As we say in French: 'je donne ma langue au chat'.

LOL! Sorry.  As we say in English, this is way above my pay-grade and I'm trying not to embarrass myself more than usual.

Well Ric, you've sparked my curiosity!

As we say in French: 'je donne ma langue au chat'.

In any case, this common low-alloy steel can undoubtedly be used to make tanks or containers not exposed to particular mechanical or thermal stresses.

From my casual eye, I'd say that only a few factors explain a transformation of the artifact:

- high heat; intense cold;
- exposure to the environment or to a persistent element in that environment;
- the passage of time leading to chemical transformations?

If I'm right, the answer is a lot simpler than that, but I don't want to shoot off my mouth until I have confirmation from the metallurgist.

I'm the one who was 'staggered' when I read today's newsletter.

If the EDS test is correct, and there's no reason to think otherwise, then, except for a measurement error, the previous XRF test would have been altered by some other agent(s) or factor(s).

Firstly, common 1010 steel, which is low-alloy and very soft carbon (class A or Adx ('mild steel') according to the 1920 Houille Blanche classification, would have only 0.30/to.60% manganese as a common element with the artifact. If we disregard traces of phosphorus and sulfur, which give an idea of the steel's purity, then yes, we have a very common steel.

This wouldn't be such bad news, since what I immediately found of the current French version of the '1010' (Arcelor/Mittal) gives us a composition similar to that of the 1920 Class A - 'Houille Blanche' type:

C: 0.08/0.013
Mn: 0.30/0.60
S: 0.035
P: 0.025

https://sections.arcelormittal.com/catalogue/B50/FR

The question of silicon remains. I can't explain the very high levels of this element.

From my casual eye, I'd say that only a few factors explain a transformation of the artifact:

- high heat; intense cold;
- exposure to the environment or to a persistent element in that environment;
- the passage of time leading to chemical transformations?

This steel was most probably in common use in France in the 1920s.

Among the types of use, La 'Houille Blanche' specifies that type A 'extra-soft' is used in particular for “cold-formed sheets and parts
hammered'. Apparently, this is also the case for welded parts.

you have been posting some VERY informative and interesting information from a different point of view and the input is appreciated.

I am seeking for more 1930's metallurgy studies about french spécial steels. l am planning to buy the latest monography about Lorraine-Dietrich manufacturer.

Last, i have the advantage to live not too far from Biscarrosse and the Musée de l'Hydraviation where a very similar E12b 450 cv is exposed. I will try to jump in there one of these days.

Also on that note and additional question is if a plane uses more fuel on one side of the plane than the other will the weight difference force the wings to either move left or right or angle off. Let me know...thanks

More weight on one side tends to make the plane tip toward that side.

Curious to know if she worked from side to side as a balance or worked from left...then right with her fuel usage. It will be interesting to find out from you Ric or Andrew Mckenna as to how this would work with all the changes and modifications it did to the tanks overtime. Let me know...thanks

Pilot's normally switch tanks periodically to keep the ship balanced. Some fuel systems are more complicated than others.  Earhart's was necessarily very complicated. I don't know exactly how she managed her fuel because I wasn't there.

No apology necessary- you have been posting some VERY informative and interesting information from a different point of view and the input is appreciated.

Both The White Bird, and Earharts disappearances are mysteries we would love to be able to solve!

Welcome back Renaud! Glad to have you return to the fold, so to speak!
I am always amazed at how some people get all defensive when they don't like or agree with materials or ideas presented to them. I always figure you should at least evaluate what they have before just outright dismissing them. But you can never tell with some people!

Thank you for your assistance in the past, and hopefully now and in the future!

Thank you Jeff for your kind words. Sorry for the delay in replying but I had my nose buried in my books...

I'm also interested in the mystery of NR16020's disappearance, but it's true that the White Bird has a certain sentimental attachment for me.

I hope to be of some kind of help.

My two cents.

I showed the sonar picture to my father, an old aviator and sailor. After thirty seconds, he handed it back to me and said, “It's just an anchor with the anchor chain, or even part of the davit with it.” It's true that even iron steamers/liners from the 1870s and 1880s were still equipped with huge conventional anchors carried/secured on the outside of the hull... One should have lost his apparatus during a strong gale.

We don't really know the scale of measurement of this sonar image.

Leaving aside Ric's comment on the strength of the central wings section, I'm having trouble recognizing the aft fuselage and the two vertical fins. And where are the engine fairings/mounts?

As far as I'm concerned, you can say anything and everything about this image, it's like seeing a face in a cloud...