WIX Archives

Re: One airfield I'd like to find........ :)

Posted by Ron Henry on Fri Jan 24, 2003 11:53:21 AM

In reply top One airfield I'd like to find........ :) posted by Tony on Fri Jan 24, 2003 08:21:54 AM

: Convenient hole right there..... :0)

Tony

My doom and gloom opinion is that very few surplus (for whatever reason) WW2 aircraft went into holes. My logic is that earthmoving technology was no way so "handy" then, so digging a hole to put a 3-D aircraft-shaped object into a hole was a lot more effort, principally because hydraulic-powered excavators (e.g JCBs) didn't exist. For example, during the last week I've spent some enjoyable time watching something like a giant, tracked JCB make the simplest work of demolishing some surplus buildings at my workplace. It can crunch reinforced concrete beams in its grasping claw, and bend substantial RSJs as if they were plastic!

Thus, for disposal of WW2 aircraft, it would have required much less disposal effort if they were first reduced to
2-D aircraft by first running a bulldozer over them, then they could be compressed further by pusing them about with the bulldozer blade. The resulting much compacted mass could then be carted off to a smelter. Alternatively, the Stage 1 flat aircraft presents a much simpler burial proposition if that was to be its fate: a buldozer could fairly easily dig (push) out a shallow depression which would be all that was necessary. Of course, any such excavated wrecks would be useless to any WIXer.

Only my opinion, of course..........

PS You'll note that your hole isn't quite big enough for the 109, so my argument says, sorry, but it didn't go in there !

Follow Ups: