Bf 109 recovery (May 2010)

[Russ Matthews]

The Norwegian Air Force Museum in Bodø has announced plans to attempt the salvage of a German WWII fighter plane later this month (May 21-23, 1010).  

http://luftfart.museum.no/Engelsk/

The wreck of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-1 "Yellow 3" was discovered last year (2009), resting on its nose under approximately 180 feet of water.

http://vimeo.com/6536080

[Monty Fowler]

Way cool - and now comes the 64 dollar question: Are they going to "restore" it into a nice shiny static museum piece or "preserve" it as the fascinating time capsure that it is?

Clicking around on that museum website link, I get the sinking (pun  intended) feeling that it's going to used as a spare parts supply for their other efforts.

[Russ Matthews]

The video certainly shows "Yellow 3" to be a remarkable time capsule (I only wish so much of the original paint survived on the Jaluit aircraft).  After studying the materials posted on the museum's project page, I have to agree with your assesment of their intentions (to use this wreck as a "spares" ship for a composite rebuild). 

That seems to be the same approach taken with regards to the Norwegian "Operation (Blackburn) Skua" as well...

http://home.online.no/~oela/index.html

[Monty Fowler]

Russ, that does bring up the interesting constrast between fresh and salt water crashes - in both cases the planes are covered with growth but with the BF-109 it almost looks like you could hose the thing off, give it a gentle scrubbing and it'd be ready to display. Not so with the Devastators. Are they still trying to figure out how to keep them from crumbling into dust once they bring them up?

[Russ Matthews]

You're right, Monty, the contrast between the appearance of the Norwegian Bf 109 and the Jaluit TBDs is remarkable.  So far as we've been able to tell, no paint remains on the Devastator wrecks (though it's possible some remains protected beneath the marine growth, or on the shaded underside surfaces, or is too faint to distinguish in the available light conditions).  The colder, deeper, darker waters off Norway (beyond the reach of damaging UV rays and hostile to many organisms) seem the most likely explanation for the surviving Luftwaffe markings.  Aside from cosmetic appearance, I personally suspect that sunken American torpedo bomber is actually far more structurally sound than this lost Axis fighter.

Yes, Peter Fix and his colleagues at Texas A&M are working hard to outline the procedures needed to prevent the TBD deteriorating from within once it is removed from its long salt water submersion as part of TIGHAR's comprehensive Devastator Project recovery and conservation plan.  There would be no real point in removing the plane from the environment that preserved it for nearly 70 years, only to see it corrode into nothing.

[Russ Matthews]

The recovery of this historic aircraft went ahead as scheduled and the unfortunate results can be seen in pictures and video found at the link below.  Pay close attention to the main clip of "Yellow 3" being transferred ashore and what happens at about the 41 second mark...

http://www.namdalsavisa.no/Nyhet/article5126536.ece

[Chris Johnson]

You're right, Monty, the contrast between the appearance of the Norwegian Bf 109 and the Jaluit TBDs is remarkable.  So far as we've been able to tell, no paint remains on the Devastator wrecks (though it's possible some remains protected beneath the marine growth, or on the shaded underside surfaces, or is too faint to distinguish in the available light conditions).  The colder, deeper, darker waters off Norway (beyond the reach of damaging UV rays and hostile to many organisms) seem the most likely explanation for the surviving Luftwaffe markings.  Aside from cosmetic appearance, I personally suspect that sunken American torpedo bomber is actually far more structurally sound than this lost Axis fighter.

Yes, Peter Fix and his colleagues at Texas A&M are working hard to outline the procedures needed to prevent the TBD deteriorating from within once it is removed from its long salt water submersion as part of TIGHAR's comprehensive Devastator Project recovery and conservation plan.  There would be no real point in removing the plane from the environment that preserved it for nearly 70 years, only to see it corrode into nothing.

Just a thought and i realise that the environment and materials are different but have you looked at the preservation techniques used on the CSS Hunley?

[Matt Rimmer]

Such a shame to see the airframe come apart like that,whether it could it have been avoided with better lifting techniques is hard to tell,but it did appear all stress was being placed on the rear fuselage.

[Jeff Lange]

I really don't think they knew what they where doing. No added external structures to support and spread the load at all. So much for the preserved markings!

[Russ Matthews]

.. have you looked at the preservation techniques used on the CSS Hunley?

Yes, you could say that.  We've been working very closely with the head of the head of the Navy History & Heritage Command's Underwater Archaeology Branch, Dr. Robert Neyland, who also happens to be have been the Project Director for the Hunley effort.

[Monty Fowler]

I wonder how you say Oh s***! in Norwegian? So much for Yellow 3  :(

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

I wonder how you say Oh s***! in Norwegian?

Vi synes å ha feilberegnet.

[Chris Johnson]

LOL -  :)