Recovering FM-2 Wildcat 57039: Cut by a Carrier Paddlewheel

Описание: #FM2Wildcat57039 #AviationHistory #PlaneCrash
FM-2 Wildcat 57039 vanished into the cold darkness of Lake Michigan after a carrier-qualification takeoff went wrong—then a unique danger finished the job. Operating from the training carrier USS Sable, the aircraft entered the water ahead of a ship that couldn’t stop quickly, and the rotating side-mounted paddlewheel struck the fuselage with brutal mechanical force, leaving two major sections on the bottom.

This is aircraft recovery at its most delicate: a compromised WWII airframe resting around 200 feet down, preserved by cold freshwater yet burdened by heavy zebra/quagga mussel encrustation. Side-scan sonar and diver verification revealed the defining constraint—FM-2 Wildcat 57039 could not be lifted as one unit. The salvage plan had to treat the main fuselage/wing/engine mass and the separated tail as distinct rigging problems, each with its own center of gravity and failure risks.

On December 7, 2012, the team prioritized control over speed: careful attachment points, disciplined hoist work, and surface-transition handling to prevent collapse when buoyant support disappears. What followed was meticulous conservation—keeping the artifact stable, documenting damage, and beginning the long path from wreckage recovery to museum restoration. FM-2 Wildcat 57039 is proof that retrieval is only the beginning.
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