TIGHAR

Historic Aircraft Recovery and Preservation => General discussion => Topic started by: Martin X. Moleski, SJ on August 01, 2009, 07:53:55 AM

Title: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Martin X. Moleski, SJ on August 01, 2009, 07:53:55 AM
Some links from EPAC.   Dunno how long they'll be any good.  Some of the news organizations take stories down after a while.


Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Russ Matthews on May 27, 2010, 04:35:19 PM
According to the latest (27 May 2010) San Diego Union-Tribune article, a recovery attempt may be imminent...

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/may/27/recovery-of-sunken-wwii-plane-from-reservoir/
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Russ Matthews on July 15, 2010, 03:32:47 PM
A new article reporting the latest prgress (July 14, 2010)...

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/14/prep-work-beginning-raise-wwii-plane-otay-reservoi/
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Mark Petersen on August 16, 2010, 10:13:08 PM
It looks like they are going to raise it soon:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/16/family-pilot-gunner-await-raising-helldiver/
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Ricker H Jones on August 19, 2010, 02:18:21 PM
 Today's newspaper account of work to raise the Helldiver, and an interesting photo gallery.  See at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/18/helldiver-plane-be-raised-thursday-morning/
Rick J
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Ted G Campbell on August 19, 2010, 06:24:47 PM
How does this string get into the AE dicussion?
Ted Campbell                                               
 
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Bruce Thomas on August 19, 2010, 07:01:42 PM
Quote from: Ted G Campbell on August 19, 2010, 06:24:47 PM
How does this string get into the AE dicussion?
Ted Campbell                                               
 

The Forum and TIGHAR are broader than just AE.  Notice that this particular post is within the General Discussion area of the Historic Aircraft Recovery and Preservation topic of the Forum.
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Martin X. Moleski, SJ on August 19, 2010, 10:18:58 PM
Quote from: Bruce Thomas on August 19, 2010, 07:01:42 PM
Quote from: Ted G Campbell on August 19, 2010, 06:24:47 PM
How does this string get into the AE dicussion?
Ted Campbell                                               
The Forum and TIGHAR are broader than just AE.  Notice that this particular post is within the General Discussion area of the Historic Aircraft Recovery and Preservation topic of the Forum.

Yes, exactly.  "TIGHAR" stands for "The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery."  It says that on the logo at the top of the Forum (I checked this time; I think I got all the words right!).  The folks in San Diego are recovering a historic aircraft.  It's relevant to this part of the TIGHAR Forum.

The "Amelia Earhart Search Forum" (lineal descendant of several AESF ancestors) has five discussion boards inside of it: General Discussion, Join the Search, Celestial Choir, Aircraft and Powerplant, and Artifact Analysis. 
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Ricker H Jones on August 20, 2010, 10:02:29 AM
Raising the Helldiver is scheduled to resume today after a delay yesterday.  In the meantime, here is a link to a story on the Helldiver (three pages) on the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola website. http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/ExhibitsAndCollections/History-Up-Close/SpotlightAircraft/Helldiver-Rising.aspx

AP story re: Helldiver is out of the water, awaiting crane. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/20/wwii-warplane-raised-from-ca-reservoir/
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Ricker H Jones on August 21, 2010, 11:59:23 AM
The latest article and photo of the Helldiver out of the water.
Rick
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/aug/20/world-war-ii-helldiver-bottom-lower-otay-lake/
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local-beat/Deep-Yields-Sunken-Helldivers-Secrets.html
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Mark Petersen on August 21, 2010, 05:19:41 PM
Here is a video from coverage from local Channel 8 news as well:
http://www.cbs8.com/global/story.asp?s=13019801

In the video the engine can be seen to sag dangerously.  The salvage crew apparently let the engine rip off as later images show the engine detached from the plane.  Not exactly what i would call a stellar salvage effort...
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Mark Petersen on August 22, 2010, 10:09:59 AM
Another video of the raising was posted today -
http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/21514140#video=21514140
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: John Joseph Barrett on August 22, 2010, 03:10:38 PM
Mark, I don't think the crew let the engine fall off. In one of the earlier articles about the salvage they mentioned a concern about it falling off during the lift anf that they may have to remove it beforehand or secure it. As there was no sign of it being vraced during the lift I would guess that they found it to be secure enough. In the photo galleries and other articles they are already taking the plane apart for transport. I think that they removed the engine and set it on the ground. It is even on wood blocks to keep from damaging it. The initial sag of the motor would have been caused by the impact with the water. The engine mounts via a series of metal struts and tubes which are easily bent causing the engine to hang down. As an aside, as a diver having taken a course on salvage using lift bags I am always impressed when something like this is salvaged without tearing it apart. It is not an easy task. LTM-  John
Title: Re: Helldiver SB2C found in San Diego Lake
Post by: Mark Petersen on August 22, 2010, 09:47:49 PM
John, you may be right and I apologize if my comments came out as disparaging.  The sag of the motor seems more pronounced in the video as the engine is lifted out of the water and why I would have thought they would have tied a strap to it before lifting.  But you may be right that the engine held together and was removed after the plane was lowered.