Aircraft Wrecks

[Wolster]

Ok, shamelessly stolen from another forum I am in (no, not that one!!).

Mainly pictures of wrecks but that model in the first pictures is amazing!!

Google Image Result for http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/130433/Kawasaki-Ki-61.jpg

[Geek44]

Nice one Steve.
There are plenty of aircraft carcasses in Australia from WW2, most have been, are being, or will be recovered and hopefully restored. I've seen a Zero and a B-25 in Darwin (up north) and I know of a B-24 Liberator on an island off Queensland...I think Hinchinbrook Island. I hear rumours at my modelling club that they recovered a P-38 from somewhere and restored it back to flying condition...had it certified airworthy and sold it to some rich American. There's an airfield four hours from here where they do all that stuff. If they need parts, they'll make them...but they'll make a dozen more than they need. The rest are sold to rich Americans who fly the old aircraft. The $$ keeps the restoration works financed. A lot of spare parts for WW2 aircraft are made right here in my state.

[Horch]

I wish I could read the captions. A story for each picture. Thanks for posting them.

[lufttiger]

Not bad at all, i like the color ones of the Japanese planes.

[cyberia]

This is a cool idea for a thread, Wolster!

I wanna play...

A 109 ready for the scrap pile

190s and utility poles don't mix

[Geek44]

Hey Paul...fantastic photos mate. Not since I joined the 'other' forum did I realise how little I actually knew...even in my 'pet' areas of WW2 interest, but how little I've seen too. The books and documantaries I've seen all seem to have the same out of context footage repeated over and over and the same stills. Again, I learn.
This evening on a UK made doco clled 'Time Team' (maybe you know it...it's hosted by 'Black Adder's' Baldrick) they were excavating the wrecks of two Douglas A-26 Invaders that had been involved in a mid-air collision while forming up over England in bad weather (not bloody* Roman pottery for once). One aircraft had hit the other from below and sliced the empennage off with its port prop. Since 1944, they had been covered with about twelve feet of earth. Amazing.

[Wolster]

Not seen that one Nick. They do the odd good one. They have found a Spitfire once that had been lost in France in 1940. They presented the pilots brother with his flying jacket, quite touching.
Another one they did was B17 that had crashed in England after a mid air collision. The sad thing was it was the crews 25th and final mission and they were minutes from landing.

It is a good idea for a thread, I will have to find some pictures. Although I will take no credit Cy, I was just posting the link!!

[Geek44]

I saw a Spitfire one too. The pilot had been hit in the head by a round fired by a Bf110. He'd been going at over 400kph and hit the ground almost vertically at over that speed. The plane was pretty compacted when they dug it up.

[Wolster]

Thats the one, it was about 2 meters long when they found it! The pilot was buried at the nearby church. I had to wonder, at the risk of sounding morbid, when the pilot had been hit by a 20mm canon shell then dived into the ground at 400KPH what did they bury?

[cyberia]

I found a photograph in one my books that was absolutely riveting. The wreckage was so intense you can't tell what nationality the plane was.

All that is seen of the pilot is an arm and hand reaching out from the smoke and debris as if clawing toward the sky.

I was hesitant to post it. More stunning than gory, but I'll leave the decision as to if it should be here or not up to Aussie Dave.