X-Virus-Scanned: clean according to Sophos on Logan.com Return-Path: Received: from mtiwmhc13.worldnet.att.net ([204.127.131.117] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.3.6) with ESMTP id 616215 for flyrotary@lancaironline.net; Wed, 27 Jul 2005 00:57:34 -0400 Received-SPF: none receiver=logan.com; client-ip=204.127.131.117; envelope-from=micallahan@worldnet.att.net Received: from unknown (173.birmingham-01-03rs.al.dial-access.att.net[12.74.162.173]) by worldnet.att.net (mtiwmhc13) with SMTP id <2005072704564111300pb7aee>; Wed, 27 Jul 2005 04:56:47 +0000 Message-ID: <003d01c59267$75287680$ada24a0c@unknown> From: "Michael D. Callahan" To: "Rotary motors in aircraft" References: Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] There's a P-38 Lightning in my backyard! Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 23:55:41 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_003A_01C5923D.87D571E0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1409 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1409 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01C5923D.87D571E0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Yup I'm still here and Rusty is right... You BET I'll throw in two cents = worth here! Now, if I am thinking correctly, the Brit/Canadian version of the = P-38 had Allisons with no turbos and also did not have counter-rotating = props. That was one of the mods. You had to have a nearly entirely = different parts inventory for the backwards engine. I don't think there = were any backwards Merlins, either, so that makes a lot of sense in the = supply line. This is an amazing find, Todd. Charlie is right, too. The Navy can = use maritime law to reclaim anything in any country for an unlimited = time. The Air Force doesn't care once it is written off their inventory. = Sounds like you just bought yourself a P-38 my friend! This looks WAY too far gone to salvage as a restoration, though. = Might be nice to build a model and paint it up as this one appeared = originally. That way you could show visitors what that ball of metal = sticking out of the ground really is. The RCAF might be able to help you = track down the records if you contact their historical dept. Contact one = of the museums up there and they will probably jump at the chance to = help track this down. The number on the clamp is really not very useful. That would be = like trying to identify a car by a radiator clamp number. You might look = for a number on that prop, though. That should be traceable. You can email me directly about this if everybody gets pissy about = this being "off topic". This is extremely cool. Mike C. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: Todd Bartrim=20 To: Rotary motors in aircraft=20 Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 3:06 AM Subject: [FlyRotary] There's a P-38 Lightning in my backyard! Yup, that seems to be the case. Sometime in the '50s a P-38 Lightning = that was owned by a local aerial mapping company crashed into the river = cutbanks. I'd known about it for years and even knew the general area = where it was, but the few locals that knew anything about it said that = the bank had slid in the years since and that very little of what had = remained after the post crash fire was still visible. Well, we recently bought a place that I knew was very close to the = area where the wreck was supposed to have happened, so we went looking. = A few years back the city has routed the road ditches to drain the = spring run-off down through the ravine that crosses our property and = this run-off water has begun to erode the mud, uncovering parts of the = wreck on our land! As can be seen in the pics, there is not much left, = however the story has it that only one of the engines was ever recovered = from the wreck as the other one was buried. The propeller blade that can = be seen is still solidly attached to something and there is possible = evidence of an engine below it in the mud, such as a scat tube and = baffle material. This would have been a Rolls Royce Merlin V-12, so = while restoration to operational status is beyond question it would be = interesting to excavate it and clean it up for display simply to = preserve a unique piece of local aviation history. The wreck is located a mere 250' from my house but approx 200' = down in a deep ravine which will make any excavation very difficult. The = first pic shows a few numbers that I found on a metal band beneath the = prop. The second shows the visible portion of the prop. 3rd pic shows a = control surface of some kind - possibly an elevator? 4th pic possibly = may be one of the tailcones embedded in the bank. 5th pic is an aerial = photo of my place with terrain contours showing location of the prop in = relation to my house. I'd like to find out more about the history of = this particular aircraft so I'm hoping the numbers stamped in the metal = band can be traced to provide me with more of this info. There is an interesting story as to how the plane wreck happened = (yes Rusty, it involves beer), however I've only heard the story and = would like to find a few more facts before I relay it. The library has = the local newspaper from that time on microfilm, but I imagine that will = a be a long process to find it, so I won't have time for it for awhile. = (besides, I'll have to pay my fine for overdue books :-) Todd Bartrim RV9Endurance 13B Turbo Rotary C-FSTB http://www3.telus.net/haywire/RV-9/C-FSTB.htm "The world will always have a place for those that bring = hard work and determination to the things they do." -------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----- >> Homepage: http://www.flyrotary.com/ >> Archive: http://lancaironline.net/lists/flyrotary/List.html ------=_NextPart_000_003A_01C5923D.87D571E0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Yup I'm still here and Rusty is right... You = BET I'll=20 throw in two cents worth here!
    Now, if I am thinking correctly, = the=20 Brit/Canadian version of the P-38 had Allisons with no turbos and also = did not=20 have counter-rotating props. That was one of the mods. You had to have a = nearly=20 entirely different parts inventory for the backwards engine. I don't = think there=20 were any backwards Merlins, either, so that makes a lot of sense in the = supply=20 line.
    This is an amazing find, Todd. = Charlie is=20 right, too. The Navy can use maritime law to reclaim anything in any = country for=20 an unlimited time. The Air Force doesn't care once it is written off = their=20 inventory. Sounds like you just bought yourself a P-38 my = friend!
    This looks WAY too far gone to = salvage as a=20 restoration, though. Might be nice to build a model and paint it up as = this one=20 appeared originally. That way you could show visitors what that ball of = metal=20 sticking out of the ground really is. The RCAF might be able to help you = track=20 down the records if you contact their historical dept. Contact one of = the=20 museums up there and they will probably jump at the chance to help track = this=20 down.
    The number on the clamp is really = not very=20 useful. That would be like trying to identify a car by a radiator clamp = number.=20 You might look for a number on that prop, though. That should be=20 traceable.
    You can email me directly about=20 this if everybody gets pissy about this being "off topic". This is=20 extremely cool. Mike C.
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 Todd = Bartrim=20
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 = 3:06=20 AM
Subject: [FlyRotary] There's a = P-38=20 Lightning in my backyard!

