being sealed up by accident during the original manufacture of the aircraft. There were a number of really bad manufacturing faults on this airframe to be honest, such as rivets shot through the skin attached to absolutely nothing, rivets hit too hard, or not enough, and even the odd smiley face here and there… Makes you wonder if the plane was made on a Monday 😀

Cheers,
Richard

Obviously a photo shop creation.

Not at all… forced perspective from the lens makes things appear a little un-natural like this. I’ve seen lots of photos like this that were perfectly real.

Cheers,
Richard

Hi
No photos found so far, but you never know..
apparently story is RNEC thought the RAF thought it was a helo, hence the old quote ‘we already have one’, so it got burnt.
cheers
Jerry

I guess I can see how that might have happened… what a travesty!

Richard

The turret cuppola looks like the mid-upper from a Lancaster… not sure about the propellor.

Cheers,
Richard

I’m surprised no one has mentioned the Heinkel 111 (CASA) nose grafted on to the ATC tower at Camarenilla in Spain. Shown below is the photo from Mikel Olrog’s fabulous Preserved Axis Aircraft website…

Always wondered why they did this… but it is pretty cool looking!

Cheers,
Richard

Its all I am allowed to post for now. However, the magazine (just published) that xtangomike mentioned has a number of other images of the aircraft.

Discussions are underway for a documentary to be made next year with extensive underwater filming. This will involve working from the ice above and cutting a hole for divers and ROV’s. If it happens, I hope to be there. The conditions are at their optimum (apart from the cold!!) whilst there is ice cover – including being able to take trucks out on the ice – and the biological activity is minimal and visibility at its best.

Fascinating news! I understand you not being able to post any more of course… too bad though. I am interested in the magazine, but it’s not available over here in the US. Any chance you could give me the specific issue it’s in so I can order it?

Cheers,
Richard

PS. Sure hope the documentary comes through… and that somehow these poor airmen can be recovered.

It’s a pile of scrap as it sits there and if put in a museum it’s still a pile of scrap.

Why not make something out of the metal?

Seriously something could be constructed from it i don’t mean melt it down but build a table or a bench & put that in a museum and use it rather than just as it is.

Im sure you can think of a better idea than a table or a bench?

Philistine!!!