TheComerator 31 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 (edited) IN the darkest days of World War II, a fighter pilot took to the air. He never came home. Seventy years later, his aircraft has been declared the "Tutankhamun's tomb" of aviation history... Here's the story Pictures Below --- Edited December 30, 2013 by TheComerator 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soviet_Creamer 8,857 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 Proof the Kittyhawk is OP. Good game. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spuds_McHaggis 898 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 I just hope it does get returned to Britain. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheComerator 31 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 (edited) More pictures... Copping's parachute was part of what is believed to be a makeshift camp alongside the fuselage... Edited December 30, 2013 by TheComerator 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheComerator 31 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 Even more pictures... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IABTxMio 635 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 Jeeeeeeeeeeesus.. :salute: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowba11 1,589 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 Any body recovered? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheComerator 31 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 (edited) Any body recovered? If you go read the article... :learn: :facepalm: It says that they expect his body to be recovered within a 20 mile radius of the aircraft. I did see a picture that MIGHT have been the discovery of his body but I'm not sure. Edited December 30, 2013 by TheComerator Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ma3rabi 3,032 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 Awesome but this picture is pretty old. My only question is what plane shot the kittyhawk down? I wanna say a Bf 109 F4 trop model maybe, becouse those were used in the sahara. Also, from this picture: [spoiler][/spoiler] It seems he has 2 kind of bullit holes. I would dare to say that they were coused by 20mm bullits (big holes) and 7.9mm bullits (small holes) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heike 1,774 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 the big ones are probably the mg151s small ones are the mg131.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rococoera 309 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 those are exit holes, and what appear to only be partial penetrations in some spots. should be some left inside the fuselage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimieus 1,698 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 Oh wow! Awesome find! Thanks for sharing!!! (that's eerie how well it has been preserved!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
_13codyrex 2,096 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 (edited) Sad how the pilot died, well every nation has something special now, USA has the MIG-15 and now the UK has a very unique P-40, Dang how the heck did that aircraft survive 70 years?!? It must be very fragile. Edited December 30, 2013 by _13codyrex Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kinetos 1,739 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 Metal can probably last a pretty long time in dry desert air. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rococoera 309 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 Sad how the pilot died, well every nation has something special now, USA has the MIG-15 and now the UK has a very unique P-40, Dang how the heck did that aircraft survive 70 years?!? It must be very fragile. You can still see tank tracks from ww2 in some parts of the desert, not much erosion out there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fodder09 2,196 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 Sad how the pilot died, well every nation has something special now, USA has the MIG-15 and now the UK has a very unique P-40, Dang how the heck did that aircraft survive 70 years?!? It must be very fragile. I'd imagine some of the internal parts of the plane wouldn't have had a hard time surviving quite easily since they wouldn't have been exposed to much that could've damaged them (beyond the plane crashing in the first place), like the ammunition you see in some of the photos, it looks in fairly good condition apart from rust and sand on certain parts Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TsunderesFTW 369 Report post Posted December 30, 2013 (edited) Any body recovered? "A body has been found in the desert close to the spot where a pilot disappeared after crash-landing during the war. The wreckage of the P40 Kittyhawk plane was found perfectly preserved earlier this year, 70 years after the accident, and now it seems that airman Dennis Copping's remains may have been recovered nearby. The bones were located on some rocks four months ago, along with a piece of parachute, about three miles from where the plane landed in the Sahara desert in 1942. A keychain fob with the number 61 on it was found near the remains, along with a metal button dated 1939. But the pilot's relatives claim the Ministry of Defence said that the remains were not those of the lost airman. It has since been established that the bones were never recovered or analysed, leaving open the possibility they may be those of Flight Sergeant Copping." (Continued in the article linked below) Note: Article is from about a year ago. Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2222406/Dennis-Copping-Body-war-pilot-crash-landed-plane-Sahara-found.html Amazing discovery none the less, also got to admire the skill of the pilot to have crash landed the plane in such an environment in relatively good condition. Edited December 30, 2013 by Moolius 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaptanopin 43 Report post Posted January 1, 2014 That engine block looks to be in a very good shape for spending over 70 years in the dessert, amazing how much the climate of the region affects the degrading of metal so much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheComerator 31 Report post Posted January 7, 2014 That engine block looks to be in a very good shape for spending over 70 years in the dessert, amazing how much the climate of the region affects the degrading of metal so much. Hasn't rained much... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tajj 3,954 Report post Posted January 7, 2014 Poor pilot, survive a crash landing to be left out there to die in the middle of nowhere. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selene_NZ 984 Report post Posted January 7, 2014 water is needed for metals to corrode, not something found in a desert in abundance 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenris 284 Report post Posted January 9, 2014 Fascinating story and photographs. Quite a teasure trove! Its also interesting (from a skinner's point of view) to see the weathering effects of 70 years UV exposure and 'gentle' sand-blasting on the paint, and how some colours have performed/altered/survived differently to others. Certainly a lonely place to die! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prussian_Knight 6,016 Report post Posted January 11, 2014 Poor pilot, survive a crash landing to be left out there to die in the middle of nowhere. I agree. Very sad. I was hoping it would say the pilot got to finally be reunited with his long lost plane. :/. I wonder how far he made it. The plane is a wonderful discovery but I keep thinking about that poor pilot. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
