I was thinking the same thing, “What kind of wrecks found and from when?” just didn’t say anything for fear of being flamed for meing insensitive! That area out there is indeed miles and miles of miles and miles. Probably very hard to comprehend when most of us live in high density areas.

Here in Florida, though densly packed along the coast, there are huge areas inland that missing aircraft just pop up in from time to time. After a fire in the Everglades a few years back, a crashed Navy Avenger showed up. No not from flight 19! Not in pristine condition either, rather wrecked. Makes me wonder how many are in MY Backyard!

Had a chat with one of the fellows (a former F16 pilot, now flying “heavies” for United) that helped save our local airport. He suggested this link to the organization they formed to save the airport. It has been saved and money has appeared to make it better serve the community. Here is the link.

http://www.awaps.org/awaps/reasons/mainreasons.asp

RF769
We nearly lost our little “OLD” airfield a few years ago. The City council was looking to close it down and make it half park and half condos. A group formed up to save the airfield.

They did a big public relations camgaign to show the value, utility and history of the airfield as well as the economic benifits and jobs that the field bring to the community.

I know one of the leaders of that “Action Group”. If you like, I could see if I could get some of their campaign information and tactics from him that help to save our field. It may help save yours.

Chris

Pensacola Naval Air Station, Est 1913. Home of the Blue Angels.

Or perhaps Pearson Air Field, Vancouver, Washington, from 1905, but that started with balloon flight…but it is still in operation.

Very brief production run. F-15, when F stood for Photo……rather funny if you ask me.

The F-15 Reporter was a photographic reconnaissance version of the P-61 Black Widow. In the summer of 1945, the last XP-61E was modified as an unarmed photographic reconnaissance aircraft. All the guns were removed, and a new nose was fitted, capable of holding an assortment of aerial cameras. The aircraft was redesignated XF-15 (in the pre-1948 F-for photo recon series, not to be confused with the post-1948 F-for-fighter series). It flew for the first time on July 3, 1945. Even before the first flight of the XF-15, the USAAF had shown enough interest in the recon version of the Black Widow that in June of 1945 they ordered 175 production F-15As. These were given the popular name “Reporter”. The F-15A was basically the P-61C with the new bubble-canopy fuselage and the camera-carrying nose. The fighter brakes on the wing were eliminated. The first production F-15A-1-NO was accepted in September 1946. However, the contract was abruptly canceled in 1947, possibly because the performance of the Reporter was rapidly being overshadowed by jets. Only 36 F-15As were accepted before the contract was cancelled. (This information is from the Joe Baugher website.)

If it is the Red Bull aircraft, it is VERY pretty. Totally redone to better than brand new. Here is Red Bull’s Official link to it.

http://www.flyingbulls.at/start_skiped_e.html

Try this link

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/43/a3089243.shtml

2 American b-26s crashed at that place and time. Should be what you are looking for.

Googled it, Gillingham kent bomber crash

Easy find.

Info like this?

from http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/mostpopular.var.1560408.mostviewed.war_plane_recovered_at_pawlett_after_65_years.php

ALMOST exactly 65 years after a World War Two plane crashed at Pawlett, killing its crew, the aircraft has been recovered – thanks to a ten-year labour of love by a Somerset man.

Plane enthusiast Tim Hake confesses to being “obsessed” with aviation archaeology, finding, researching and sometimes recovering aircraft from war-time crash sites.

He is part of a group called Somerset Aviation Enthusiasts, and in 1996 he and Highbridge historian Colin Parish set out to locate and recover a Bristol Blenheim bomber thought to have crashed at Pawlett Hams.

Tim told the Mercury: “Luckily, Colin’s father knew exactly where the location was and it was duly logged.

“We located the joint landowners living not far from me, so permission was asked to do a dig.

“To cut a long story short, there then followed 10 years of research – blood, sweat and tears – until last Saturday when the recovery took place.”

Tim’s research has provided him with a full history of the aircraft, the crash report, and pictures of the crew who perished when the plane went down on July 5, 1942.

Tim said: “It was as close to the 65th anniversary as we could manage. The recovery involved friends from Germany and all around the UK.

“Much material was recovered from a very large hole. We are now starting to clean and catalogue parts. It is hoped that some material can be exhibited in a local museum.

“It is also hoped that some form of memorial can be placed near the site. It would be a fitting tribute to three young men who gave their all, only to die in tragic circumstances in our county.”

You can see details of the tragic crew and the plane’s final journey in Tuesday’s Mercury.