World War II Kittyhawk P-40 Found In Egyptian Desert, 70 Years After Crash

A World War II plane, Kittyhawk P-40, has been found in the Sahara desert, seemingly untouched by time. The plane, which went down almost exactly 70 years ago, belonged to Britain’s Royal Airforce (RAF).

According to Vintage Wings, the aircraft was found by Polish oil company worker Jakub Perka, who was on a team expedition throught the Egyptian desert in March, when they discovered the remains of the downed plane.

Andy Saunders, a U.K. based historian, told the Daily Mail that:

“It is a quite incredible time capsule. It’s the aviation equivalent of Tutankhamun’s tomb. This plane has been lying in the same spot where it crashed 70 years ago. It hasn’t been hidden in the sand, it has just sat there. He must have survived the crash because one photo shows a parachute around the frame of the plane and my guess is the poor bloke used it to shelter from the sun. The radio and batteries were out of the plane and it looks like he tried to get it working.”

The plane is thought to have been piloted by Sergeant Dennis Coping, according to Metro. The British airman was reportedly flying the plane, along with a fellow airman, on June 28th from one British airbase to another in Northern Egypt. The plane was supposed to be repaired on arrival.

Unfortunately either the damage was too much, or Sgt. Coping lost his bearings, and set the plane down in the middle of the desert. Saunders added that:

“If he died at the side of the plane his remains would have been found. Once he had crashed there, nobody was going to come and get him. It is more likely he tried to walk out of the desert but ended up walking to his death. It is too hideous to contemplate.”

Captain Paul Collins, the British defence attache to Egypt, has stated that a search will be carried out for Coping’s body in a 200mile radius around the downed plane, although they do not expect to find anything. The British government has also been urged to recover the plane as soon as possible, to avoid it being looted for metal and souvenirs.

Check out footage of a Curtiss Kittyhawk P-40 here:

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