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He-219 Uhu Found off Danish Coast


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I seriously doubt they'll be able to restore it as it was submerged in saltwater (the North Sea) and subjected to very strong tides. It was actually first discovered some years ago a few hundred meters off the coast by divers and multiple items have been removed over the years. Oddly enough, despite a very comprehensive research into WWII crashes over Danish territory, this airframe has still not been identified.

There're a few pics from the salvage operation on this Danish forum:

http://www.danskemodelbyggere.dk/forum/index.php?topic=2508.0

Bjarne

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I seriously doubt they'll be able to restore it as it was submerged in saltwater (the North Sea) and subjected to very strong tides. It was actually first discovered some years ago a few hundred meters off the coast by divers and multiple items have been removed over the years. Oddly enough, despite a very comprehensive research into WWII crashes over Danish territory, this airframe has still not been identified.

There're a few pics from the salvage operation on this Danish forum:

http://www.danskemodelbyggere.dk/forum/index.php?topic=2508.0

Bjarne

Thanks for sharing :thumbsup:

I figured it'd be highly improbable if it was in saltwater; I wonder why they're so optimistic about restoration in the article?

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Restore...what?

Very optimistic report.

Yes it is, but don't forget a Zero was re-built with only a tail elevator as a starting point.

I no longer say "never say never." Most of the aircraft will have to be rebuilt (if it ever occurs) but you never know these days.

I like how the report where it says there may be a second one in the States that US intelliegnece is said to have brought over to the US. A simple google search by that author would have told him where it is. Even my dog knows where it is.

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It's interesting how the people who found this said they were disappointed that there were wires cut. It seems to me as it was intentional so someone couldn't raise it just after it was put under. To me there doesn't look like theres any crash damage to it and would suggest it was maybe shoved off the deck of a carrier, or some sort of transport ship to be hidden. If there is no instrumentation you cannot fly very well but if those were the only wires cut I would almost bet money that it was to prevent it from being raised and reused.

It just doesn't make sense to me for someone to find something like this and vandalize it. So I think that is out of the equation. I am very interested in finding out exactly why this aircraft was under water though. It will take tons of money to restore but I am pretty sure its possible. If you look at one of the pics with the landing gear its almost all the way retracted but its not. It almost looks more to me like it was all the way extended and from being in the salt water for so long Hydraulic pressure bled off and probably leaked fluid out and started to collapse.

Just a thought. Im no Historian and really have no clue about aircraft from this era. It will be cool to find out the details though.

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It's not mentioned in the article above but it's widely reported in Danish media that the missing/cut out items were removed by divers over the years as trophies. It has also surfaced that an eyewittness, who actually saw the crash in 1945, has come forward. So it's widely believed that the aircraft crashed or was deliberately ditched. Yet, the ejection seats were not fired which adds some questions as to what really happened.

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So it's widely believed that the aircraft crashed or was deliberately ditched. Yet, the ejection seats were not fired which adds some questions as to what really happened.

Well - it being the first aircraft equipped with ejection seats, and being over the water and all, maybe they didn't want to take chances whereas a water landing was a sure bet?

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