It's a beautiful seaplane abandoned between the sea and the desert of Saudi Arabia and it's been left there for almost 50 years. The plane is a PBY-5A Catalina, a military American seaplane from the 1930's. It's is located on a beach off the Strait of Tiran on the Saudi Arabia side of the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba. Thanks to Adam, we get to know about it and it's story (You too can propose a story to us) :
"The aircraft is a PBY-5A model and was bought from the US Navy by Thomas W Kendall, a retired businessman who converted it to a luxury flying yacht.
The PBY-5A Catalina was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II.
In the spring of 1960 Mr Kendall took a pleasure trip around the world with his wife and children together with his secretary and her son. A photographer joined the group to cover part of the trip for life magazine.
On the 22nd March 1960 they landed at the Strait of Tirana and anchored the aircraft a short distance from the shore to spend the night there. They heard someone shouting but did not pay any attention.
In the afternoon of the following day they were attacked with machine guns and automatic firearms from a headland nearby. The children were able to swim back to the aircraft. Mr Kendal and his secretary were wounded while trying to start the Catalina but moved it about 800 metres, unfortunately it ran aground on a coral reef.
The firing lasted 30 to 40 minutes and no fewer than 300 shots hit the aircraft. The fuel tanks were perforated and 4000 litres of fuel poured from the holes but miraculously the aircraft did not catch fire. The sea was only about 1.5 metres deep and all aboard managed to leave the aircraft and reach the shore.
On the beach they were captured by a group of Bedouins attached to the Saudi Arabian army, who had taken them to be Israeli commandos. They were eventually taken to Jeddah, interrogated and finally set free with the help of the American Ambassador. The Ambassador protested to the Saudi Arabian government but they refused to accept any liability for the attack and consequent loss of the aircraft." Incredible story. Thank you Adam.
coordinates : 28°05'27.02"N 34°36'30.93"E
google map
pictures sources : 1 & Adam
text source : 1 & Adam
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Three not so old planes put to rest at Manaus Eduardo Gomes International Airport in Brazil. I just love how in tropical climates moisture rapidly attacks planes bodies. I can't locate them precisely on the airport...they might have been scrapped since the pictures were taken.
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coordinates : 16°30'41.61"S 68°10'19.39"W
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Once again it's big, rusted strange and beautiful and it's in Russia. Few Km north of Saint Petersburg this giant Antonov An-8 plane rests in the woods. Why is it there, how long has it been there? If you have any info drop me a line.
coordinates : 60°07'03.95"N 30°12'12.37"E
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This Beriev BE-6 sea-plane converted to a monument is located in te city of Myrnyi in Ukraine.
It's unsure if this plane is actually abandoned, but it doesn't seem to be maintain anymore even as a monument. I really like its frozen ghost appearance. frozen just on the take off. At a certain point the plane fell of its base, and the look of it was even more pathetic.
I found some information on this plane on Ruud Leeuw website : This Beriev Be-6's NATO nickname was "Madge". First flight from water was made 14Nov47. A twin-engined patrol flying boat, It stayed in service until the late 1960s.
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This Dassault 312 took off for the first time in 1948. It will be in the air force for the next 21 years until 1969 when the plane landed for the last time in the town of Barcelonnette a small town in the french alps.
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A Wing In Ground-effect vehicle (WIG) is a vehicle that attains level flight near the surface of the Earth, made possible by a cushion of high-pressure air created by the aerodynamic interaction between the wings and the surface known as ground effect
The VVA-14 is not a true WIG vehicle, since the ground effect is only a take off aid. The VVA-14 cruises at an altitude of 10 km where its cruise speed is reached. The first flight of the VVA-14 took place in 1972.
In 1976 a VVA-14 prototype was converted to a VVA-14M1P, the inflatable pontoons were replaced by rigid ones and two additional D-30M turbofans were installed at the nose of the vehicle. These engines blow in the cavity under the wing for PAR take off.
The last model of VVA-14M1P rests in the Air Force Museum of Monino, Moscow, Russia.
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pictures sources :
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text source :
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