Identifying new WW2 wreck off Pt Loma, San Diego

FLYBOYJ · May 4, 2022

beldridg said:
Yeah, we know about that one and I've dove it. It is on about 250 feet of water and is a different wreck. The one we found is somewhat nearby but in 150 feet of water.

Brett

How far is that wreck from the one you discovered? Did you notice a debris field around your wreck?

beldridg · May 4, 2022

FLYBOYJ said:
How far is that wreck from the one you discovered? Did you notice a debris field around your wreck?

It is far enough way to not be related. I would guess 3-5 nautical miles.

There really isn't a debris field. We believe that tail section might be nearby but we haven't dove it yet.

Here is a picture of the nose of the "other" TBM:

- brett

beldridg · May 4, 2022

FLYBOYJ said:
There's a lot of growth around the prop hub, I don't think there's a spinner on there. The only way to know for sure is to remove the growth.

Here is a picture from the dive today after I scrubbed the front of the prop with a brush.

- brett

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

Still hard to say but my guess there's no spinner on there. How often do you dive there?

beldridg · May 5, 2022

Here are four more pictures of the wheel area. Note that the lens I use tends to add some curvature to the photos so straight lines are a little bowed (it isn't a fisheye but it also isn't rectilinear.

I'm working on a photogrammetry model and will try to upload that later.

- brett

beldridg · May 5, 2022

FLYBOYJ said:
Still hard to say but my guess there's no spinner on there. How often do you dive there?

I'm wondering if it came off or rotted off or ??? It is just so hard to tell with wrecks in salt water that have been there for 80-ish years.

We did a second dive on it yesterday. We don't currently have a date to do another. Is there a specific area of the plane you want to see? I've got about 400-500 photos from the two dives.

- brett

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

beldridg said:
I'm wondering if it came off or rotted off or ??? It is just so hard to tell with wrecks in salt water that have been there for 80-ish years.

We did a second dive on it yesterday. We don't currently have a date to do another. Is there a specific area of the plane you want to see? I've got about 400-500 photos from the two dives.

- brett

Hi Brett -

Agree, hard to tell what's going on and I'm sure the salt water rotted much of this. How much of the fuselage is in tact? Do you have a shot showing the entire wing?

Joe

beldridg · May 5, 2022

FLYBOYJ said:
Hi Brett -

Agree, hard to tell what's going on and I'm sure the salt water rotted much of this. How much of the fuselage is in tact? Do you have a shot showing the entire wing?

Joe

Yes and no.

The visibility has been literally 5-10 feet so getting a shot of the whole wing is impossible. It is also really dark due to all the particulate matter in the water blocking the sun and down at 150 feet. However, I have been working on building a photogrammetry model. I can't get everything to align in a single model, but I do have two models which show the starboard side and port side. I've pasted screenshots of the models below.

Important to note: The control surfaces from the wings are gone so they look less "wide" than they normally would. You can see on the starboard side wing that it extends back a little bit close to the fuselage. Also note the interesting "square hole" on the starboard side close to the fuselage. Maybe this is another clue?

The first screenshot shows the port wing on the left with all the pink strawberry anemones and the second screenshot shows the starboard wing on the right and you can see the 50 cal gun and some of the engine in front.

I'm working on building a better model but I won't be able to spend more time on it until Sunday.

- brett

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

OK - very cool! Now some thing that hit me as soon as I saw the lower photo -

This looks like the outline of the wing -

Here's a cut-away -

Any chance of a second or third gun within the wings?

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

This portion has my attention as well...

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

OK - another possible aircraft - T-28 !

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

Sorry for all these posts - here's a site that restored a T-28, take a good look at the wings!

RARE BIRD AVIATION

AIRCRAFT RESTORATION, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, HISTORIC FLIGHT OPERATION in Austria, Europe. Classic airplanes restoration, covering all historic airplanes during the period of 1920 - 1930 - 1940. Aircraft for sale! Historische Flugzeug Restaurationen aus den Anfängen der...

www.rarebird.eu

The only disconnect I see is the engine - the T-28 had a singe row radial. Are we sure this wreck's engine is a twin-row radial?

beldridg · May 5, 2022

FLYBOYJ said:
OK - very cool! Now some thing that hit me as soon as I saw the lower photo -

View attachment 667038

This looks like the outline of the wing -

View attachment 667039

Here's a cut-away -

View attachment 667040

Any chance of a second or third gun within the wings?

I don't think so but I also wouldn't rule it out completely. I've reviewed a number of the pictures and I don't see any indication of it. What airplane are you thinking?

What direction does the landing gear / wheel fold in that picture?

Also, I'm pretty sure what the wreck airplane is, it is more than a single seater.

- brett

beldridg · May 5, 2022

FLYBOYJ said:
Sorry for all these posts - here's a site that restored a T-28, take a good look at the wings!

RARE BIRD AVIATION

AIRCRAFT RESTORATION, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, HISTORIC FLIGHT OPERATION in Austria, Europe. Classic airplanes restoration, covering all historic airplanes during the period of 1920 - 1930 - 1940. Aircraft for sale! Historische Flugzeug Restaurationen aus den Anfängen der...

www.rarebird.eu

The only disconnect I see is the engine - the T-28 had a singe row radial. Are we sure this wreck's engine is a twin-row radial?

100% sure. See photo below.

I think another really key clue is that there are two oil coolers.

- brett

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

beldridg said:
I don't think so but I also wouldn't rule it out completely. I've reviewed a number of the pictures and I don't see any indication of it. What airplane are you thinking?

What direction does the landing gear / wheel fold in that picture?

Also, I'm pretty sure what the wreck airplane is, it is more than a single seater.

- brett

Well the wing looked like one from a P-51 but the radial engine rules that out

The wing also looks like one from a T-28 trojan. The later versions had a 3 bladed prop.

The curve ball is the .50 cal in the wing - the only US aircraft I can find configured like this is a TBF Avenger

The twin row engine would fit the Avenger description

What's your thoughts?

beldridg · May 5, 2022

Here is a link to viewing the "interim" 3D photogrammetry model:

Unknown Airplane - Pt Loma - 3D model by Brett Eldridge (@beldridg)

sketchfab.com

- brett

SaparotRob · May 5, 2022

beldridg said:
Here is a link to viewing the "interim" 3D photogrammetry model:

Unknown Airplane - Pt Loma - 3D model by Brett Eldridge (@beldridg)

Unknown Airplane - Pt Loma - 3D model by Brett Eldridge (@beldridg)

sketchfab.com

- brett

Way cool!

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

The Engine Mount in the 3D - looks like TBF/ TBM!

FLYBOYJ · May 5, 2022

oil coolers!

Identifying new WW2 wreck off Pt Loma, San Diego

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