David Cundall, a British aviation enthusiast, has spent 15 years and about $US200,000 trying to recover a group of 20 WWII-era Spitfire planes that were buried in 1945 in an undisclosed location in Burma, after being dubbed surplus back in 1945.
Cundall first learnt of the buried planes from an offhand remark made by an American veteran. On a recent trip to Burma, a camera was sent down through a targeted borehole, confirming the location of the crated planes.
The Spitfires were built with 2050hp Rolls Royce Griffon engines, which allow them to reach speeds of up to 708km/h. There are fewer than 40 flying today.
Though international sanctions prevent military material from leaving the country, British Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent visit has aviation enthusiasts hopeful that the exhumed plans will be safely returned to England after their 67-year entombment. [Fox News]