Cessna L-19 recovered after 47 years - Aircraft of World War II

evangilder · 08-15-2005, 12:03 PM

Interesting

Quote:

A Cessna L-19 Bird Dog was recovered on Saturday from the bottom of a Minnesota lake, where it had rested beneath 40 feet of water since 1958. The recovery team used a large winch mounted on a pontoon boat to hoist the airplane, then towed it to shore. Divers also found a flight log, parachutes and headphones. The wreck was discovered by accident in July 2004, when fishermen in search of walleye scanned the area with an underwater camera. The Army airplane crashed after the pilot, Capt. Richard P. Carey, reported he was low on fuel and then apparently hit some seagulls and crashed into the lake. Carey was killed and his body was recovered two weeks later, but the aircraft was never found. Local organizations, including an American Legion post and an EAA chapter, plan to restore the airplane and display it as a memorial to its pilot.

Nonskimmer · 08-15-2005, 04:30 PM

Wow, what a great discovery. I mean it's a shame about the pilot, but it's nice that the Legion and the EAA plan to restore the plane.

FLYBOYJ · 08-15-2005, 05:41 PM

WOW!

There are 22 Bird Dogs sitting at an Army base in Thailand, US property. When I was there in 2000, the base commander told me if you could figure a way to get the state dept. to turn them over to you, the're yours!

evangilder · 08-15-2005, 05:42 PM

Getting a response out of the state department might be more work than restoring this one!

Nonskimmer · 08-15-2005, 05:43 PM

22 of them? I wonder why they just left them there.

evangilder · 08-15-2005, 05:45 PM

Probably left over in case some spooks want to use them at some future date. Joe, were they in flyable condition, or just left to rot?

Gnomey · 08-15-2005, 05:45 PM

Good find, shame about the pilot but at least it is now being restored in memory of him

Nonskimmer · 08-15-2005, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evangilder

Probably left over in case some spooks want to use them at some future date.

Hmmm. Could be.

FLYBOYJ · 08-17-2005, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nonskimmer

22 of them? I wonder why they just left them there.

They were old MAP planes. The Thai army replaced them with T-41s. They were actually in great shape! I got some fuzzy photos of them, I'll try to post them when I get back to Colorado.

Nonskimmer · 08-17-2005, 07:07 PM

That'd be great. Thanks, FJ.

FLYBOYJ · 08-23-2005, 06:28 PM

Hey, here they are

Nonskimmer · 08-23-2005, 06:31 PM

Ah, right on. Thanks.

evangilder · 08-23-2005, 08:55 PM

Looks like at least one had a cockpit stripped.

FLYBOYJ · 08-23-2005, 09:30 PM

Yes - I showed how they varied from one extreme to another. Airframe wise they were all in great shape, although they had these hornets nested in some of them. The little buggers were tiny, their stinger couldn't penetrate the skin, but you could feel a pinch eveytime one of them tried to sting you!

One of the "Honchos" there told me that if you could find the right contact at the US State Deparment, you could have them. He also said they were taking up room on his base!

Farang · 11-07-2009, 04:49 PM

Not sure if these are the same aircraft as refrered to earlier but these pictures were taken in 2007. They need a good home.

08-15-2005, 05:41 PM	#3
FLYBOYJ IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 16,050	WOW! There are 22 Bird Dogs sitting at an Army base in Thailand, US property. When I was there in 2000, the base commander told me if you could figure a way to get the state dept. to turn them over to you, the're yours! __________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"

08-15-2005, 05:42 PM	#4
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	Getting a response out of the state department might be more work than restoring this one! __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

08-15-2005, 05:45 PM	#6
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	Probably left over in case some spooks want to use them at some future date. Joe, were they in flyable condition, or just left to rot? __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

08-15-2005, 05:45 PM	#7
Gnomey "World Traveller" Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 15,224	Good find, shame about the pilot but at least it is now being restored in memory of him __________________ "Success is not Final, Failure is not Fatal, it is the Courage to Continue that Counts" Sir Winston Churchill "To him the People of the World Largely owe the Freedom and Liberties they Enjoy Today" Enscription on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-40) statue in London WW2 Talk: A WW2 Discussion Forum My Photo Collections on Flickr

08-23-2005, 08:55 PM	#13
evangilder "Shooter" Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Moorpark, CA Posts: 14,809	Looks like at least one had a cockpit stripped. __________________ http://www.vg-photo.com For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return. Leonardo Da Vinci

08-15-2005, 04:30 PM	#2
Nonskimmer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 8,871	Wow, what a great discovery. I mean it's a shame about the pilot, but it's nice that the Legion and the EAA plan to restore the plane.

08-15-2005, 05:43 PM	#5
Nonskimmer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 8,871	22 of them? I wonder why they just left them there.

08-17-2005, 07:07 PM	#10
Nonskimmer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 8,871	That'd be great. Thanks, FJ.

08-23-2005, 06:31 PM	#12
Nonskimmer Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 8,871	Ah, right on. Thanks.

08-23-2005, 09:30 PM	#14
FLYBOYJ IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 16,050	Yes - I showed how they varied from one extreme to another. Airframe wise they were all in great shape, although they had these hornets nested in some of them. The little buggers were tiny, their stinger couldn't penetrate the skin, but you could feel a pinch eveytime one of them tried to sting you! One of the "Honchos" there told me that if you could find the right contact at the US State Deparment, you could have them. He also said they were taking up room on his base! __________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"

11-07-2009, 04:49 PM	#15
Farang Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: North Yorkshire Posts: 2	Bird Dogs in Thailand Not sure if these are the same aircraft as refrered to earlier but these pictures were taken in 2007. They need a good home.

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