Flt Sgt Copping's P-40 From The Egyptian Desert

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Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 31

I don't know my P40's lads but could this be her serial number??

Hi Peter

Just a quick look I would say possibly, however it would a non standard position and size for a Kittyhawk Serial.

Normally positioned a little further down towards the Mid fuselage line and further back towards the tail (not by much), I think you'll find what is shown is a small removable panel situated in that position.

Buz

Member for

14 years 5 months

Posts: 31

Hi,

After seeing the massive interest in this thread I wondered if all the P40 experts could help me I.D this aircraft, maybe someone has records of the type.

All I have is RAF Maiduguri, Nigeria 1940-1

Also on the picture is written 'Drak's Tommahawk'

Remains of what could be a 6 on the fuselage.

Dont know if it will help with the big debate but any info would be great.

Cheers

Ant.

[ATTACH]204904[/ATTACH]

Hi Ant.

Its likely to be either AK512 Damaged when aircraft landed in sand storm and swung at Maiduguri (Fltl Araszkiewicz) 16/6/41 or AK553 which swung on landing at Maiduguri 22/6/41 (SGT G.R.Bowerman). The number 6 on the fuselage is a Takoradi Route marking as is the white area on the upper spine of the aircraft.

Buz

Member for

15 years 3 months

Posts: 31

Hi All,
Peter what you have highlighted in the still is an access panel and the four dark areas are Dzus fasteners.
Cheers,
Ash.

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 8,464

Different P40 Steve - keep up!

Member for

17 years 8 months

Posts: 2,766

While I'm as fascinated as anyone by this and the possible ID I think we should perhaps be aware of the consequences of this being spattered all over the internet. For all we know (and I hope) some offical body and some of our well connected members is trying to identify the pilot and the outcome of his forced landing. Lets hope he made it but it's a long way out in the 'Blue'.

It would be nice if the Egyptian Goverment were to gift this to the RAF Museum or any resonsible authority so that no one will make any money out of what may well turn out to be a grave marker.

John

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20 years 9 months

Posts: 2,982

Different P40 Steve - keep up!
I'm trying, but obviously not hard enough! :)

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12 years 5 months

Posts: 797

Did I see tyre tracks..?

The photos in the original Link seem to have gone now. I did notice however, when I originally looked at them, that there seemed to be some old tyre-marks, filled-in with sand close to the a/c. This may well mean that the pilot was picked-up. I rather doubt that the RAF would have bothered to recover a possibly tired and quite badly damaged a/c from so deep into the desert anyway.
Lets hope the a/c survives it's current custodians...:(

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,168

Thanks Buz and Ash, like i say I don't know my p40's so....

Member for

12 years 1 month

Posts: 442

If the pilot was picked up, would they not have at least salvaged the ammo and anything that could be easily detached?

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 554

What is interesting is that the radio is missing. Maybe, maybe after contact with base using the radio LRDG or others picked up the pilot and took radio so it would not fall into the wrong hands.
The a/c was not destroyed as it would have attracted attention to the possible rescuers.
Lets hope that was the scenario, but who knows?

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 9,780

Dobbins - a couple of days ago numerous people didnt believe this was a real aircraft . Its hardly worth speculating on whats in the aircraft or otherwise -what we see is what there is.
Undoubtedly shortly there will be more information on the aircraft and the fate of the pilot.

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,168

Just wondering how stable ammo would be after dry storage for 70 years?

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12 years 1 month

Posts: 442

I heard somewhere the other day that Spitfires had a mechanism to destroy the radio in such circumstances, so if it is missing then that's probably a good sign.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

Just wondering how stable ammo would be after dry storage for 70 years?

It doesn't matter greatly.

Even if it was as unstable as hell, once clear of the breech it can happily pop itself off with little or no danger to anybody standing more than a foot or two away.

The powder will have lost some of its oomph, the detonator might have given up the ghost altogether.

We are talking here ball and tracer in 30-50 cal. Not explosive-headed cannon rounds.

Moggy

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20 years 5 months

Posts: 490

Just wondering how stable ammo would be after dry storage for 70 years?

The powder used on the Iowa class battleships into the 1990s was manufactured in WW2.

Member for

24 years 2 months

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Wonder why they didnt open up and remove the ammo leaving the cans inside the wing.. guess we will enver know..

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 490

Wonder why they didnt open up and remove the ammo leaving the cans inside the wing.. guess we will enver know..

Convenience, I´d guess.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,168

True.. it looks like they have been careful top properly open up wing access panels for the ammo.maybe a good sign for her final recovery?

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17 years 11 months

Posts: 2,024

Wonder why they didnt open up and remove the ammo leaving the cans inside the wing.. guess we will enver know..

Somethinig handy to carry it in?

Member for

17 years 8 months

Posts: 2,766

I have found split/broken WW.1 303 British (cordite strands) cartridges on the Somme and German Black powder rounds with loose heads, both having been exposed to the weather for nearly 70 years, and set fire to the emptied contents (singly) with a satisfying woomph. All ammunition is dangerous and anything bigger, just tiptoe away. I once persuaded a young chap and his mother that the "exhaust pipes" he'd found and were rattling around in the car boot were in fact unfired Stokes Mortar rounds (which do look like small exhaust silencers) with very corroded pins still just in place.. As for any rescuers recovering the ammo originally I don't think they would have bothered, The radio possibly.

John