From: Alan R Wise (awise1@cinci.rr.com)
Date: Sat Feb 22 2003 - 21:57:00 PST
on 2/23/03 12:34 AM, Dave Merchant at kosh@nesys.com wrote:
> This thread brings to mind the MIG-23 sitting on the lawn in front of the
> Air Force Museum.
>
> The story on the AFM website was slightly edited to omit a few key details:
>
> "It first was sold legally as a display aircraft by a Russian general
> to a Finnish company, supposedly to obtain funds to feed his troops.
> The Museum acquired it from the National Air Intelligence Center in 1998."
>
> ...apparently the rest of the story is that it was imported into the US
> by a rich guy, but "his papers weren't in order", and it was confiscated.
This is mostly correct. There were two aircraft that arrived in Florida, but
with LIVE 23mm twin cannons intact. The BATF did their job, and both ended
up impounded.
Alan Wise
>
> http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/outdoor/od12a.htm
>
> -Dave Merchant
>
>
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>> From: "David Page" <dpage@dial.pipex.com>
>> Subject: Re: [MV] Fw: [MV] Found Tanks
>> Date: Sat, 22 Feb 2003 22:31:39 -0000
>>
>> A few years ago, myself and several others had this same idea. We got
>> sufficient financial backing to fund the trip, provide equipment
>> accommodation and hire in experts (including ordnance disposal and
>> interpreters, etc.).
>>
>> We had confirmed locations of a King Tiger in a lake near Budapest, several
>> Panzer III and IV's in the former Eastern Block countries and a few half
>> tracks.
>>
>> We tried relentlessly for several months to gain permission to carry out
>> surveys using ground penetrating radar and other geophysical methods (all
>> non intrusive) but couldn't get permission. The main problem is that (a)
>> these countries know exactly how collectable these vehicles are, (b) what
>> they are worth as restored vehicles and (c) they are the property of the
>> state/crown and they are quite happy to leave them alone for the time being.
>>
>> If people are serious about going out and trying again, I still have all the
>> locations as well as contacts in the UK and abroad - let me know and I'll be
>> there!
>>
>> Best Wishes
>>
>> Dave Page
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "GOTAM35" <gotam35@sc.rr.com>
>> To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2003 10:06 PM
>> Subject: Re: [MV] Fw: [MV] Found Tanks
>>
>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Steve Grammont" <islander@midmaine.com>
>>>
>>>> First of all, how are you expecting to find the stuff? Just walk around
>>>> the countryside of Russia with a metal detector? :-) In order to even
>> go
>>>> over there someone would have to know of something pretty much for sure.
>>>> Otherwise it would 99.99999999% chance of being a complete waste of
>> time.
>>>
>>>
>>> I have for many years thought it would be so cool to go to north Africa
>> and
>>> look for WW2 stuff. Kind of a day dream thing. I always figured Europe
>> was
>>> too crowded to find anything good that wasn't already spoken for. I
>> realize
>>> the locals in North Africa probably scavenged everything they could years
>>> ago, but what about stuff that was too far out in the desert or buried
>> under
>>> sand. Are the governments in those areas today something you can work
>> with?
>>> I have little money, little time and little sense. But I have lots of
>> crazy
>>> ideas. I have already dreamed up a recovery vehicle that could go out to
>>> the deep desert and pick stuff up. Anybody got the money?
>>>
>>> Seriously, has anyone ever made any real attempts to locate and remove
>> such
>>> things. I figure with today's thermal imaging and other high tech things
>> I
>>> can't spell, you could find stuff that has been lost since the war.
>> Forget
>>> Russia, lets look for booty in the desert.
>>>
>>> Just another off the wall thought from,
>>> Joe Trapp
>>
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>
> Dave Merchant
> kosh@nesys.com
> nesys_com@ameritech.net
> http://www.nesys.com
> http://www.nesys.org
>
>
>
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