How Engineers Are Restoring Rare Aeroplanes From WW2 | Chasing Warbirds | Spark

[Music] by the mid-forties warplanes of the globe most vanished becoming scrap metal a small group of fanatics risk everything on a quest to find the precious view that remain high and fly them again some people collect stamps some people collect coins I collect airplane it just got out of control these treasure hunters Claude way to round there's always the element of danger to get to those spots pretty scary but you want something bad enough that's where you got to go to get it it's a race scrap dealers against though is determined to save history yeah with a bloody beauty you know you get bitten by this bug and you just defected for life Virginia businessman Jerry Hagen has amassed his own private Air Force I've always had an interest in aviation the first fighter I flew would do things I never imagined that an aircraft since then Jerry's been obsessed with rare high-performance warbirds to make his money running trade schools and spending raising historic aircraft from the dead the difference between me and the Smithsonian is that my planes fly their planes don't [Music] and it's just so exhilarating sort of makes the hair stand up on the back II and there could be [Music] Marie Griffiths runs a restoration shop in Wangaratta Australia and Jerry's his biggest customer Harry will be pleased with that restoring these planes requires reverse engineering if a part is missing or destroyed they created usually without eprints takes an artist to be able to do something like that an artist beautiful and an adventurer Murray has trekked to the farthest corners of the earth to find airplanes wouldn't be much fun of us to strike forward it's difficult work in dangerous isolated places but for these men preserving the past [Music] this is the p-40 Warhawk we got it out of the jungle and restored it here it is today you've got to find them and give them before the flooding scrap dealers turn them into beer cans latest obsession [Music] built by Lockheed the p-38s dual tail design allowed for fast maneuvers at high altitude its contribution machine guns killing machine - double they are a highly sought after aircraft in that there's not many of them actually flying Jerry needs a p38 in his collection to make it sort of more complete hello Jerry Mari hey going the sea always starts with a rumor these planes aren't marked on any Maps I heard that a few p-38 lightning had been found in Papua New Guinea in World War two the Japanese and the Allies battled to control the island a strategic base for operations in the Pacific many people highest worry to go there and try to find one for me Adam Bailey works injuries maintenance shop in Virginia Anna I have something I got to talk to you about padam to break mechanic and I really want one of my people there to help Murray get it done it's a rainy season is developing and we don't have very much time to get it out of there Adam I really want this airplane honey man I felt like a lot of weight on my shoulders I didn't want to let him down [Music] with that door open especially on the Bell p39 Airacobra they're restoring for Jerry tollen well the latches are gonna go in yet was a us behind the pilot to allow for a massive cannon up front of all the planes being restored it's the one Jerry ones done first chicky babe why engineering without detailed plans means trying failing trying again it's gonna be a pain in the ass machining that out but and they're always I'm their deadline when I get back we really need to have this wing looking like a wing all rights in your hands at least we'll know who to blame won't we you I'll call your nests on the backbone and Marie from Australia heading to Papua New Guinea a South Pacific island the size of California most of its dense rugged unmapped one of the world's least explored and dangerous countries filled with man-eating crocodiles the most venomous snakes on earth and deadly tropical diseases like malaria it's literally in the middle of night way something goes wrong out there you bug it they meet in the capital Port Moresby and say the storms building now in the hills they've got about two weeks before torrential rains begin bringing washed out bridges and downed communications good night Miley booked in here is upstairs in room 22 thanks Mike I get a phone call and it's Marie and so I come downstairs and met him in the hotel lobby Marie Adam Adam mailing all my nausea is lived in pain Jay for years now he's bitching English which most locals understand he also knows what to avoid when to run well I mean look around us gentlemen this is beautiful but it can be dangerous if you don't know where you're going and what you're doing summary where we had to first then the Gulf country Kotori Kakori 250 miles northwest of Port Moresby Kakori is just at the village really with a trade store on the side of the Kakori River there's an aircraft supposedly in the bush there but it's not sure where exactly they'll just have to get on the ground and [Music] when we landed the quarry ballin I went off to get some fuel burnsy and Adam headed off into town to secure a boat now these people started following us wondering you know what we were doing there and I'm real particular about what I eat you know that's it look good there are some things that I