Saturday, 24 May 2008

Airspeed Oxford LB537 or Whitley Mk.V BD232?

Airspeed Oxford LB537 or Whitley Mk.V BD232?
Oxford?
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig2

Looking across to the original location of the C-47 wreck referred to in the next post from the coordinates given in High Ground Wrecks for an Oxford crash site, where we found this aircraft component.

The HGW coordinates and location do not agree, as noted in comments on this post, so we will investigate further.

Location:SH 70243 66962

More info

5 comments:

Peak District Air Accident Research said...
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Sean said...

Quite right, "Cornel" is indeed a long way from his given coordinates. Thanks for the tip, we'll pick it up when we go back for the Ansons.

Peak District Air Accident Research said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sean said...

Thanks for your opinions, Alan. We would however have twice as many "crash sites" on here if we took other people's word for where they were. These would however mostly consist of pictures of a distant field in which some authority said the plane had crashed.

We have found wreckage where others said there was none on many occasions. There was no reason from the accounts of others to expect to see the propellor in the lake on this outing, for example.

We however only consider a site proven when we have personally found physical evidence, preferably with markings or other distinctive features which confirm 'plane type. We publish pictures of our evidence for others to comment on. We publish the location of our find for others to investigate themselves. It's a scientist thing.

We always welcome the opinions of other enthusiasts, but we prove sites to our own satisfaction directly.

HGW gives a location and co-ordinates which disagree. That much is clear.

The part photographed cannot be identified as either an Oxford or Whitley part. The parts further up the hill are definitely from a Whitley. You have pointed out that there is a farm 4.8 miles away which has the same name as HGW gives for the Oxford crash. If we find Oxford wreckage there, it becomes probable that HGW co-ords are wrong and location correct. At the moment we have some unidentified, and probably unidentifiable wreckage at the given coordinates, and a report of wreckage from a third party of wreckage at the given location name. We will investigate further.

As far as how much we might see in one outing is concerned, we are considering a multi-day visit, working from the Bothy. We should be able to clear the area.

We will also satisfy ourselves that we cannot find all of the Ansons. That others, however experienced cannot find them does not of course prove them impossible to find, though it clearly shows it to be difficult. As the C-47 prop makes clear, things can change over time.

COMPASS said...

sean, I have enjoyed following your blog for some time now. I believe that your logical approach to the subject,supported by physical evidence, and tempered with humility, is the correct one. Eye witness testimony and hearsay can be helpful, but can also be inaccurate, speculation is the enemy of good analysis. Keep up the good work and happy hunting! COMPASS