WIX Archives
Re: The results of this forum
Posted by Joe Scheil on Wed Mar 13, 2002 10:03:35 AM
In reply top The results of this forum posted by Cees Broere on Wed Mar 13, 2002 09:04:06 AM
The Forum is a great place to discuss and post new finds, though it seems that new finds outnumber the discussions. The forum is responsible for a lot of people gaining more knowledge than they had and the "pop up" nature of the worldwide scope of the forum allows for a constant change in direction, very refreshing. There would definitly be a place for a wreck database on it, I think that Tony or Mick may already have such a database, and it would be interesting reading. The potential and viability for recovery of many of these is very small, due to the fact that they are simply corroding away. The He 115 wreck is noteworthy because it brings a forgotten story back to life, describing the difficulty and the cost of a small action during the war. The irony of drilling on the "battlefield" for gas is interesting, as the wreck is a metaphor for how society views us and our passion. There needs to be more discussion regarding what survivors and static display aircraft really represent. Some of these are so far removed from a flyable aircraft, that though they look good on poles, they are not restorations by any stretch of the imagination. There needs to be an artifact category, where a wreck can be classed as an artifact(best left in display situ), raw material(parts only), good project, or unrestored original, ect... Artifacts have their place, but should not be construed as a flyable survivor. There are several Stirlings, Whirlwinds, Me 323, Martin 167's, Ablemarles, Hornets, Barracuda's and Wyverns at the bottoms of seas undiscovered. Does this mean the aircraft are not extinct? In my mind, the artifact does not change the fact that there are long odds in finding a flyer. There are several really exciting fresh water aircraft coming up in the USA. One a showstopper! But bringing it up will be expensive if done right, remember Fw 200, and a long rebuild will ensue. These are too good to be artifacts, so shoud a ranking be placed on these prolific underwater wrecks, "suitable for diving only"?