Only Surviving German Dorner Plane Discovered in the English Channel

YouTube / TomoNews US

That’ll Take A While

Thirteen years ago, the RAF Museum announced that they had found a German Dornier Do 17 fifty feet off the coast of England. 

After diving operations in June of that year, it was discovered that the aircraft had laid inverted on the seabed, indicating that it ground-looped on landing. 

Its port rudder, starboard stabilizer, undercarriage doors, and engine cowling were also missing. Interestingly, two of its six MG 15 machine guns were also missing, leading authorities to believe that unauthorized divers may have removed them after the aircraft’s discovery.

The aircraft was raised from the seabed on June 2013 and was taken to the Michael Beetham Restoration Centre for repairs. 

Fast-forward six years later, and the German Dornier bomber seems to be staying at RAF Cosford for good. The museum spokesman confirmed that the plane was too fragile to move, though specialists at the museum are still refurbishing it.

With an airframe that looks like this,

it’s hard to imagine a world where it is restored to even half of what it looked like in the war.