The Recovery of Lutes' P-47
Robert Greinert, of HARS and owner of several WWII Pacific aircraft previously recovered from New Guinea does an interview related to the recovery of P-47D 42-22687 flown by Marion Lutes.
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| All photos by Peter Salomon, via Robert Grienert. Used with premission |
- Tell why Lute's P-47 was selected for recovery?
- Pilot Lutes is listed as an MIA, what are your feelings on this?
- Where will the aircraft be stored, exhibited, restored?
- What of the original markings and artwork?
- Talk about the condition of the cockpit
- Talk about the recovery operation
- What will be the future of this aircraft?
- Anything else you would like to add?
Tell why was
this aircraft was selected for recovery REBUILDING A P47 RAZORBACK TO CORRECT MANUFACTURERS AND MILITARY CONFIGURATION IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. ITS A VERY BIG JIG SAW PUZZLE AND THIS SHOULD GIVE US MOST OF THE MISSING PIECES. WE WILL NOW BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE RESTORATION OF OUR TWO THUNDERBOLTS TO "DEAD STOCK" CONFIGURATION UTILISING THE AIRCRAFT AS THE THREE DIMENSIONAL BLUE PRINT. SEVERAL COMPONENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE HYDRAULIC AND OIL TANKS ARE COMPLICATED PIECES THAT CANNOT BE BUILT FROM AVAILABLE PLANS AND MANUALS. MY ENGINEERING STAFF HAD REQUESTED ACTUAL SAMPLES BE SUPPLIED PRIOR TO MANUFACTURING NEW UNITS. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO DISMANTLE THE AIRCRAFT FOR DIRECT PARTS USAGE. IT WILL BE LEFT INTACT AND USED AS A PATTERNS/REFERENCE SOURCE PLEASE NOTE; THIS INFORMATION IS NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. MANUALS AND DRAWINGS DONT GIVE EVERYTHING REQUIRED AND MOST OF THE SURVIVORS HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY ALTERED OR MODIFIED POST WAR. B) THE ADDITTIONAL CONCERN WAS THAT THE WRECK WAS IN DANGER OF SLIDING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN. I FIRST BECAME AWARE OF THE WRECK IN 1992 AND WAS STUNNED BY THE PHOTOS SHOWN TO ME BY RICHARD LEAHY AT HIS HOUSE IN 1996. RICHARD HAD ADVISED AT THE TIME THAT THE AIRCRAFT HAD DISAPEARED IN A LANDSLIDE AND THIS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CONFIRMED IN THE PRESS. IN 2003 A FRIEND OF MINE WAS TRAVELLING THROUGH THE AREA IN A HELICOPTER. USING RICHARDS GPS COORDINATES HE DECIDED TO SEE IF ANYTHING COULD BE SALVAGED FROM THE PERCIEVED MESS FOR OUR RESTORATION IN SYDNEY. IMAGINE OUR SUPRISE WHEN IT WAS FOUND TO BE STILL INTACT. I WONT DWELL ON THE REASONS WHY RICHARD PROMOTED THE LANDSLIDE STORY. FOLLOWING OUR FIRST LANDING AT THE SITE, IT BECAME QUICKLY APPARENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN DANGER OF HEADING DOWN THE 70 DEGREE PLUS SLOPE FOR A DISTANCE OF SOME 2000 FEET. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE PHOTOS THERE WAS NO SUPPORT UNDER THE FUSELAGE, THE ONLY CONTACT POINTS WITH THE EARTH BEING UNDER THE ENGINE AND THE RH WING STUB. THE WRECK VISIBLY MOVED WHEN I CLIMBED UP THE PORT SIDE TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THE COCKPIT. COMMERCIAL INTERESTS ASSOCIATED WITH A LAE BASED BUSINESS AND A MAJOR U.S. RESTORATION SHOP HAD MADE IT KNOWN THAT THEY WERE GOING UP THERE TO BRING IT OUT IN PIECES AS THE PARTS WERE WANTED. |
ON ONE OF THESE OCCASSIONS, PNG MUSEUM STAFF MEMBER SENEA GREH VISITED THE SITE. HIS OFFICIAL REPORT AT THE TIME STATES THAT THE VISITING TEAM HAD CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT LUTES HAD REMOVED HIMSELF FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND HAD DEPARTED THE AREA. FURTHER INVESTIGATION WAS NOT REQUIRED.
