More Desert Kittyhawk data

Since my last post here on the topic, further images by Jakub Perka have been released (the full set are here) and two videos plus a later one.  It is now reported that it is near the Farafra Oasis in the Al-Wadi Al Jadid in Egypt.


The first video, above, the second and a third, going by subsequent damage, here.

There has been a great deal of speculation on the identity of the aircraft, which seems likely to have been narrowed down to one possible example, but I'll wait for official confirmation before agreeing with the summations offered so far.

There is a long thread on WIX here, which develops as further information comes into the public domain, and other threads on other forums as well, as well as a post on the Vintage Wings blog here.

There is an Australian connection, in that there is an Australian made 120 volt battery found at the site, above.  However that does not mean it was an Australian pilot or aircraft, just Australian equipment was fitted, as it was to many Commonwealth Desert Air Force machines.

Sadly, while it is clear that there is appropriate official interest, a certain amount of damage has been done to the wreck since discovery by people attempting to investigate it without the correct tools and there are some pieces visible in the first images that have disapeared in later ones.

I hope to report in due course that the aircraft has been recovered and will be properly conserved and put on display at an appropriate location.  But there's a long way to go and it is not out of the woods (or rather desert) yet.