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Author Topic: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara  (Read 13207 times)

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ANDYTOTHED

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #24 on: April 22, 2012, 01:17:52 PM »
they'll clean out those .50s and soon they'll be in the hands of terrorists.
I hate looters like this. This is a crime
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Texx

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #25 on: April 22, 2012, 04:55:03 PM »
Thanks Jarink, for the link.

Unfortunately I think this is it. We are going to loose the plane and the history behind the crash...

Interestingly it made a belly land with most of the ammo and had no sign of bullet holes. Probably went down due to mechanical problems.
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Pursuivant

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #26 on: April 22, 2012, 10:06:08 PM »
My bet is that the folks removing the guns and ammo are Egyptian military. The chances of the ammo and guns getting into the hands of terrorists are slim - even if they work right after 60+ years in the desert. (Notice that the plane is almost completely scoured of paint due to sandstorms - at the very least the guns will need to have their barrels replaced.)

While the Bedouins scavenged a lot of wrecked military after WW2, my guess is that there are a lot of people who will be very interested in retrieving this plane - from the Egyptian government, to various military museums, to private warbird collectors. No chance of this bird getting badly looted.
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CWMV

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #27 on: April 22, 2012, 11:27:15 PM »
Quote from: Pursuivant on April 22, 2012, 10:06:08 PM
My bet is that the folks removing the guns and ammo are Egyptian military. The chances of the ammo and guns getting into the hands of terrorists are slim - even if they work right after 60+ years in the desert. (Notice that the plane is almost completely scoured of paint due to sandstorms - at the very least the guns will need to have their barrels replaced.)

Well that depends on your definition of terrorists...speaking of the egyptian military...
I kid I kid, Joke! :D

But I agree. Whats more is that I don't think terrorists would have a whole lot of use for an old M2. Its the most perfect weapon system in the history of man kind-true (not that I'm fond of it at all) but it is unwieldy.
And I would bet large amounts of cash that with a proper cleaning those .50's work as well as they did in '42. One of the wonderful things about it is how simple and robust it is.
And there is little to nothing on the old girl that blowing sand will damage!
Damn, I miss my Ma Deuce.
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DD_BadAim

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #28 on: April 23, 2012, 07:13:11 AM »
I hope you are right, Mate. It would be nice if those idiot's get shoved aside by someone with at least a passing interest in preserving this treasure chest. Ugh. I guess I shouldn't expect people to have any respect for history, but I wish they would. It could mean that we have to suffer less repeating of it. I'm sad now. :(
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Sonny Tucson

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #29 on: April 23, 2012, 10:38:34 AM »
Don't worry...
Just count on them to wip all traces of history. Nothing has changed since Laurence of Arabia . Just ask the brits what they have done to Alexandria when they left.
Just smashed everything down...
That's History.

Hope I am wrong but I still wish they hadn't found her ! .
Wish I was right when I posted about my doubts.
Sonny Tucson :(
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ANDYTOTHED

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #30 on: April 23, 2012, 10:45:56 AM »
I just wish it had been a dedicated team looking for her that found her
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Ala13_ManOWar

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #31 on: April 25, 2012, 04:46:51 AM »
I don't think this complete pic gallery have been posted here. A squad mate found it :).

https://picasaweb.google.com/114682566226043469349/Zdj_samolot?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKjxkt6rkNTFKg&feat=directlink#


They don't seem so rude at it, may be it'll be recovered :).

S!
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GerritJ9

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #32 on: April 25, 2012, 12:16:41 PM »
No trace of an Air Ministry registration number or squadron codes, so the only way to identify this bird will be an engine number or a Curtiss airframe number. Would certainly like to know the story behind this one.

Restoring her won't be cheap, but it's doable.
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Phas3e

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #33 on: April 25, 2012, 12:22:15 PM »
This popped up at ww2aircraft.net

Quote
Terry McGrady,who knows a thing or two about these aircraft and their operations, posted this on Britmodeller regarding a possible candidate.

"On 28th June 1942 ET574 piloted by Flt Sgt D.C.H. Copping 785025 left 260 to fly to an RSU. The A/C flew with the U/C locked down owing to damage.
Flt Sgt Copping set the wrong course and was thought to have crashed in the Desert owing to fuel exhaustion . FLt Sgt Copping listed as missing on this day .
I'm not saying that this was the A/C concerned , but it MIGHT have been"

The codes HS (260Sqn) and B can just be made out in this photo

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Texx

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #34 on: April 25, 2012, 02:09:28 PM »
Great Phas3e, possibly the story behind the crash. Lack of fuel due to navigation error... :(

I can definitely see a B, but no other letters.
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Wildchild

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Re: Kittyhawk found in the Sahara
« Reply #35 on: April 25, 2012, 04:09:30 PM »
A now common belif at WIX is that this aircraft had to make an emergency ferry flight when there airbase was being over-run by germans, at night, and on takeoff the landing gear jammed. Low on fuel, he had no choce but to make a forced landing, and not seeing rocks, snaps the gear (found 300 ft away) and tears away the prop
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