WIX Archives
Re: Lake Michigan
Posted by Rob Mears on Tue Dec 31, 2002 03:34:00 PM
In reply top Lake Michigan posted by Pat Carry on Tue Dec 31, 2002 01:18:28 PM
Taras Lyssenko was in charge of the recovery of the Wildcats & SBD's previously recovered for the Navy. He's the guy who understands better than anyone just exactly where the underwater wrecks are ;) His list of the types of military aircraft in Lake Michigan include the following types:
TBF
TBM
SBD-1 thru ?5
FM-2 & F4F
SB2U
F4U
F6F
SNJ
I know that there are pending recoveries on an early F4U-1 and an F6F Hellcat right now. The Navy Historical Center wants these for their Pensacola museum. The Corsair in question is the world's oldest surviving example of its type which is all the more reason for them to get on with it. AFAIK these are the only two airframes that the Navy actually plans to recover right now. Damn shame, because there are dozens of well preserved aircraft down there just waiting for the Navy Historical Center to come under new management. The Navy used to not be so anal (or flagrantly ironic) about how it chooses to value its heritage.