# Ditched airplane still flying

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ditched-airplane-still-flying/711050>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 27, 2015, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ditched-airplane-still-flying/711050 "2015-01-27T20:46:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2016, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ditched-airplane-still-flying/711050/21 "2016-02-26T07:45:08Z")

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> [@T4Navion](#):
>
> Always sad to see one of these at their end, but hopefully was salvaged for parts. They may not have known it then, but they scrapped a highly collectible plane that is the closest one can get to its real life cousin it was based on: P-51 Mustang!

Na, the little wheel is at the wrong end of the airplane ;).

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**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ditched-airplane-still-flying/711050/22 "2016-02-27T00:53:44Z")

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> [@Morgenstern](#):
>
> I know one of the things they religiously check during annuals is for corrosion on the airframe. I assume that submersion salt water will greatly speed up that process. Not to mention every electrical connection and fitting in the aircraft.
> 
> IIRC there was a time that a hurricane got to the Piper factory in Florida and they ended up scrapping several new planes because of salt water exposure. Too lazy to Google that one, but ir rings a bell.

Is the corrosion assumed to be present by the very fact that an aircraft was submerged, or can an aircraft “survive” by passing a corrosion inspection? E.g. could one say that “Yes, the plane was submerged in salt water, but it passed its annual with not a spot of corrosion found anywhere, so its registration is as good as new. Take a look for yourself!”

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2016, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ditched-airplane-still-flying/711050/23 "2016-02-27T16:11:09Z")

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So **T4Navion** …

What did you think of [_Family Flight_](http://www.modcinema.com/categories/3-made-for-tv/186-family-flight-tv-1971-dvd) (1971)? 😃

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