won't eat I went to Red Lobster back home and ordered a hamburger [Music] enjoy these things here this comes are you gonna char them all good clip take the skin off they're good on a hot day and make a glass out water back they find the trade store and a man who says he has a boat to rent this boat ends up being a huge party barge promises and handshakes are the only contract so they can only hope it'll all come together like I said earlier the better we breathe out we get ready for tomorrow really pulling for a cold beer but they still don't know where the plane is I need to find Adam gets a hit and you've seen the airplane yeah I have seen that elephant well I see Tony coming down here now we'll tell him I introduced this guy to bernzy I says hey oh this gentleman says he's from this village down the river and there's a p38 visible at the edge of the shore oh and also he said that he had a part of it in a hut personally I thought that was a pretty good lead the man agrees to show up in the morning and guide that to the plane they hope this lead pans out but in the bush there are no guarantees what kind of shape is this one it's supposed to be like tonight's and we won't know until we get there I mean there's nothing out there just mangroves and say go swamp their locations of aeroplanes anywhere in remote areas like this it's just a a word-of-mouth thing I mean it's a matter of getting out there and asking in the morning the boat is supposed to be fueled up and ready to pull out give him back here but there's a problem what's wrong yeah we got site wide fit under the bridge they had to disassemble half the bars and to get it underneath this bridge because it was high tide hey just throw up there it might be a bit that bridge might be a bit higher up thing it still wouldn't fit under the bridge so we put a bunch of people and equipment on us to try and sinker to beat then it finally went under and man you couldn't slid a hoof now between the wheel and the top of that bridge now we were delayed probably an hour and a half nothing is impossible it just takes a little longer [Music] burnsy you're a bloody champion they hire some guides to make sure they stay out of trouble it's the jungle but there's still someone's property and you definitely don't want to go walking on you know someone's land following the local man's directions they had deeper and deeper into the jungle promised the land before time [Music] should have bought the rifle and we can have some skins and make a noise EA to Belkin to surrounded by Crocs and blindly following a complete stranger they push on determined to find the buried treasure that has sat untouched for more than a sixty years if it's even there [Music] Jerry Higgins collection of historic warbirds is impressive but it's not complete so he sent his team to Papua New Guinea on a quest to get him a rare fighter called a p-38 lightning a cornerstone of the Allied aerial forces once restored it would be one of a handful still flying promised I send these guys out of the middle of nowhere on my dime Marie's got a satellite phone but it doesn't always work hello Marie in Papua New Guinea the first lead is a local man who says there's a p38 submerged in a river or south of Kakori stadium yeah you can see them Bob was coming up the story goes that the airplane beached right there and it was right at the edge of this village had they business bought it but the tide was in so we couldn't see it so I found a bit of junk in the bottom of the barge we threw it over to see if we could get metal hitting metal [Music] just back up a bit brandy just oh yeah it's metal to stay brought under I just did metal they do something there but what about their tail up in the house okay we have a look yeah the tailfin will let them know if it's a p38 lying in the murky water jeido that's it that's a broom Marie that's a drone that ain't a 38 I couldn't believe my luck when he showed us the wing of a toy airplane or a missile or something for a much different era of aircraft not war time this one they're thankful for the locals efforts but it's a bust that was a big letdown yeah well clearly we're not going to get to recover an aeroplane here Marie calls to prep the chopper for the next leg of their search wait we're heading back to the quarry using new head back there they'll regroup then head west to a place called by Moreau where Marie heard another tale of a crashed p-38 lightning the story was that the pilot by old out after being attacked by the Japanese and the plane went down somewhere near the river [Music] we could have been lucky bummer tomorrow when he gets a satellite signal Murray checks in with a shop about Gerry's Airacobra his team of experts is hard at work attention to every last detail is essential when your story to airworthiness any mistake could mean a fatal crash their deadlines Jerry's extremely keen to see this airplane happen and flying [Music] bobert like we washed out as rainy season approaches bummer is a Billy Conn the bomber a river it's got a bit of a fishing industry there there's said to be a p38 there in the bush it's about all we know about at the diss stage fans of course with the master ahead licenese of tributaries to navigate it they'll need something for manoeuvre on the barge they have any good news we need to will pity yep do we [ __ ] up okay