Still from ROV video

[Ric Gillespie]

I doubt this photo was taken in Lae.

The photo was taken in Burbank in May or June 1936. Lockheed test pilot Marshall "Babe" Headle is showing AE the new retraction system on Model 10A c/n1060. Ironically, this aircraft -  registration VH-UXH - was bound for Guinea Airways.  (You can see parts of the letters UXH on the underside of the wing.)

This photo and a complete explanation of the change in the Electra retraction mechanism was included in an article titled "The Flying Cement Mixer" in the October 2011 issue of TIGHAR Tracks. The are advantages to being a real, dues-paying member of TIGHAR.

[Bob Lanz]

Bob,

In your Reply #1671 above, I suspect the caption for the 1st photo (Earhart & mechanic posing next to landing gear) is incorrect.  I doubt this photo was taken in Lae.  The leather jacket Earhart is wearing in the photo is out of place for Lae.  That leather jacket shows up in numerous photos of Earhart with pretty reliable dates of February to March 1937, during the run up to the 1st world flight attempt.  I can't recall seeing any photos of Earhart taken during the 2nd world flight attempt in which she is wearing that leather jacket.  Wearing a leather jacket (which presumably was lined for warmth) also seems out of place for tropical, hot Lae.

From all I have read, Amelia was quite proud of her leather flying jacket.  She was wearing it when she landed in Lea.  One would then presume she wore it at other times while there.

[C.W. Herndon]

Thanks again to C.W. (Woody) Herndon for these pics.

That's a great photo of the separated right main at Luke Field. I'd love to know where Woody found it.  (The worm gear is there, behind the strut.)
The way the gear assembly came apart in the Luke Field accident is key to understanding the Bevington Photo.

Here is a link to the photo of the Elerctra landing gear at "Luke Field" .

[Dale O. Beethe]

But when the ROV found the object, it was obviously no wing. Rather, it appeared to be a section of ship bulkhead or hatch cover. That was not too surprising, however, since it lay only meters away from a huge pile of Norwich City wreckage.

FWIW, we're taking a hard look at the event to be sure the structure we inspected was the same one we saw in the side-scan imagery.  Stay tuned.

Now THAT is interesting!  In that environment, I would think it's MUCH easier to mistake one target for another than we'd like.  (Not saying it happened, just that I find it quite easy to believe it could.)  I recall reading that in the search for CSS Hunley, it was probably mis-identified as a bouy years before, and the environment it was found in is far kinder than the one you've been operating in.

[C.W. Herndon]

Thanks again to C.W. (Woody) Herndon for these pics.

That's a great photo of the separated right main at Luke Field. I'd love to know where Woody found it.  (The worm gear is there, behind the strut.)
The way the gear assembly came apart in the Luke Field accident is key to understanding the Bevington Photo.

Here is a link to the photo of the Elerctra landing gear at "Luke Field" .

Here are two pictures of AE with the Guinea Airways Electra. The first is of her sitting in the doorway, picture 1 below. The caption says the picture is, "ca. 1930s" but doesn't say where it was taken.

The second is the one where she is looking at the left landing gear, picture 2 below. The caption with this picture says AE "with an unidentified mechanic who is pointing to the left landing gear wheel well, ca. 1937" but again does not say where it was taken.

[Ric Gillespie]

Here are two pictures of AE with the Guinea Airways Electra. The first is of her sitting in the doorway, picture 1 below. The caption says the picture is, "ca. 1930s" but doesn't say where it was taken.

The second is the one where she is looking at the left landing gear, picture 2 below. The caption with this picture says AE "with an unidentified mechanic who is pointing to the left landing gear wheel well, ca. 1937" but again does not say where it was taken.

Thanks Woody.  The photos were probably taken on the same day (AE's outfit is the same in both photos).  The "unidentified mechanic" is Lockheed test pilot Marshall "Babe" Headle.  The attached photo shows Paul Mantz, AE, and Headle in front of her Vega.  AE has autographed the photo. If you look closely, so has Headle.

[C.W. Herndon]

Thanks Ric. Needless to say, I didn't know who he was. Appreciate the picture.

[Jeff Palshook]

Bob Lanz,

I concede defeat on the question of Earhart wearing her leather jacket at Lae.  Thank you for posting the link to the photo of her exiting the plane at Lae.  In that photo, the position of the forward mast for the dorsal V-antenna matches the antenna configuration used during the 2nd world flight attempt.  The hangar wall configuration matches the hangar details seen in other photos taken at Lae.  Everything visible in the photo supports the conclusion that it was taken in Lae.  And obviously Earhart is wearing the subject leather jacket.  You were right about the jacket, I was wrong.

Jeff P.

[Tom Swearengen]

Woody----if you;ll notice there is an ID plate on the topside of the strut, as there there in 'most' subassemblies. Bet the one on the reef has/had one too, that could be documented.

Humm-----wonder what happened to the parts that were damaged from the Luke Field accident?
Bet they would be worth ALOT of money now---
Tom

[Jeff Victor Hayden]

I haven't given up on the 2012 HD footage, it's different but still shows non-coral 'objects' IMHO.
Take a look at these images of something that reflects the light from the ROV.
A circle with a white needle in it surrounded by a square black frame that has a hole in each corner, attached to a larger silver coloured panel (remains)

[C.W. Herndon]

Woody----if you;ll notice there is an ID plate on the topside of the strut, as there there in 'most' subassemblies. Bet the one on the reef has/had one too, that could be documented.

Humm-----wonder what happened to the parts that were damaged from the Luke Field accident?
Bet they would be worth ALOT of money now---
Tom

Tom, I also saw the data plate. It would be very interesting to find something like that!! Hopefully it could also still be read.

[Tom Swearengen]

Woody---i look at it this way---IF they find the gear strut, and IF the ID plate was there, and IF it did NOT have Japaneese characters on it, then we've narrowed the playing field even more. But----presuming it's found, it might take some disassembly to get to the shaft seals to pull the part numbers off of them. They are in an enclosed, and at one time, a fluid proof cylinder, so 'maybe' it can be determined from that.

[C.W. Herndon]

Good point Tom! I had not thought of that possibility. Things like that could change the nature of the game somewhat.

[Tom Swearengen]

Yep---seals, bearings, sometimes sub components, generally have part numbers. Thats what got Fred Goerner in trouble. He claimed to have solved the mystery in the early 60's by finding a generator, he surmised, came from the Electra. Turns out the bearings were made in Japan.

This is one of those 'postively identifyable" things i've been talking about. 

[richie conroy]

Hi All

Thought i would post some images i have been working on, they are not complete but you can see certain shapes

Thanks Richie