Wreckage of ‘Carnauba’, a 1930s vintage Sikorsky S-38 aircraft, a beloved icon of SC Johnson's early history, was found on July 5, 2000, in seawater off of an Indonesian island of West Irian Jaya. The company decided to recover this aircraft from seawater, conserve it, and display it in its museum, as part of their rich heritage.
"Aircrafts which have been under water for several years may develop a layer of calcareous deposit on the surface. This layer can sometimes be very tough to remove. Using a metal bristle brush can sometimes help to chip off these deposits. If the use of brush does not help to clean up all the deposits then one may use a pneumatic scribe to chip off the deposits. Ultrasonic cleaning is also used to achieve the same purpose."
With a little luck there may be glimpse of something recognisable without having to rely solely on shape and the word 'possibly' but, with 3 sets of eyes up close, in real time and with manipulator arms simply turning something over may indeed reveal something very interesting.