Hunt for WWII Spitfires in Burma called off

[Mi Amigo]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/9874667/Hunt-for-WWII-Spitfires-in-Burma-called-off.html

... but some members of the team are going to ahead with the digging.

[Brah]

yeah saw that, bummer

that it was called off that is, not they they're going ahead anyway

BTW I just found this subforum, didn't know about it before.

[Mi Amigo]

Yeah, I wonder if the planes ever were really buried; if not they must have been destroyed, which would be sad.

I know it was a weapon of war, but even so the Spitfire to me was also a thing of beauty - visually and audibly. Turn up your speakers for this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5rGyP6SSYM

[Brah]

Nice clip

It was my favorite plane as a kid

[sundaymorningstaple]

I had a toss up of three planes. The Spitfire, The F4U Corsair and the P-38 Lightning, First was always a toss up between the Spitfire & the Lightning followed by the Corsiar.

[JR8]

Yeah, I wonder if the planes ever were really buried; if not they must have been destroyed, which would be sad.

I know it was a weapon of war, but even so the Spitfire to me was also a thing of beauty - visually and audibly. Turn up your speakers for this clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5rGyP6SSYM

It reminds me rather of the stories of shipwrecks. So much money involved. So much rumour and counter-rumour.

Those Merlin engines really are something (but a flypast by 16 Spitfires, OMTG!). I've seen a few flypasts. Once down the Mall in London (Lancaster, escorted by a Spitfire and Hurricane) flying at maybe 800 metres. Then something similar over St. Paul's Cathedral. Oh and then another time I was walking up a tall but narrow street and a Spitfire went over low.... you can't mistake that sound.

Been to some military shows in the US/UK and witnessed one in Egypt from a dive boat. Anything like that up close is dramatic, M1 Abrams tank going throttle-up? A Mig (or similar) doing a 0-degree vertical climb to completely stationary a mile up, then, stalling and 'falling/tumbling' and repeating it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67gURVCs4DQ
'Spitfire Scares the [heck] Out of Guy'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLXhPoxytsM&feature=fvwp
'Craziest Low Pass Ever ! MUST SEE !! [French Mirage F1]'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wKfpPrRVIo
Top Gear : Tank vs Rangie challenge pt 2 - Top Gear - BBC
[Not the M1, but you get the idea]

[Brah]

A lot of us post a lot of YT clips, I've seen a lot of aviation clips on LL (among other things probably NSFW to post here).

[Mi Amigo]

Those Merlin engines really are something (but a flypast by 16 Spitfires, OMTG!).

I know what you mean; that YT clip gave me goosebumps - especially the 16-pack bit.

I've seen a few flypasts. Once down the Mall in London (Lancaster, escorted by a Spitfire and Hurricane) flying at maybe 800 metres.

My wife and I saw a similar thing there (maybe the same one); IIRC our first child was born the next day or the day after. Obviously a good omen.

Talking of Top Gear, this is taken from one of my favourite shows:

Top Gear - Arriving in style

(With apologies to any Germans reading / viewing this ).

[JR8]

^ Thanks enjoyed that! For unknown reasons I've never seen it before.

p.s. As I recall the Burmese Junta were demanding something like 20% of any Spitfires found, plus 50%+ of the value of the rest.

I think the explorers just threw in the towel at that point.