Sunken Voight Corsair F4U-1 fighters stay

[Holden McGroin]

It depends on the oxygen content and the temperature of the water.  Oxygen is the biggest killer, turning aluminum into aluminum oxide.  Rubber, leather and the like that could be attacked by biologicals are undoubtedly long gone, although cold water slows that as well.  

They have been harvesting timer from the bottom of Green Bay Wisc. for a while now, divers going several hundred feet down to salvage logs that have layed on the bottom for better that 150 years, and 95% of the wood is still in good shape.  The wood is selling at a premium to furniture and guitar makers.  

The planes could be in surprisingly good shape in low oxygen cold, deep water.  On the other hand, they could be mush.

[Rino]

Originally posted by gofaster
There have been several similar incidents where private organizations have wanted to salvage US Navy planes for restoration and preservation, but the US Navy has refused to relinquish its claim on the equipment.  Unlike the Air Force, which will strike a plane from its records after x number of years, or will otherwise permit private organizations to obtain samples of old aircraft for salvage and restoration under certain conditions and restrictions, the US Navy will maintain an on-going non-expiring right and title to vintage aircraft.

I remember one case where an old Grumman biplane fighter was located in deep water, in pristine condition, by a private firm with the intent of raising it, restoring it, and displaying it to the public.  The Navy refused to give up its title to the aircraft (most likely so that it could recover the aircraft itself) and when the private firm returned to the site years later, the plane had been severely damaged by fishing nets and Navy divers and recovery wasn't economically viable.

I'm guessing that, in the case of the 2 Corsairs, since they were British planes, the private salvage firm hoped the British government would be more receptive to the preservation of its history and permit experts in aircraft salvage and restoration to recover the two planes.

For some intersesting stories about bungled salvage operations by the government, you should read some of the stories about the Glomar Explorer.

     Actually the F3F was recovered by a buddy of mine, Joe "Der Bubba" Kennedy.  He flew with JG 54 in AW and sent me a video
of first discovering the bird, then recovering it a couple years later.

     It's true that the aircraft was damaged by fishing nets, but was recovered and restored.  DB added a clip to the video
showing him and some friends visiting the hangar where the
restored aircraft was.

     Lt Comm Kennedy was with the deep sea salvage unit at
North Island at the time, and they used one of their deep diving
subs to recover the Grumman from approx 3800 foot of water.

     Apparently the F3F had ditched during a car-qual in 1940
while on final to the USS Yorktown.  When the sub first saw it,
it still had the gear and hook down, but was inverted on the
ocean bottom.

     Rino

[Torque]

Does HT own a boat and some scuba gear?

[Gunslinger]

wasnt there a story about some B17s or somthing that had to ditch in icland or greenland.  They got Iced over and forgotten about but were salvaged like 30 years later in pristine condition??? could just be a myth

[straffo]

Originally posted by Gunslinger
wasnt there a story about some B17s or somthing that had to ditch in icland or greenland.  They got Iced over and forgotten about but were salvaged like 30 years later in pristine condition??? could just be a myth

I think it's "Glacier girl" (a P38) and a B17 but it don't compare as there were not coffin.

http://p38assn.org/glacier-girl.htm

[gofaster]

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
They have been harvesting timber from the bottom of Green Bay Wisc. for a while now, divers going several hundred feet down to salvage logs that have layed on the bottom for better that 150 years, and 95% of the wood is still in good shape.  The wood is selling at a premium to furniture and guitar makers.  

Same here in Florida, believe it or not.  There is a company that salvages old-growth logs that have sunken in rivers and swamps.  Even though the exterior wood is water-logged, it is still valuable old-growth timber; something about how the heart of the wood is too dense for water to penetrate and is impervious to rot.  The newspaper ran an article about it, and how the lumber companies can't find 100-year old trees anymore because they were mostly all harvested during the "unlimited resources" days of industry.  The only ones left are on federally-protected lands and private property (such as homeowners with 100-year-old oaks decorating their yards).