WWII P-40 Kittyhawk found in Egyptian dessert

[regi]

extraordinary story, with the last chapter still missing: what became of the pilot?
A P-40 that went missigng during a transfer flight on 28-06-1942 has just been found back.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/11/world ... ?hpt=hp_t3

Take a minute to look at the pictures. The engine parts look as if they can be reused immediately as spares.
The dashboard just needs some dust removal. No corrosion.
( but I wouldn't try to fire that old ammo, because that could be corrodet by the chemicals inside )

[smokejumper]

I saw on the news tonight that an Irishman has identified the plane as having been flown by this uncle; a search is underway for any human remains in the desert.

[veldmuis]

This story about an aviator getting lost in the Sahara desert and his plane being discovered decades later, quite well ‘preserved’, reminds me of another ‘similar’ one: Bill Lancaster disappearing in 1933 and his plane being found in 1962:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Lancaster_(aviator)
See also the 2009 French movie “Le Dernier Vol” (=The Last Flight) in that context:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Flight_(2009_film)

[andorra-airport]

@ Veldmuis

Thank you for that information! I did not know that. Interesting to read. There is another one, very famous: Lady Be Good.

http://www.damninteresting.com/the-rema ... y-be-good/

[smokejumper]

A similar story involved the B-24 ("Lady be Good") which went missing during WW2 in Libya, only to be found in 1958 (gee, was it that long ago?).

see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Be_Go ... ircraft%29

My step-mother's brother flew B-24's from Libya during WW2 and he once said that they assumed the planes that did not return had been shot down, but he always wondered.