Pictures: World War II "Time Capsule" Fighter Found in Sahara

Idled Engine

Photograph by Jakub Perka, BNPS

Found in March in the Wadi al-Jadid region of southern Egypt, the propeller of the P-40 Kittyhawk was twisted during its crash landing in 1942. Pictures taken by Polish oil worker Jakub Perka show that the U.S.-made fighter-bomber survives largely intact, though the engine and landing gear broke off on impact.

At the suspected time of the crash, Flight Sergeant Copping, the P40's likely pilot, was on a repair run to an RAF desert base—the plane's landing gear had become stuck in the down position. He was probably forced down by an empty fuel tank, the RAF Museum's Thirsk said.

Copping was never heard from again. "The pilot obviously got disorientated and lost his bearings," Thirsk said.

Published May 24, 2012

Cloud Formation

Photograph from National Archives/Corbis

P-40s take to the wild blue yonder in U.S. livery during World War II.

Built by the Buffalo, New York-based Curtiss-Wright Corporation, the P-40 was largely known to U.S. forces as the Warhawk. The British gave their roughly 3,000 P-40s (such as the newfound fighter in Egypt) the nom de guerre "Kittyhawk."

(See more archival aircraft pictures.)

Published May 24, 2012

"Time Capsule"

Photograph by Jakub Perka, BNPS

The cockpit instruments of the RAF fighter-bomber—shown being inspected by an oil worker in March—remain mostly intact.

"The aircraft is substantially complete," Thirsk said. "It's like a time capsule."

Thirsk hopes the Kittyhawk will eventually end up at the RAF Museum in London.

"We're working with the [British] defense attaché in Cairo in an effort to recover the airplane," he said.  

(See more Egypt pictures.)

Published May 24, 2012

Target Practice?

Photograph by Jakub Perka, BNPS

Could fuselage bullet holes be clues to why the RAF plane fell to Earth 70 years ago? Possibly, but it seems more likely that these are fresher wounds, caused by gun-toting locals, Thirsk said.   

"I think it's been used for target practice since it was first found," he said.

Published May 24, 2012

Maker's Mark

Photograph by Jakub Perka, BNPS

Even if it'd been full, the World War II plane's 52-gallon fuel tank—as indicated by the manufacturer's label (pictured)—may not have been enough to save 24-year-old Flt. Sgt. Dennis Copping as he flew back from the front line for repairs in 1942.

"The pilot was a long way away from the operational area—he wasn't supposed to be there," Thirsk said. "He got lost and ran out of fuel."

At the time of the crash, the British Army was fighting German and Italian forces in the Battle of El Alamein—a key victory for the Allies in North Africa.

(Also see "As Jet Fuel Prices Soar, a Green Option Nears the Runway.")

Published May 24, 2012

Desert Proof?

Jakub Perka/BNPS.co.uk

The Kittyhawk's V-12 engine almost looks in working order, despite having lain exposed to desert heat and sandstorms for 70 years.

The aircraft was well suited to desert operations, according to Thirsk. "It was very rugged, and it was capable of carrying a good bomb load."

Published May 24, 2012

Wrinkled Magazine

Photograph by Jakub Perka, BNPS

The Kittyhawk's ammunition—such as the bullet magazine pictured—and wing-set machine guns were found intact. What's more, the 70-year-old weaponry may still be in working order, judging by the Egyptian military's decision to remove the armaments for safekeeping.

In their time, those weapons were crucial air support for British ground troops.

"At the height of the desert battles, [P-40 pilots] were flying about four sorties a day, in answering calls from the Army for close support" in North Africa, Thirsk said.

(See pictures of Libya's "Unseen Sahara" from National Geographic magazine.)

Published May 24, 2012

Out of Range

Photograph by Jakub Perka, BNPS

After removing the Kittyhawk's radio (pictured) and batteries, the pilot appears to have stayed with the aircraft, at least initially.

Given how far the pilot had strayed off course, there was little chance of search parties finding him, Thirsk said.

Eventually, Thirsk speculated, "he tried to make a break for it, but the poor chap had no chance, because it was far into the desert and so remote."

Published May 24, 2012

Sanded Down

Photograph by Jakub Perka, BNPS

Decades of rasping desert sands have stripped much of the World War II fighter's paintwork as well as the fabric that covered much of the tail.

The metal bulk of the plane is remarkably well preserved, however, thanks to the dry, arid climate, Thirsk said.

In the 1950s other downed World War II aircraft were found in the Sahara, most notably a U.S. B-24 Liberator bomber named Lady Be Good.

This latest find "is the most complete aircraft that has been discovered since," the RAF Museum curator said.

Published May 24, 2012

Lines of Fire

Photograph from Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis

A P-40 demonstrates its firepower on a Curtiss-Wright Corporation firing range in Buffalo, New York, in 1942.

The single-engine, single-seater P-40 was used as both a fighter and a ground-attack aircraft by Allied forces.

The plane discovered in the Egyptian desert in March "is the last surviving RAF Desert Air Force Kittyhawk," according to Thirsk. "It is very important historically."

The RAF Desert Air Force operated in North Africa, where it provided close air support to the British Army.

Published May 24, 2012

Parachute

Photograph by Jakub Perka, BNPS

It's thought that Flight Sergeant Copping survived the crash, then used his parachute (pictured) as a shelter before making a desperate attempt to walk out of the desert.

Efforts are underway to find the lost flyer's remains, Thirsk said.

Published May 24, 2012

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Photograph from Roadrunners Internationale via Pangloss Films

Published May 24, 2012