Buried treasure in Burma: Squadron of lost WWII Spitfires to be exhumed - Polidicks

[img]http://global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Scitech/Ray_Flying_Legends_2005-1.jpg[/img] [quote] Yar -- it's buried PILOT treasure! Like a treasure chest stuffed with priceless booty, as many as 20 World War II-era Spitfire planes are perfectly preserved, buried in crates beneath Burma -- and after 67 years underground, they're set to be uncovered. The planes were shipped in standard fashion in 1945 from their manufacturer in England to the Far East country: waxed, wrapped in greased paper and tarred to protect against the elements. They were then buried in the crates they were shipped in, rather than let them fall into enemy hands, said David Cundall, an aviation enthusiast who has spent 15 years and about $200,000 in his efforts to reveal the lost planes. The 62-year-old man -- a British farmer by trade -- realized the fate of the aircraft thanks to an offhand comment a group of American veterans made to a friend, he told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'We've done some pretty silly things in our time, but the silliest was burying Spitfires.' - David Cundall, aviation enthusiast ''They told Jim: 'We've done some pretty silly things in our time, but the silliest was burying Spitfires.' And when Jim got back from the U.S., he told me,'" Cundall said. The location of the planes, which remains a closely kept secret, was confirmed during a recent trip to the Far East country, he said. ''We sent a borehole down and used a camera to look at the crates. They seemed to be in good condition," Cundall told the Herald. The Spitfire Mark XIV planes are rare for more than one reason: They used Rolls Royce Griffon engines rather than the Merlins used in earlier models to achieve tremendous speeds. Griffon-powered planes could reach 440 mph thanks to the hefty, 2,050-horsepower engines. When production of the planes ultimately ended in 1947, 20,334 Spitfires of all versions had been produced, but just 2,053 of them were Griffon-powered versions, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. The planes were deemed surplus and were buried in Aug., 1945 -- potentially along with another eight later in the year. At that time, propeller planes were falling out of fashion in favor of newer jet-engine designs -- Cundall said Spitfires "were 10 a penny." British military officials decided burying them was cheaper and more practical than bringing them home. International sanctions prevent military material from leaving the country, but a recent visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron may enable the safe exhumation and return of the planes to England. Only about 35 Spitfires are currently flying. [/quote] Read more: [url]http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/04/19/buried-treasure-in-burma-squadron-lost-wwii-spitfires-to-be-exhumed/?intcmp=trending#ixzz1t36BxfTy[/url] Awesome

Oh hell yes. Put 'em together and let those birds spread their wings!

That's a nice picture. Shows aiming skills. [editline]25th April 2012[/editline] By the way what about that squadron of British planes frozen in Greenlands ice? Didn't they want to get them too?

Shit, if they tarred them they'll be perfectly preserved and there are hardly any flyable spitfires around compared to the number made

[quote]Yar -- it's buried PILOT treasure! [/quote] By god, that was bad.

My grandfather thought in Burma, was a Chindit.

[QUOTE=Sir Whoopsalot;35709501]By god, that was bad.[/QUOTE] Fox news

I want one.

Holy shit, Fox had a decent story for once...

Wow, that sounds fucking awesome. It's like how Mosin Nagants are preserved, but like twenty times cooler.

[QUOTE=PrusseluskenV2;35709817]They'll have to put the planes into giant ovens to get out all the grease. England will smell like cosmoline for years![/QUOTE] That would be glorious, though :v:

I want to see these things up and flying again. That would be so cool.

Spitfire is by far the sexiest fighter. Ever. This is amazing. I hope they can be flying again really soon.

[QUOTE=Vasili;35709524]My grandfather thought in Burma, was a Chindit.[/QUOTE] Did he come to any conclusions?

This article gives me the wierdest boner :v:, I'd probably kill for the chance to own one of those spitfires. I wonder what will happen to them? I sure hope the majority are donated to the RAF Battle of Britain memorial flight, a squadron of spitfires soaring over an airshow would be amazing.

Spitfire (In my Opinion) is the sexiest fighter ever made.

not to mention the coolest sounding, instantly recognisable.

[QUOTE=Jeep-Eep;35709362]Oh hell yes. Put 'em together and let those birds spread their wings![/QUOTE] Wouldn't be surprised if they'd work like a dream right off the bat, they made shit last back then. And british engineering was the best.

FYI the Spitfire XIV had the teardrop canopy like the P-51, not like the one shown in the picture. [img]http://www.cafsocal.com/images/spitfireflying.jpg[/img] Fucking majestic

I love seeing old war birds flying. There was an airshow here I didn't get the chance to go to, offering flights in a B-17 and a modified tandem P-51.

Late [url]http://www.facepunch.com/threads/1179417[/url]

[QUOTE=Harry3;35716825]not to mention the coolest sounding, instantly recognisable.[/QUOTE] I am by no means patriotic Brit, but the sound of a spitfire passing overhead rubs me up in all the right ways :v: [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6c3v9iihgw&feature=relmfu[/media]