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

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18 years 5 months

Posts: 472

And of course we're the nice guys ?

Remember in 1956 we along with a few others, created a fictional reason to attack Egypt and in the process killed somewhere between 2500-4000 of there citizens.........and we ourselves failed to achieve our objectives ......yes we lost.

There's a lot of history and you mustn't be too selective.

Member for

17 years 11 months

Posts: 2,605

Im working off memory but didnt the Malta Aviation Museum have a sea recovered P40 on display that has been perfectly preserved and on display.Or am I thinking of a different Museum.

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15 years 3 months

Posts: 923

if the 1943 event had not been successful, then the 1956 event would not have been possible...and history good or bad is where we've come from.

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 2,123

I was just sent this certificate of Dennis Copping's inscription on the El Alamein memorial. Maybe it has already been posted, but if so I can't find it.

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Member for

20 years

Posts: 3,902

The Daily Mail is on the case now, with enough outrage for everyone !

''Egyptians give World War Two RAF Kittyhawk plane which crashed in the Sahara desert 70 years ago a 'hideous' shark's teeth makeover making it look 'like a badly-made AirFix model''

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5231593/Egyptians-World-War-II-RAF-Kittyhawk-plane-makeover.html#ixzz53914dkOk
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9 years 6 months

Posts: 1,613

If the comments section is anything to go by, the average Daily Mail reader is happy with the restoration!

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16 years 3 months

Posts: 1,813

Meddle............Not exactly true, would described the reaction as "mixed".....

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9 years 6 months

Posts: 1,613

If you follow the green arrows, the most popular comment is:

'That's exactly how some pilots had them painted,non story!'

The top rated comments are all positive in favour of the restoration.

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17 years 7 months

Posts: 1,444

Everything in that rag is outrage, fury etc

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,029

Half a page and three photos in today's Times.

Headed - Wartime fighter 'ruined by hideous makeover'

Mark

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14 years 3 months

Posts: 187

Does anyone know if professional assistance, from the likes of the experts here, was offered to the El Alamein museum in their restoration?

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

I am not aware that anyone here even knew what was happening to the aircraft. There were rumours it was still in its container, or that it was in the US. The thought of a shambolic restoration by the Egyptians was never mooted.

Moggy

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 8,464

Up until just a few months ago, as far as was known, the aircraft remained in its container. It was known that it hadn't been exported to the USA. Professional help would probably have been forthcoming had it been requested (from one quarter or another) - so it would be fair to assume that it wasn't.

Different standards.

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14 years

Posts: 1,788

Those Mail readers' comments are hilarious: if ever anyone needed a better demonstration of how ill-informed and ignorant most of their readership is, then this is the one you should hold forth.

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

The whereabouts of the Spitfire are currently unknown after the firm that brokered the deal to bring back the P40 was dissolved.

Is that factual, or is it still at N Weald?

Moggy

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 8,464

Thanks to Robin for posting that very detailed narrative, which supports what I have posted since the news broke of the aircraft's restoration and display.

Clearly, the RAF Museum put in a great deal of time and effort in order to repatriate the aircraft, and to treat it carefully to ensure its survival. Based on the note by Ian Thirsk, reproduced above, it is clear that the work that has been undertaken has not considered the needs of the artefact in the same way as would have been done in a professional museum environment. A missed opportunity for all of us, and particularly for the museum in Egypt I feel.

Moggy - the Spitfire is not at North Weald.

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7 years 6 months

Posts: 97

"Those Mail readers' comments are hilarious: if ever anyone needed a better demonstration of how ill-informed and ignorant most of their readership is, then this is the one you should hold forth."

It is you who is ignorant of the fact that people from other walks of life do and will have differing opinions to yours. It is a national newspaper and the comments section on their website is open to anyone and everyone. Obviously, not every single person is as into aircraft or aviation history as the members of this specialist "aviation" forum. They simply will not see that wreck as being as historically important as we do (or did). "One man's trash is another man's treasure"...

Member for

18 years 1 month

Posts: 2,123

Moggy: it seems from the Telegraph article that the RAFM knew that there were plans to display the aircraft at El Alamein: The process to achieve delivery to the UK was complicated by the political situation in Egypt. The government there said they intended to display it at the El Alamein Museum.