In the very first issue of FlyPast, it was described as the “most ambitious aviation archaeological project ever undertaken”. Jamie Ewan recounts the quite incredible story of 'R-for-Robert' – the bomber that finally came home
Loch Ness is one of the most avidly watched bodies of water in the world as people scour it, looking for signs of the legendary ‘monster’. Today, the allure of spotting the creature known the world over as ‘Nessie’ is just as strong, as yells of “There!” echo around the water’s edge as the light catching the wake of a boat, or a shadow drifting across the surface gets fingers pointing and adrenaline pumping. And while that creature may well be mythical, how many people know of the other Loch Ness monster – one that lay dying on the surface of the murky waters on New Year’s Eve 1940?
Sinking to the peaty bottom some 200ft below, its body lay undisturbed for nearly 40 years. Discovered by chance by Americans hunting ‘Nessie’ in 1976, investigations revealed its skin had rotted away to reveal its shiny bones formed a geodetic pattern, while its life blood had long since drained into the silt it then called home. But it wasn’tthe creature, it was something else – its skin was fabric, its bones duralumin, an…