okay he'll buy dugout canoes fit the bill but they're easy to tip and won't protect against Crocs yeah I'm trying to be a tough guy but I put one foot in it and the thing so unstable this ain't me wow that's a two before alligator by debt in half wouldn't ya they said come on mate you'll be fine yeah yeah we're getting the old man that thing's dangerous you roll that over you're going home in a alligator suitcase I really I didn't I didn't like [Music] you just become a local and we head upriver a little bit further in an up this Creek it's very dirty water and it's renowned for having good populations of nasty slaw crocodiles and snakes the venom from some snakes here can kill a man in less than 45 minutes the Crocs are just as dangerous the locals call them poke books the book book much prefer Merrigan book book it's like some regia come on burnsy you all leave you live next door when we first landed I think I said to Tony where in the hell are we at he said this is a sin to the world mate and it was okay this is it this is what it's all about this is this is the jungle walking that sort of bushes never never like a walk in the park walk out of this outfit crash-landing Yuri replied you see the spines on this [ __ ] legend coming down the parachute pasta and hell it's unbelievable I kid you not been in you know pretty remote location but never for him every step you take here's something that could hurt maybe cool down I'm getting the water now and then it's been long dead slogging some blazing heat impossible swamp I have to walk it all that way I'm thinking man you better be able to get in it started up and flied out for me having to walk through this stuff finally bending boys [Music] but the jungle does not give up her treasures easily [Music] after failing to find a sandwich p-38 lightning fighter plane near Kakori Adam and Bernsen try again in the coastal jungles nearby and finally there you go Adam B 30 I with you Rican yep I don't think it's going to run radiator that's the radiator X or it could be oil cooler got a serial number on it Adam no it just says elevator pulley my 5l the serial number could be run through records to learn how the plane went down and what happened to its pilot without it they know little about the man who crashed here American yep Ryan's didn't have any p38 we just showed the Yanks how to fly them they must be careful deadly Taipan snakes often nest in the racks he would want to watch where you put your hands if you get bitten out there you've got a problem because there's no one to help you under carry well what we really look for is something that's reasonably intact and holds as many components for the rebuild as possible and this one isn't quite right it's slammed in a hell of a speed and angle the parts are smashed it's just not what we're looking for we need to find something more complete to make it worthwhile we're leave it he bloody rinds pissing down I think it's time we got out of these psycho swamp before kids dock what do you reckon hey fellas even with the best leads and the hardest work sometimes it all goes to hell it's bloody disappointing to have to go through all this and you know there's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow nothing tries to keep morale up but it's getting tough and you've already been there for so many days and already looked at two airplanes that are hundreds of miles apart from each other and still nothing felt pressured because what mr. yagan said plus they give him a word and you know we're running out of time rainy season coming it's been over a week no word from Murray I can't get hold of him I don't have any idea for crocodiles eating him or eating the phone it's really annoying oh you're out there bernzy i'ma get home again we in some loose I might as always tomorrow his name bloody hell is if we didn't have enough problems or somehow lost my bush knife yesterday so now I need to go and look for a new one first night in which night the team needs to plan the next hunt yes they've heard the presidents of a Catholic mission and the Central Highlands are no other pin a 38 there so they'll head into the northern port town of madad [Music] the boys had tuna day from there they will drive to the Brahma mission at the base of the own Stanley mountains an area that saw heavy fighting in the war Bern's he's got the business here in the dank he rebuilds boats and things like that he's got an empire here Tony oh yeah king of the sea would you go to sea in that boat another boat yeah we're here so we've checked out across the here that there somewhere LeBron was a bad thing yeah the aircraft so I think about three miles from the mission supposedly down on the river that's where the pilot and I suppose that we put it down we're gonna read my copy last year yeah maybe's tell them up to swim across the river they'll say oh this p38 looks like Adam I hope it's in better shape than the last one we looked at we're off the Brahma mission is a Catholic boarding school with a better hide under students in the middle of nowhere brother Siegfried runs a place and has talked to people who've seen the p-38 it's incomplete condition and the plane is on the danger of the washed away and I am named of the squadron commander and the pilot written on it on your side yeah it's a long walk and not the three miles Marie