The Eagle in the FAAM is a real one, albeit sectioned. It used to be at RNAY Fleetlands on display until the Museum took it back along with everything else they had originally placed on loan from their Wroughton store.
The Gosport dump is well known about – its location, its (supposed) contents and indeed the Royal Engineers some years ago, whilst carrying out some work at HMS Sultan, were asked to scan the area. Their metal detectors went off the scale.
However, and here is the “BUT”…..the area is on the edge of a nature reserve, is heavily overgrown and Gosport Borough Council are unlikely to want to have diggers move in to start tearing the place apart. There would have to be security overnight, insurance for those working on the area, and then there is the thorny issue of who is responsible for the environmental impact of unearthing any aircraft remains – radioactive hazard from old instruments, oil from engines,asbestos etc.
Nice idea though it is, it has been looked at before and deemed too difficult. I wouldn’t go asking FAAM again – they simply haven’t got the resources to conduct any recovery like this.
Thanks for that Lee.
The TF.2 shown looks so bloody tantalising but without knowing exactly what happened to the airframes before they were buried, i.e were they burned or trashed before burial, and all the problems involved with authorities and logistics, i guess your right in thinking that its a dig too far.
Can’t help thinking though that if it were Spits or Lancs instead of Wyverns and Fireflies something more positive would have been done by now.
But as they say, never say never!
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