Amelia Earhart Search Forum > Artifact Analysis
A Piece Of The Electra?
Brad Beeching:
I read a post in another section about a lady who was going to attempt to recreate the world flight. In the thread, someone mentioned that she had a piece of the Electra. I seem to remember a show on the History Channel or Discovery where a gentleman did indeed have a piece of the skin that came off when she crashed at Luke. I was wondering if having a sample would help identify artifacts from Niku? ..... or am I five years behind the times? :-\
Gums
Martin X. Moleski, SJ:
--- Quote from: Brad Beeching on February 12, 2011, 04:10:16 PM ---I read a post in another section about a lady who was going to attempt to recreate the world flight. In the thread, someone mentioned that she had a piece of the Electra.
--- End quote ---
See "Grace McGuire planning to re-create AE's flight with 10-E."
--- Quote ---I seem to remember a show on the History Channel or Discovery where a gentleman did indeed have a piece of the skin that came off when she crashed at Luke. I was wondering if having a sample would help identify artifacts from Niku? ..... or am I five years behind the times? :-\
--- End quote ---
See "A Piece of the Grail?" for the full story of the History Detectives episode (2009, I believe).
I am personally doubtful that the authenticated piece of the Luke Field wreck could be used to "fingerprint" other pieces of aluminum found on Niku. YMMV.
Ric Gillespie:
There is, in fact, a process called neutron activation analysis by which we might be able to confirm that one or more of the aluminum artifacts we've found on the island came from the same batch of aluminum as the piece of Luke Field wreckage. It wouldn't be "smoking gun" conclusive but it would be pretty darn good. The owner of the piece, however, will not let us use it because he read an article that quoted me as saying that the purpose of our investigation is not to honor Amelia Earhart. That quote is correct but was taken out of context. Our purpose is to conclusively solve the mystery, not honor Amelia Earhart. AE is already an icon. She doesn't need any help from us.
Bill Lloyd:
--- Quote from: Ric Gillespie on February 12, 2011, 07:35:00 PM ---There is, in fact, a process called neutron activation analysis by which we might be able to confirm that one or more of the aluminum artifacts we've found on the island came from the same batch of aluminum as the piece of Luke Field wreckage. It wouldn't be "smoking gun" conclusive but it would be pretty darn good. The owner of the piece, however, will not let us use it because he read an article that quoted me as saying that the purpose of our investigation is not to honor Amelia Earhart. That quote is correct but was taken out of context. Our purpose is to conclusively solve the mystery, not honor Amelia Earhart. AE is already an icon. She doesn't need any help from us.
--- End quote ---
It appears that the gentlemen's reasons are rather frivolous. Perhaps he could be persuaded if he were made an attractive offer that he could not refuse.
Martin X. Moleski, SJ:
--- Quote from: Ric Gillespie on February 12, 2011, 07:35:00 PM ---There is, in fact, a process called neutron activation analysis by which we might be able to confirm that one or more of the aluminum artifacts we've found on the island came from the same batch of aluminum as the piece of Luke Field wreckage.
--- End quote ---
That argument depends on the assumption that all of the aluminum in the airframe would have come from the "same batch" as the Luke Field sample.
I don't see any reason to make that assumption, unless, by chance, some of the Niku aluminum is from the same part of the plane as the Luke Field piece.
So, for example, I don't see any reason to suppose that the heat shields would have been made from the "same batch" of aluminum as the cowling.
How big is a "batch"? All the aluminum refined in the U.S. in the year the raw materials for the plane were created? All the aluminum during that time frame from one supplier?
Here is a prohibitively expensive and possibly even impossible test of the neutron activation analysis: take a vintage airframe whose parts are known to be entirely original. Pick aluminum samples at random from pieces of the skin and airframe. If they've all got the same fingerprint, I guess that would allay my doubts.
How strong an argument would you get from a match? Would it be the case that a single airframe would exhaust "one batch" of aluminum? If not, how many other aircraft would share the same fingerprint?
How strong an argument would it be if there is a mismatch? Would TIGHAR accept it as definitive proof that none of the aircraft aluminum recovered from Niku was from NR16020 if none of it matched the Luke Field sample?
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