thought well I think it's a five or six hours one way if they walk isn't it we should have bought the chopper we left it in Moresby it's a six-hour walk which means it's going to be that far back out we're just gonna have to go for this walk and see what happens Adams we start early in the morning at the village there's one river and there's a swinging bridge like a suspension bridge and I mean you know I had in my mind at that you know that that's obviously they don't use that anymore till I see people walking across and it's it looks like it's 50 feet off this rocky riverbed it was a dam near a waterfall how am I going to handle this because I ain't get killed you you [Music] on the way to the p-38 had supposed to be near the Brahma mission we came to this suspension bridge we start walking across that and it's I mean you take a step and it's worse than the boats it's rickety there's boards missing you know and everything in order what my mother's gonna say when they gotta call her and tell her to come put the bottom of supper our band-aids [ __ ] is a slipping please look like shopping for breakfast you look gross speak this airplanes supposed to be in good shape which makes the long trek ahead more bearable you wouldn't walk out of here you'd be probably just another place to die yeah just one to comfy spot the river boy hey looking forward to this it doesn't look like it's very far across but you really can't see the bottom I'm thinking nah man got to be a crocodile or something in there thing boots off I'm leaving man on boy I'll step on the only busted beer bottle out there not be a big bottle a mini poke poke here no poke poke honey pshh [Music] [Music] we made it across no worries but the bloody leeches were a bit of a problem we were to suck my blood draw [Music] little bit further another river is sarama would put books in air this might be the end of the road there's really crocodiles in this one burnsy was yeah he was pretty hot about that then one of the locals says ah you know you cross on the log tell me be at the goddamn bridge [Music] I'm trying to walk across that in cowboy boots it's been four hours now in the heat and muck of the swampy jungle the further we went the trail kind of dissipated into nothing I mean not even a cow path to walk one there's no sense of direction I'm thinking well if somebody has actually seen this airplane but the further we went I was more like I hope someone knows the way home ah Diebold it at the onset the guide said they knew the way but now we really don't know which way to go from here and it seems the locals are a little bit lost also we're in a bit of a difficult situation here with mud up to our nuts yeah six hours in they face a tough call they want to find that plane but there's still the trek back when darkness falls the jungle turns from dangerous to deadly I think we call it a day burnsy I'm not doing the naked Matt name I don't wanna cross that bridge in the dark tonight my book books in the dark all right it's just disappointing to not be able to find the airplane even if we did I don't think we could be recovering it for the rivers in flood the swamps too full I thought my body just shutting down and I just putting one foot in front of the other and just kept on walking and walking and walking I didn't care if a crocodile bit me in half or not I just what whatever Jerry's gonna be pretty let down you know it made me feel bad because I I give the man my work you know and I wanted to come out of there was something jerry is still trying to get through but it's getting to the point where he needs to cut his losses and bring the boys back Nora Nora if Mary calls keep him on the telephone I want to talk to him I don't want to miss his call and find me wherever I am in the building and with rainy season coming and no other leads the Marie's ready to call it quits - and this has been a disaster we're back we're licking our wounds and burnsy says you know 20 years ago I was out in the western province I saw an airplane at a roofie and it bends back and they were in great shape I know roughly word is what the hell you know are you kidding me we should have went there first yeah it would have been nice if you had told us about those our buggies been holding out on us [Music] just as the trip seems a total bust a new lead surfaces this one from the inside then he suddenly pops up and says he happens to know where there's a couple of p38 I know roughly where this Psalm 20 years ago perfect condition Oh bastard after two weeks of fruitless searching everyone's a little weary how's that gonna be better than what we've seen so far another's one ran there some way it's been 20 years in even if burnsy can recall where they were there's no guarantee they're still there yeah I'm not sure I'm inclined to think we should go and say we can retrace his footsteps got it so we're here to do what's after that Noah's Ark maybe this whole thing sounded like another wild goose chase they had South Island Atari their new staging area dari is a fishing village it's not much in the way of amenities it does have jet fuel and that's one thing we need without that we're not going anywhere down here the heavy rains are on their way the clock was ticking I thought you know let's just locate one then we can come back later and get it I reckon it's only something