Spitfire guns fire after 70 years

[Gil Boyd]

Spitfire redux: The WWII guns firing after 70 years buried in peat - BBC News

Information

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[Vincent]

Interesting to see it fired with a pneumatic solenoid.

I have seen pictures of a .303 BSA MKII Browning converted for land use. It had spade grips was mounted on a tripod. Haven’t been able to find any details so far.

[Seaspriter]

Amazing and touching story.
There is a comparable story on this side of the pond -- WWII Wildcat fighters being fished out of Lake Michigan;
One is on display in Chicago's O'Hare airport and is beautifully displayed:
http://www.airclassicsmuseum.org/Schools/Butch%20O'Hare%20Story.htm
Several years ago the lost squadron was exhumed from the ice in Greenland. Glacier Girl is one of the P-38s that has been resurrected.
http://www.damninteresting.com/exhum...-glacier-girl/
And for those Spitfire fans, you may be happy to learn about the Pickled Spitfires in Burma:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news..._206526-1.html

[garrettbragg12]

Amazing and touching story.
There is a comparable story on this side of the pond -- WWII Wildcat fighters being fished out of Lake Michigan;
One is on display in Chicago's O'Hare airport and is beautifully displayed:
http://www.airclassicsmuseum.org/Schools/Butch%20O'Hare%20Story.htm
Several years ago the lost squadron was exhumed from the ice in Greenland. Glacier Girl is one of the P-38s that has been resurrected.
http://www.damninteresting.com/exhum...-glacier-girl/
And for those Spitfire fans, you may be happy to learn about the Pickled Spitfires in Burma:
http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news..._206526-1.html

I never realized they actually found the spitfires! I thought it was just a bunch of hype but digging found nothing. I'm really glad you posted that link, thank you!

[Brit plumber]

I never realized they actually found the spitfires! I thought it was just a bunch of hype but digging found nothing. I'm really glad you posted that link, thank you!

As far as I know, they didn't. What they thought were Spitfires in a crate turned out to be something else. The images even convinced some at BBMF but it was all a mistaken identity.

Of course the may be hiding the truth......

[ireload2]

You might re-read that article.
It shows no photos and they did not dig up the planes. They only said they ran a camera into the ground.

I never realized they actually found the spitfires! I thought it was just a bunch of hype but digging found nothing. I'm really glad you posted that link, thank you!

[garrettbragg12]

You might re-read that article.
It shows no photos and they did not dig up the planes. They only said they ran a camera into the ground.

I think I got the articles mixed up, sorry!

[Bob Womack]

My dad was station on Naval Pier in Chicago and spent his lunch breaks watching flight ops on the USS Wolverine and the USS Sable, America's paddle-wheel aircraft carriers, as they plied Lake Michigan. The two ships were converted to train Naval aviators to trap onto and take off from aircraft carrier decks. My father watched as several aircraft either missed or over-ran the deck during his lunch breaks.

Bob

[CINDERS]

Thought this may be in the realms of the Spitfire story as well;
https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&r...19745492,d.dGY

The story in full well worth the watch all of it I enjoyed it a true labour and resto project ~

[Brit plumber]

I have an early BSA MkII, the majority were MkII* guns. The air solanoids were a fighter wing fitting, hydraulic and hand fired were usually found in bombers. The Mk I was the Colt ANM2 initially purchased and I don't know of any that have survived.