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[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

Not the same car as shown in the picture I linked to ... check out the venting pipes on the Eleanor blue car, versus the much plainer car in the photo with AE standing by the window-less door.

OK, I see that now.

But there may have been two Cords in the family, one blue and one yellow.

That might account for the error in the caption.

[Jerry Germann]

In going through the repair procedures , as far as some patches are applied , they appear to be sealed around the perimeter with an 1/32nds inch thick piece of neoprene material ..( though no edges are left on 2-2-V-1) save possibly the bottom tab ,if this repair was performed in like manner,...  may the hyperspectral imaging provide any evidence of an outline there of said material/ ...residue?

[JNev]

Where did you find procedures for a dry bay involving neoprene?  Curious.

I wouldn't expect that, but it is not out of the question that some sealant might have been used, of course.

[Ric Gillespie]

I spent yesterday morning in Boston examining 2-2-V-1 with three scientists at MIT:

Prof. Thomas W. Eager, ScD, P.E. - Materials Engineering and Engineering Systems
Prof. Ronald G. Ballinger - Head, H.H. Uhlig Corrosion Laboratory
Prof. R. John Hansman - T. Wilson Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Dr. Harold R. Larson, ScD - Metallugy, Materials, Failure Analysis

Not to belabor the obvious, but in terms of expertise to help us understand 2-2-V-1 it just doesn't get any better than this.

When we were done, Prof. Eager gave me the attached letter. 
Eager is best known for debunking the myth that planted charges brought down the World Trade Center on 9/11. http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/jom/0112/eagar/eagar-0112.html

As time permits I'll elaborate on what these gentleman thought about what forces have acted on 2-2-V-1 to make it look as it does today.

[Martin X. Moleski, SJ]

I spent yesterday morning in Boston examining 2-2-V-1 with three scientists at MIT:

Well done!

[James Champion]

According to Wikipedia, Neoprene was developed in 1930 and only in moderate use by the end of the 30's. If any sealant was applied to the edges of the window patch, it would be in accordance with techniques in use during the late 30's, but use of Neoprene is unlikely as it was probably a rather an exotic material. Like all aircraft of the time, the Electra was unpressurized and techniques for sealing aircraft was to come later.

[Greg Daspit]

Interesting news. Can't wait to hear more of what the experts thought.

If the artifact was underwater for about a half century, and based on when(after colony abandoned) and where it was found, how does that effect the search area?

If the rivets failed from stress corrosion cracking and the sheet edges from wave action, what does that suggest about the rivets at the edges?  Bigger diameter ones and/or more of them? Edit: or less flexing around the heads due to being more rigid. (Like would be expected at the edges of a patch)

[James Champion]

I spent yesterday morning in Boston examining 2-2-V-1 with three scientists at MIT:

Well done!

Did you get any suggestions on SEM analysis of the rivet? I see this issue as extremely important to the questions remaining about 2-2-V-1.

[Greg Daspit]

I spent yesterday morning in Boston examining 2-2-V-1 with three scientists at MIT:

Well done!

Yes, very well chosen experts and a smart course of action.
Go Ric!

[Monty Fowler]

One more nail in TIGHAR's evidence box around 2-2-V-1. And it sounds like an awfully good nail, at that,

I can already hear the legions of detractors, though ... "Why didn't you check this?  ... or What about that?"

To which I am now going to start to say, "It's a free country. You are free to go find your own experts and solicit their opinion. Talk is cheap. Answers are expensive. Unless you're willing to invest the time and bucks to support your own contentions, don't waste my time trying to tear down ours."

And that's all I've got to say about that.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 ECSP

[Jerry Germann]

Where did you find procedures for a dry bay involving neoprene?  Curious.

I wouldn't expect that, but it is not out of the question that some sealant might have been used, of course.

According to Wikipedia, Neoprene was developed in 1930 and only in moderate use by the end of the 30's. If any sealant was applied to the edges of the window patch, it would be in accordance with techniques in use during the late 30's, but use of Neoprene is unlikely as it was probably a rather an exotic material. Like all aircraft of the time, the Electra was unpressurized and techniques for sealing aircraft was to come later.