Marie wants to tell Jerry they're extending the trip to check one last place [Music] Jerry Mari hey going Marie oh sorry we set funds I always cut out when you don't want them to hello yeah we cut off I can't call him back I can't reach him this is extremely frustrating at exactly the wrong Adams body calls it quits I didn't sleep at all that night so I get up the next morning and I just started feeling very ill I mean nauseous and and then it's like flu I said I know does this is bad hey are you ready to go I don't know something I hate they hope it's not malaria which begins with food like symptoms Adam rest and if he gets worse try to get to a hospital in Australia all right all right well look take it easy and when we get back I'll come and show you some photos hopefully I okay see you there Murray and burnsy head out to check the two places burnsy remember seeing p38 one near the village of a roofie the other and the remote Bolin's called Ben's back holy can never too much fuel in New Guinea and at a fuel at there you stop there's not enough room in the chopper for the extra gas and passengers so the pilot takes urgency to Luffy then comes back to get Marie very rock back in a roofie and bloodier wouldn't you know it burns the up to his old tricks he's chasing Mary's down and he's got him to do a sing sing for us [Music] Marino's this is their last shot in finding a p38 before the torrential rains hit [Music] bloody weather coverage but idea for Ganesha [Music] it's a huge area to search and they don't have much time I think that boat up there there's all no weirdies while we land there and often we find some locals in a banana boat going down a river and and we land on the on a riverbank and we asked them if they knew where the aeroplane was what we're saying is come to the right spot the odd about that order and this bloke knows exactly we're here we're deal we're really only three or four miles from the site [Music] [Music] ie Meredith but once again it's no good is there a felony in Geneva one more ticked off the list [Music] hi boys thing fellas see you later frustrated by it two guns back but birds is again unsure exactly where [Music] it looked like we're gonna go home with air laying eyes on it worthwhile airplane to recover [Music] I looked at that oh look at that what a bunny beauty I saw its propeller I'm Dan McGann to say that behind man the bus well that to most it looks like just a heap of metal but restoration a slight Murray its [Music] this is bad is it hey we found it hey what a bloody beauty look at that oh man bloody tastic feel like you're kidding a lolly shop or family that came to find I believe we found it that is an aeroplane that's the sort of thing that I'm looking for well what a bloody rippa I should have been a pile of 60 years ago you know look at that child come it still works consider writing my image injury over here we've got the throttle quadrant yeah propeller leader look they still work still move serious crash here we hit the trailer yeah just about the shitty job before touch the ground I'm saying you know that girl burns eie we pulled us through he chased his hunch in and it's paid off I think it's magic now that they've found the plane they have to recover it which means getting permits bringing in equipment hiring a crew they'll return after the rainy season and get Jerry his plane I'm feeling better that evening and I was excited I mean we finally found one that's great for Jerry but damn it I I wanted to lay my eyes on it for myself [Music] what the hey Mari back in Wangaratta Murray sees the Airacobra swing is just about finished has ordered I think you see we've done everything you asked all right very good so you're done now you're gonna go do something you're gonna keep pestering me it's too bloody cold there and I think I might go back to the jungle really it's so much more done when you're naughty hello hey Gerry Murray we're in the world have you been we're begging Wangaratta we got back the back last night I finally hear from him and I just don't like the way the conversations coming up oh well that's a bit of a long story really but the leeches were meeting I want to know if he's found the plane but he's telling me some travelogue about his trip probably 15 miles uh-huh I'm all through a swamp up and then finally he tells me they found the airplane oh I couldn't believe it when we found that one right that sounds great I think you found our airplane bad situation around and and it had a good outcome after all my concerns Murray came through for me again the p38 that I want for my collection is finally within my grasp and if it had been there for 60 some years I'm sure it's gonna be there in a few months when we go back and get it that books didn't get you do it and now they celebrate I decided I may as well do something that I really really enjoyed so much fun flying these

Channel: Spark

Views: 97,478

Keywords: Aircraft collectors, Aircraft preservation, Aircraft recovery, Aircraft recovery expeditions, Aviation enthusiast, Bankroll, Documentary series, Engineering, History buffs, Lead plane hunter, Rare war planes, Science documentary, Spark, Tech, WWII aircraft, WWII history, War artifacts collection, War memorabilia, War planes, Warplane recoveries

Id: byy1q6NDiRQ

Length: 46min 13sec (2773 seconds)

Published: Mon Dec 09 2019