This was discussed in the The Islands: Expeditions, Facts, Castaway, Finds and Environs section of the Forum.

Ric...the other morning I watched fox News and they were showing the volcanic eruption of an underwater volcano by Tonga from images taken from the space station. With tsunami warnings issued up and down the 101 coastal highway and most of hawaii....how much of an effect will this due to Nikumaroro and will Nikus coral life be subjected to acid rain and  destruction of coral reef life. Anyway, was curious if Niku could get tsunami waves from Tonga
..Let me know...thanks

Google Earth current image is dated 29 Apr 20.  Seems to be updated about every 2 years or so.  Depends on whether or not someone makes a specific request (and pays for it).

Does anyone know often and when are satellite images of Niku are updated, either on google or other places?

Will be interesting to see what happens in the lagoon, especially if Bauareke Passage re-opens.  That might act to improve visibility in the lagoon after everything settles down.

True.  During WWII Bauareke Passage was more open and the lagoon was reportedly quite clear. 

Will be interesting to see what happens in the lagoon, especially if Bauareke Passage re-opens.  That might act to improve visibility in the lagoon after everything settles down.

A tsunami emanating from Tonga should hit the southern coastline of Niku.  It could move things around, wash stuff up, and significantly change the southern lagoon passage, but there would be little danger of over-wash at the Seven Site.

A volcano erupted near Tonga yesterday, tsunami warnings have been sent out around the pacific and Tonga itself has been hit by one. Niku is  a few hundred miles from the volcano and we’ll with in the tsunami alert zone.  While I hope the damage to the populated islands is minimal there is alway a chance a tsunami could wash up/move around some evidence on a low lying atoll like Niku.
Pic of the tsunami waves rolling over Tonga’s main island

Looks like no prop spinner.

This discussion highlights just how much airplanes had evolved between 1927 and 1937. The Lockheed Electra was modern enough to have a service life into recent times (are any still in regular service?) which would be unlikely for most 1927 airplanes (although there were some Ford Trimotors in service at least as recently as the 1980s). And the White Bird was a bit old-fashioned even for 1927. Most of the contenders for the Orteig Prize were high-wing cabin monoplanes. My first though on seeing the profile drawing of the White Bird was that it looks like an enormous SPAD, the airplane in which its crew had made their reputations. I wonder if the resemblance was intentional. That aside, it was weird with a weirdness unique to French engineering. I write this with fond memories of a Peugeot that was a joy to drive and a nightmare to work on. Fly an open-cockpit biplane from Paris to New York? Trust to an untested landing system, with no good options if you couldn't find smooth water?

Their preference for an open cockpit -- common to other pilots at the time -- is similar to the attitude of "serious" drivers at the time that open cars were always referable to closed cars, and never put the top up (one can find this referenced in the Peter Wimsey novels -- Dorothy Sayers always got her cars right). Even some early airliners had a closed cabin for the passengers and the pilot freezing in an open cockpit. Also reminiscent of the formal cars that had an enclosed rear set and open driver's seat.

Regarding the broken part that started this thread, my questions are, how thick is the metal (is this a casting, stamping or what), and what parts of the airplane are known to have been painted that color. It seems to me that the only parts that could be painted outside and have oil on the inside are the crankcase, and the external oil tank, maybe some other parts of the oil feed system.

An explosion might have occurred from impact on a crash landing, but seems unlikely in flight. However, the nearly empty fuel tanks are a greater explosion hazard than full tanks, due to the air and fumes inside. What burns is the vapor, not the liquid.

LTM,
Don

The prop spinner?