A thought occurred to me today, as I read
Dr. King's account of why he believes it is unlikely that the Electra will be found. If, as Howard Allred suggested, the wreckage of the Electra had been shredded by the action of the surf, and deposited across the opening to the lagoon, wouldn't there be some indication of AL2024 in the coral floor there?
Even if, as Dr. Allred suggested, the aircraft's sheet metal had been reduced to the size of sand granules, there must still be some trace of it there. Why not go panning for aluminum?
Aluminum, found in sufficient amounts, would almost certainly have come from the Electra. The City of Norwich could be ruled out, as could be any aluminum imported by the natives from Canton or elsewhere. We know of no other aircraft as having been lost in the area, unless I'm mistaken.
While I take Dr. King's comments about the unlikely possibility of finding a recognizable airframe as a cautioning against the tendency to demand a smoking gun, it might be worth considering other means by which the existence of the Electra could be identified, even without its airframe being discovered. The discovery of the "rope," for instance, leads to easy speculation about what other components of the aircraft might have lodged itself in some out of the way coral crevice.
Also, glad to see the increased activity on the forum. I still read my extensive collection of the old email list from time to time!
LTM, who always did think AU was a better standard than AL.
Matt