Sunshine Coast, Queensland, aircraft dumped offshore

SUNSHINE COAST, QUEENSLAND
AIRCRAFT DUMPED OFFSHORE

In 1946 numerous World War 2 aircraft were dumped into 200 metres of water off the Sunshine Coast, north of Brisbane. Scores of Voight-Sikorsky F4U-1D Corsairs, F6F Hellcats, a Fairy Barracuda, at least 12 Seafires, several TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, AT6 Harvards and Supermarine Otter seaplanes were dumped.

They were dumped on the orders of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm from the decks of HMS Pioneer, HMS Perseus and HMS Slinger. Apparently about 9 shiploads of aircraft were dumped with about 70 to 100 in each shipload. Thus there is potentially about 700 to 800 aircraft on the seabed in that area off the Sunshine Coast.

In 1996, Australian company International Warbird Salvage Pty. Ltd. was planning to recover some more of these aircraft. A computer controlled remote underwater vehicle equipped with a television camera was used to inspect the dumped aircraft. A robot arm on the underwater vehicle attached lines to a Corsair in readiness for recovery. They had recovered 3 aircraft back in 1990.

	Royal Navy Corsair pulled out of water off Noosa in 1992. Photograph taken at an auction in July 1993 at Lake Weyba Drive, Noosaville
	Royal Navy Corsair
	Royal Navy Corsair
	Royal Navy Corsair
	Royal Navy Corsair
	Auction in July 1993 at Lake Weyba Drive, Noosaville