...Where has the idea that this piece of Alclad originates from a Lockheed Electra come from?
The
idea that it might originate from an Electra - namely NR16020 -
came from TIGHAR finding the item on Niku in the village during an early expedition there. As you state, it is an
idea only, so far.
Is there something unique that tells us it's Electra?
No, only that it appears to be a pre-war aircraft related item because of what could be discerned of how it is marked, what material it is and by the characteristic of the one surviving rivet (a brazier head type - common to pre-war rivets). It
could be from an Electra -
or any number of other airplanes as well. It is possible, however remote, that we
could eventually show that it came from the Electra; we'd likely never prove what else it may have come from.
For sure it's airplane material, design and construction technique but that alone doesn't make it Electra. Maybe I missed something?
No - you are correct. My reason for raising this discussion was simply to
explore the possibility of it being identified as something that came from the Electra by examination of primary and secondary structural elements and possible fitment as part of original, repair or a modification scheme on that plane.
I'd say that any eventual 'success' in that exercise is likely to be a very long-shot, but it makes an interesting exercise to me and I thought others might enjoy the 'chase' too.
LTM -