Yup, = that seems to=20 be the case. Sometime in the '50s a P-38 Lightning that was owned by a = local=20 aerial mapping company crashed into the river cutbanks. I'd known = about it for=20 years and even knew the general area where it was, but the few locals=20 that knew anything about it said that the bank had slid in the = years=20 since and that very little of what had remained after the post crash = fire was=20 still visible.
   =20 Well, we recently bought a place that I knew was very close to the = area where=20 the wreck was supposed to have happened, so we went looking. A few = years back=20 the city has routed the road ditches to drain the spring run-off down = through=20 the ravine that crosses our property and this run-off water has begun = to erode=20 the mud, uncovering parts of the wreck on our land! As can be seen in = the=20 pics, there is not much left, however the story has it that only one = of the=20 engines was ever recovered from the wreck as the other one was buried. = The=20 propeller blade that can be seen is still solidly attached to = something and=20 there is possible evidence of an engine below it in the mud, such as a = scat=20 tube and baffle material. This would have been a Rolls Royce Merlin = V-12, so=20 while restoration to operational status is beyond question it would be = interesting to excavate it and clean it up for display simply to = preserve a=20 unique piece of local aviation history.
   =20 The wreck is located a mere 250' from my house but approx 200' down in = a deep=20 ravine which will make any excavation very difficult. The first pic = shows a=20 few numbers that I found on a metal band beneath the prop. The second = shows=20 the visible portion of the prop. 3rd pic shows a control surface of = some kind=20 - possibly an elevator? 4th pic possibly may be one of the = tailcones=20 embedded in the bank. 5th pic is an aerial photo of my place with = terrain=20 contours showing location of the prop in relation to my house. I'd = like to=20 find out more about the history of this particular aircraft so I'm = hoping the=20 numbers stamped in the metal band can be traced to provide = me with=20 more of this info.
   =20 There is an interesting story as to how the plane wreck happened (yes = Rusty,=20 it involves beer), however I've only heard the story and would like to = find a=20 few more facts before I relay it. The library has the local newspaper = from=20 that time on microfilm, but I imagine that will a be a long process to = find=20 it, so I won't have time for it for awhile. (besides, I'll have = to pay my=20 fine for overdue books :-)
 
Todd Bartrim
 
RV9Endurance
13B Turbo Rotary
C-FSTB
http://www3.telus.= net/haywire/RV-9/C-FSTB.htm
 
          &nbs= p; =20 "The world will always have a place for those that bring hard work and = determination to the things they do."
 

>>  Homepage: =20 http://www.flyrotary.com/
>>  Archive:  =20 = http://lancaironline.net/lists/flyrotary/List.html
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