Encuentra en Birmania aviones enterredas al final de la II GM en casi perfectas condiciones
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Encuentra en Birmania aviones enterredas al final de la II GM en casi perfectas condiciones
A BRITISH farmer says a lost squadron of Spitfires has lain buried in Burma since the end of World War II and he has plans to recover them and get them airborne.
David Cundall, 62, who has devoted 15 years of his life to find the planes and spent £130,000 of his money, visited Burma 12 times, persuaded the country's secretive regime to trust him, and all the time sought testimony from a dwindling band of veterans in order to locate the Spitfires.
Mr Cundall said the Spitfires would have been buried as they had been shipped, still in their crates. They would have been waxed, wrapped in greased paper and their joints tarred, to protect them against the elements.
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The first step was to place advertisements in magazines, trying to find soldiers who buried Spitfires.
He regularly visited Burma, slowly building friendly relations with its military junta.
Finally, he found the Spitfires, at a location that is being kept a secret. Mr Cundall said: ''We sent a borehole down and used a camera to look at the crates. They seemed to be in good condition.''
In August 1945, the Mark XIV aeroplanes, with Rolls-Royce Griffon engines instead of the earlier Merlins, were put in crates and transported from the factory in Castle Bromwich, in the West Midlands, to Burma.
However, the Spitfires were deemed not needed.
The war was in its final months and fighting was increasingly confined to ''island-hopping'' to clear the Japanese of their remaining strongholds in the Pacific. Land-based Spitfires, as opposed to a carrier-based variant, Seafires, did not have the required range.
The order was given to bury 12 Spitfires without even unpacking them.
It is possible that a further eight Spitfires were then buried in December 1945, bringing the potential total to 20.
Ground radar images showed that inside the crates were Spitfires with their wings packed alongside the fuselages. The Britons want to work to restore as many of the 20 Spitfires as possible and get them flying. There are only about 35 flying in the world.
The final obstacle to recovering the Spitfires, however, is political: international sanctions forbid the movement of military materials in and out of Burma, and it was also feared the Burmese government would not allow any foreign excavations.
However, because of the new, reforming stance of the Burmese government, the sanctions on movement of military material will be lifted on April 23.
With the help of Prime Minister David Cameron and his visit to Burma, a deal is being negotiated and hopes are high that it will conclude with Thein Sein, the President of Burma, soon granting permission for the dig.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/plans-to-dig-up-buried-spitfires-20120415-1x1oa.html#ixzz1sFWEsvaE
David Cundall, 62, who has devoted 15 years of his life to find the planes and spent £130,000 of his money, visited Burma 12 times, persuaded the country's secretive regime to trust him, and all the time sought testimony from a dwindling band of veterans in order to locate the Spitfires.
Mr Cundall said the Spitfires would have been buried as they had been shipped, still in their crates. They would have been waxed, wrapped in greased paper and their joints tarred, to protect them against the elements.
Advertisement: Story continues below
The first step was to place advertisements in magazines, trying to find soldiers who buried Spitfires.
He regularly visited Burma, slowly building friendly relations with its military junta.
Finally, he found the Spitfires, at a location that is being kept a secret. Mr Cundall said: ''We sent a borehole down and used a camera to look at the crates. They seemed to be in good condition.''
In August 1945, the Mark XIV aeroplanes, with Rolls-Royce Griffon engines instead of the earlier Merlins, were put in crates and transported from the factory in Castle Bromwich, in the West Midlands, to Burma.
However, the Spitfires were deemed not needed.
The war was in its final months and fighting was increasingly confined to ''island-hopping'' to clear the Japanese of their remaining strongholds in the Pacific. Land-based Spitfires, as opposed to a carrier-based variant, Seafires, did not have the required range.
The order was given to bury 12 Spitfires without even unpacking them.
It is possible that a further eight Spitfires were then buried in December 1945, bringing the potential total to 20.
Ground radar images showed that inside the crates were Spitfires with their wings packed alongside the fuselages. The Britons want to work to restore as many of the 20 Spitfires as possible and get them flying. There are only about 35 flying in the world.
The final obstacle to recovering the Spitfires, however, is political: international sanctions forbid the movement of military materials in and out of Burma, and it was also feared the Burmese government would not allow any foreign excavations.
However, because of the new, reforming stance of the Burmese government, the sanctions on movement of military material will be lifted on April 23.
With the help of Prime Minister David Cameron and his visit to Burma, a deal is being negotiated and hopes are high that it will conclude with Thein Sein, the President of Burma, soon granting permission for the dig.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/plans-to-dig-up-buried-spitfires-20120415-1x1oa.html#ixzz1sFWEsvaE
Danger- Miembro Honorario
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Cantidad de envíos : 1250
Fecha de inscripción : 04/11/2009 Edad : 37
Re: Encuentra en Birmania aviones enterredas al final de la II GM en casi perfectas condiciones
Esto seria buenisimo!
Imaginate 20 Spitfire en condiciones de nuevo!
Ojala y nuestros ojitos puedan deleitarse con tales bellezas dentro de poco tiempo.
Imaginate 20 Spitfire en condiciones de nuevo!
Ojala y nuestros ojitos puedan deleitarse con tales bellezas dentro de poco tiempo.
gigarange- Miembro Honorario
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Cantidad de envíos : 600
Fecha de inscripción : 17/11/2010
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