Salvaging Halifax NA337: 750ft Deep-Lake Bomber Lift Operation

Описание: #HalifaxNA337 #AviationHistory #PlaneCrash #AircraftRecovery #LiftingCradle
Halifax NA337 went down in Norway’s Lake Mjøsa during the night of April 23–24, 1945, after taking 20mm flak near the Minnesund bridge ignited the starboard wing tank and forced a desperate ditching. The bomber struck in a nose-up attitude, but the deceleration tore the tail away—creating the only escape route for the rear position. Flight Sergeant Thomas Weightman survived; the rest of the crew did not. Halifax NA337 settled on the lakebed at roughly 750 feet (≈230 m) in cold, dark freshwater that preserved paint, panels, and structure far better than typical saltwater sites.

Decades later, Halifax NA337 became a case study in aircraft recovery and wreckage recovery. The wreck was located in 1991, but the real salvage challenge was physics: a flooded airframe becomes a container of tons of trapped water, and a straight hoist would tear wings free or buckle thin skin. In 1995, the team used ROV survey to guide a purpose-built steel lifting cradle under the wings and main spars, then lifted at a crawl to manage dynamic loading and the critical “surface break.” Dewatering and controlled pauses reduced stress before shore transfer—where the mission shifted from salvage to conservation. Halifax NA337 was then disassembled and transported for museum restoration.

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Disclaimer: Educational documentary content. Details may be simplified; respect memorial sites and follow legal/permit requirements—never attempt diving or salvage without qualified teams.