IN 1998, RICHARD LEAHY TOOK FRED HAGAN TO THE SITE AND OPENED RATIONS WERE FOUND NEAR TO THE WRECK. LUTES MAY HAVE HAD A MEAL PRIOR TO EVACUATING THE AREA. LUTES DEFINATELY ESCAPED THE AIRCRAFT. THE CANOPY WAS JAMMED AND HAS DEFIED ALL EFFORTS TO OPEN IT TO DATE. BOTH EMERGENCY ESCAPE HATCH LEVERS IN THE COCKPIT HAD BEEN EXERCISED UPWARDS IN ORDER TO ALLOW THE SIDE PANELS OF THE CANOPY TO BE KNOCKED OUT FROM WITHIN. PLEASE NOTE, THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE FROM INSIDE THE AIRCRAFT.
THE LEFT EMERGENCY EXIT PANEL WAS KNOCKED OUT INDICATING ESCAPE. IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT HUMAN INTERFERENCE AT A LATER POINT OF TIME WOULD HAVE ACHIEVED THIS. APPROXIMATELY EIGHT WEEKS PRIOR TO THE RECOVERY OF THE WRECK, JPAC WERE NOTIFIED BY THEIR PNG REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PROPOSED RECOVERY. JPAC NEVER RESPONDED. ANYONE WHO HAD KNOWLEDGE OF THE SITE KNEW THAT LUTES HAD GOT OUT AND WAS MIA SOMEWHERE IN THE BUSH. THIS STORY IS BEST REMEMBERED BY PRESERVATION OF THE WRECK. HAVING IT TRASHED BY PARTS HUNTERS OR SEEING IT SLIDE DOWN THE HILL IS NOT THE BEST WAY TO REMEMBER THE 5TH AIR FORCE AND THOSE THAT SERVED.
Where
will the aircraft be restored?
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 HARS, Sydney, Australia. Another ex-PNG P-47D 42-8066 is under restoration (Photo by Robert Greinert 2004) |
What
of the original markings? Was cockpit
of this aircraft remarkably intact? Talk
about the recovery operation Lutes P-47 Recovery Team Will
any effort be made to contact the former pilot? What
will be the future of this aircraft? Anything
else you would like to add?
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PREVIOUSLY I HAVE BEEN ASKED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE PNG NATIONAL MUSEUM TO ASSIST IN MATTERS THAT ALFRED HAGEN IS CURRENTLY NEGOTIATING ON. UNDER CONSIDERATION IS A VERY DIFFICULT RECOVERY IN A VERY INHOSPITABLE ENVIROMENT. IT INVOLVES HELICOPTERS AND A LONG STAY OUT IN A SWAMP [Recovery of B-17E 41-2446 "Swamp Ghost"].
HAGEN AND I WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT A MEETING IN PORT MORESBY LAST NOVEMBER AND I SUGGESTED HE ACCOMPANY US ON THIS P-47 SALVAGE TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT WAS INVOLVED, ESPECIALLY THE HEARTBREAK FACTOR WHEN THINGS GO WRONG.
HE ACCEPTED THE INVITE AND SUBSEQUENTLY PROVED A MOST VALUABLE TEAM ASSET. WE ALL LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS EXERCISE AND WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY IT FOR FUTURE SALVAGES.
NO RENUMERATION IS BEING RECIEVED FOR SERVICES RENDERED BY EITHER PARTY.
Thank you for the interview, Mr. Greinert.