Lost squadren of pickled Spitfires found

Anyone else have any info about this ? http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/Lo ... 526-1.html

Saw an news item about that...
English farmer been searching for 15 years...
20 buried when they got nervous about loosing the base...

Here is the story about " Glacier Girl " http://p38assn.org/glacier-girl.htm

I saw a later version of the Spitfire equipped with the Griffon engine at the WWII re-enactment at the Reading Air Field. It made a low flying camera op pass and at the end of the fly by "poured on the coal".At that point the Spitfire pulled back on the stick and went straight up.In the service I have seen jets do that but this was a first for me to see a piston driven aircraft do it.The Spitfire was the salvation of England during the Blitz and time cannot diminish its performance,engineering or beauty. Mike

Hey Mike, from Cheltenham going to Willow Grove Park, I always enjoyed going past Willow Grove Naval Air Station & looking at the old WWII planes??? they had sitting there. Do they still have them??

freetown fred wrote:Hey Mike, from Cheltenham going to Willow Grove Park, I always enjoyed going past Willow Grove Naval Air Station & looking at the old WWII planes??? they had sitting there. Do they still have them??

Yes air base is closed but the museum and planes are still there.


Eric

My father was an engineer for the Merchant Marines before and during Vietnam. At the war's end, they would load up the ship with military equipment, sometimes brand new, and dump the material into the ocean. He said the South China sea is paved with American blood, guts and Jeeps.

My Dad was a "Purple Heart Veteran" from the 6Th Marine Division on Okinawa. He said the ships where dumping batteries into the ocean by the carload,on the way home. It his memory "rest in peace" but I remember him telling this story because it must of mean't something to him at the time. I still miss him, and respect what he went through.

My thanx to your Dad my friend--RIP My Uncle was also on Okinawa at the height of it all with the 6th. Double RIP

Fred, As mentioned Willow Grove naval air station is closed as you and I have known it.I have not been by it for a while but I understand some of the WWII aircraft have been taken to a museum in Florida.Thinking back as a young kid we would take Sunday car rides and often end up at the fence opposite the WWII aircraft. My father was fascinated with the ME-262 German jet.He stared at it a lot.He said little. I asked him,Dad what is so special about that pointy looking plane? He said ,what is so fascinating is that it is not moving and better yet,it is not trying to kill me.Dad flew B24's. As I later learned, the 262's were big big trouble for the bomber crews. Mike

Looks like the # of Spitfires has grown. http://www.gadling.com/2012/10/27/lost- ... ar-jungle/

How mint is that!! What historical pieces those are. Save a few for a museum, and the rest go through them & take to the skies again. AWESOME!

Was an airshow up at the Worcester Airport (ORH) a month or so ago. A few vintage bombers & Mustangs flew over the house here at the end of the day. If I had a phone that was worth 2 shits I'd have had priceless video .... but instead I have just the memory that I can't share as well as pictures or video can.

You'd think in the year 2012 someone could make an electronic device work ON friggin' DEMAND, instead of waiting 30 seconds for some gremlins to do their dirty work inside said device before it begins to film ...

What a find! That there is some serious treasure. Wonder how he ever got permission from the Myanmar gov to go exploring? They've been sort of "closed off" or heavily santioned ever since the Military Junta in the early 60's. I guess maybe around 2000, it's begun to lighten up a bit since they allowed elections?

Just stunning. Today a student that is trying for his private pilot license in a 150HP plane takes about 25 hours to solo and 60 hrs for his license. The Cessna (whatever) he is qualified for is a total p**uss^^y cat compared to these 2000HP spitfire animals (also the US P51). These WW11 (US/UK) guys were solo in 25 hrs and combat fighting at under 100hrs. Of course, that is why the life expectancy was about 2 weeks. They often took off in English fog, no instruments and fought a sky full of seasoned Luftwaffe fliers but the Germans did not have the Merlin powering them. 45 mins and they were done but that was enough, you can do a lot of damage in that time.