Recuperation
Boeing KB-29p 44-83950 nr Carsphairn.
(Distance
covered = 2.6 mile/Ascent =+77m)
Second competition of 2015 in Dumfries for Heather, second wreckhunting expedition of 2015 for me.
As I was pretty exhausted the day before after battling high winds in the Ochill Hills I didn't fancy another long trek into the snow covered hills of Dumfries and Galloway, so the crashsite of a Boeing Superfortress near Carsphairn was more than ideal because it was only 100yards from a main road.
Bit of Rally driving On the way to Carsphairn.
The KB-29p Superfortress had crashed beside Brockloch Tower right next to the A713 Carsphairn to Dalmellington road so it wasn't going to be much of a navigational challenge to find it, in fact the only challenge of the day was going to be finding somewhere to park.
The A713 with Brockloch Tower to its left in the distance.
Other than being cheeky and parking in someones driveway or parking on the grass verge and risking becoming stuck, the only place to park was a mile and a half away, but at least that meant a little bit of effort to reach the crashsite and also as I didn't have to pick the girls up untill 4 o clock it would use up a bit more time.
The Rhinns of Kell
The mile and a half walk along the A713 offered some spectacular views off to the left of the Rhinns of Kell , Corserine and Carlin's Cairn which I'd visited on one of my previous expeditions*.
Corserine in the centre distance.
The memorial for the KB-29p is built into a stone wall about halfway between the A713 and where the KB-29p actually crashed. The wall where the memorial is located is right next to Brockloch Tower.
The memorial is in the wall running across the photo.
Above and Below:-A few remaining pieces of the plane have been collected in a pile below the memorial
The Superfortress crashed into a ravine 100 yards further down the field, there's only a few tiny scraps left here and the remains of a wall that was demolished by the crash. A few scraps have been collected together under the memorial. For such a large aircraft there is very little left but because the crashsite is so near a main road it would have been well cleared up at the time.
The ravine where the Superfortress crashed.
One thing I found at the bottom of the gully was 'Daz'. Daz is what people who dig up plane wrecks call severely corroded alluminium, because of its appearance resembling a well known brand of washing powder.
Daz, in the gully where the Superfortress crashed.
It was then a mile and a half walk back the other way along the A713 but this time I had spectacular views of the Rhinns of Kell off to my right!.
Why play Colin Mcrae Rally on the Playstation when you can do it for real
Not a very long or strenuous expedition but a lovely sunny day with some good views and a bit of Colin Mcrae Rally on the road there and back plus my 73rd crashsite bagged!
*--Corserine