Camel/cloud associate member checking in. With TIGHAR executive director's pledge to put a two-minute pass of the new ROV video up, my #1 search item will the configuration of anomolies recorded around 13:37:56 on the
2010 ROV video from Niku VI.
I hesitated putting this up prior to Niku VII as this armchair amateur has zero interest getting out in front of the 20+ years of brave research that led TIGHAR to the debris field on Niku reef slope. I stand in deep appreciation of this achievement!
However, given the uncertainty over what's out there I submit a comparison of two images: 1) an NR16020 right-hand sideview sans cowling taken at Karachi, Pakistan during the World Flight, and 2) an assemblage of what appear to be man-made items on the reef. My analysis is admittedly somewhat crude - the best I can do with the limited imagery and the skimpy "tool set" on my laptop. However, I believe the cumulative similarities are compelling.
Notes:
1. Aspect. The slightly different aspect of the two images don't offer a 100% perfect comparison - the Karachi image is taken from a slight front quarter view, whereas the reef image seems to be a direct sideview from slightly below the "nacelle" horizontal plane.
2. Propeller clock position. The Karachi image has the propeller blades at 1/7 o'clock; in the reef image the "propeller" is at 3/9 o'clock. In the
Karachi image the prop appears to be at fine (high RPM) pitch. The "prop" in the reef configuration appears to be feathered.
3. Main Landing Gear. In the reef configuration the MLG appears to be ripped out at the structural connect point, snapped just above the fork, and "accordian-folded" up against the outboard side of the nacelle. To approximate the configuration I made an exact duplicate of the Karachi image, cropped around the wheel, rotated to match clock position and set in place. Note the nearly exact match in wheel size, the slight difference caused the different image aspect. However, because we view the reef "nacelle" from below the horizontal plane my Karachi "mock up" places the wheel a bit too high on the nacelle; as a result its relation to nacelle "skin panels" is slightly offset.
The longer I look at the "wheel" the more obvious it is that the wheel was flipped 180 degrees, and now has the inboard side facing out with the brake assembly visible. The fender strut is just barely visible to the left of the fork.
Anyway, my eyes are going to be peeled for this set of anomolies in the new video.
Cheers, John