In search of any types of sealants that could have been used around the patch, ....neoprene was one of several sealant materials, that I noted as being used in the 30's ....another example .....http://books.google.com/books?id=ZfNKeNuQukwC&pg=PA51&lpg=PA51&dq=sealants+used+in+the+1930's&source=bl&ots=ipVidLmYB5&sig=UViZymGw1WjnoyVMneQQYu9XqD4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=T6dnVIqnLYyryASu0YLgDg&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=sealants%20used%20in%20the%201930's&f=false
On pages 164-168 ,in this 1937 manual it's use is suggested in a recommended reinforcement.....
http://www.avialogs.com/index.php/aircraft/usa/lockheed/model-14-super-electra/lockheed-14-super-electra-service-manual.html
.....And the PBY manuel that greg provided a link to, http://miravim.org/avimlibrary/Manuals/Airframe%20Manuals/Other%20Airframes/Consolidated%2001-5M-3%20(PBY-5%20,%205A,%206A%20-%20Handbook%20of%20Structural%20Repair%20Manual).pdf  illustrates it's use during patching ( though, it is dated a bit later and used on a bulkhead) .....page 42 ,and others
Again , I don't know if any neoprene tape was used,......however; may whatever was used have left a little residue behind,?....if any type of sealant residue could be detected on the tab, it may reinforce the idea it was a patch and not an original skin attachment.   

[Bill Mangus]

I spent yesterday morning in Boston examining 2-2-V-1 with three scientists at MIT:

Prof. Thomas W. Eager, ScD, P.E. - Materials Engineering and Engineering Systems
Prof. Ronald G. Ballinger - Head, H.H. Uhlig Corrosion Laboratory
Prof. R. John Hansman - T. Wilson Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Dr. Harold R. Larson, ScD - Metallugy, Materials, Failure Analysis

Not to belabor the obvious, but in terms of expertise to help us understand 2-2-V-1 it just doesn't get any better than this.

When we were done, Prof. Eager gave me the attached letter. 
Eager is best known for debunking the myth that planted charges brought down the World Trade Center on 9/11. http://www.tms.org/pubs/journals/jom/0112/eagar/eagar-0112.html

As time permits I'll elaborate on what these gentleman thought about what forces have acted on 2-2-V-1 to make it look as it does today.

Really!!?  MIT?  Those are some seriously mainstream, high-powered credentials!  I think you've booted the credibility of 2-2-V-1 being the patch from NR16020, and TIGHAR's in general, as well, way up into the stratosphere.  The naysayers in TECTIC better have their shi...err stuff seriously together if they wish to attack/denounce these findings.  Looking forward to additional papers from them.

[JNev]

That is an impressive letter from Eagar.  I was frankly a bit surprised at part of his personal conclusion, just because reserved judgment is more common for such things - he was willing to venture further into a probability of Earhart provenance than I would have dared dream. 

It is heartening that he 'got it' with regard to some details that are rather concrete to some of us about why this oddball part may be a fit to the Electra.  I well understand and respect why those details continue to appear more abstract to many onlookers.  That said, I've 'felt' (that most unreliable personal device, but by observation and instinct, I suppose) for sometime that 2-2-V-1 is somehow more unique than just a random piece of aluminum sheet happening to be about the right size for the 'bathroom window' on NR16020.  It is good to see we have some strong company -

As Eagar noted, the oddity of size and pattern are suggestive to some of us about a peculiar, particular provenance.  So Eagar sees that as well - something beyond just a sterile review of failure modus.  Plus he gives strong insight into the conditions of failure - much of which is supportive as to the right kind of environment to help explain an Earhart-related relic at that place.

I look forward to more details from these gentlemen when able.

Makes me appreciate what time, tides and mother nature's rocking chair (motion of the ocean on a somewhat fixed object) can do.  What they envision is not the more violent initial event that I had believed might have initiated the failure; not expert there myself, of course, I am very grateful for their insight. 

The rivet failure modus Eagar envisions also makes perfect sense as well.  Stress corrosion cracking is very consistent with much we'd imagine about what the Electra would have endured if submerged on the reef face at Niku. 

I'm grateful that you were able to get such qualified folks to look 2-2-V-1 over - won't find heavier hitters than MIT for qualifications on this kind of stuff.

EDITED: I have eagerly corrected 'Eager' to 'Eagar'...

[Ron Lyons]

So the theory would be that the piece stayed on the plane, and over possibly decades, the rivets themselves corroded away... then the piece of metal kind of flapped in the currents until finally it broke free, and washed ashore? 

If that's what actually happened, it places the plane carcass likely extremely close to the island (for instance, where the anomaly is). 

[Greg Daspit]

So the theory would be that the piece stayed on the plane, and over possibly decades, the rivets themselves corroded away... then the piece of metal kind of flapped in the currents until finally it broke free, and washed ashore? 

If that's what actually happened, it places the plane carcass likely extremely close to the island (for instance, where the anomaly is).

I don't think "corroded away" is what he was saying. From my understanding, I think the rivets were weakend by the stress cracks that grew in them due to corrosion and failed at the heads from wave force or flexing.