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Post by vultee43 on Mar 6, 2018 20:17:35 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 6, 2018 21:05:05 GMT 12
It's an amazing find and the condition of the aircraft is remarkable
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Post by planecrazy on Mar 7, 2018 8:36:13 GMT 12
It's an amazing find and the condition of the aircraft is remarkable Yeah the aeroplanes are is really good nick, paint especially, next to no marine growth, is it because she is so deep that the aeroplanes are in such good condition?
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Post by Mustang51 on Mar 7, 2018 8:46:06 GMT 12
I was amazed at the aircraft condition. The Wildcat even had the very clear squadron marking. Looked like there was fabric still intact on what appears to be the TBD rudder under the fuselage. How can that be possible?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 7, 2018 8:51:10 GMT 12
Am I right in thinking till this find the TBD was extinct?
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Post by baz62 on Mar 7, 2018 14:16:23 GMT 12
Another one was found in 2011 and was to be raised. But not sure if it has been yet?
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Post by obiwan27 on Mar 7, 2018 15:44:29 GMT 12
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Post by ZacYates on Mar 7, 2018 16:22:59 GMT 12
So far there's still not a TBD that's been raised or recovered.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 7, 2018 17:23:10 GMT 12
British Navy? I think they mean the Royal Navy. I personally think this finding of the Lexington is better than all the others this team and others have located, and that includes the Titanic. The Lady Lex just looks amazing in those photos. I wonder how long ago they actually found the carrier, and if in the meantime they have lifted a few planes before these photos got released.
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Post by FlyingKiwi on Mar 7, 2018 18:40:32 GMT 12
I saw a mention somewhere that they wouldn't disturb the ship as it is considered a war grave, but presumably that wouldn't extend to the aircraft too? In any case its exciting to think that there are still WWII relics out there in such seemingly good condition as this.
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Post by mumbles on Mar 7, 2018 20:36:34 GMT 12
I was amazed at the aircraft condition. The Wildcat even had the very clear squadron marking. And four kill markings Looked like there was fabric still intact on what appears to be the TBD rudder under the fuselage. How can that be possible? Low temperature at that depth, plus whatever the fabric was treated with is likely unpalatable to marine life and micro-organisms.
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Post by vultee43 on Mar 7, 2018 22:55:34 GMT 12
I believe the site will be fully treated as a war grave. Despite the aircraft been some distance from the main wreckage (which is quite spread out) they form part of the site and perhaps should be preserved. I did think a TBD was raised from Lake Michigan serveral years ago.
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Post by angelsonefive on Mar 7, 2018 23:08:09 GMT 12
Interesting to see the Felix the Cat badge painted on the Wildcat. This was the emblem of Fighting Three ( Squadron VF-3 ). However, VF-3 was not involved in the Coral Sea battle. The Lexington's 21 F4F-3s were operated by VF-2 and the 17 on board the other US carrier there, Yorktown, were being flown by VF-42.
A bit of a mystery there...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 8, 2018 0:36:16 GMT 12
I saw an explanation for that on Facebook, posted by a historian from the US Navy's museum. Apparently some VF-3 aircraft were transferred to the Lexington and taken over by VF-2 sometime before the battle, but were, obviously, not yet repainted into VF-2's markings before the battle commenced.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 20, 2018 9:17:03 GMT 12
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