Although when a RAAF Mirage III belly landed at Melbourne in 1973 (??) it
was written off, even though the damage was comparitively minor.
Apparently, the stresses on the airframe woud prove too squirrelly to track
down, so scrapping was a safer option.


Surprisingly, it dodged the scrapper's torch and is on display in
Adelaide.

There is T-38 on display out front of the 80th FTW, Sheppard AFB. Sometime in
the early 80s, the IP and student punched out of it, a couple miles or so from
the runway..It hit in a flat attitude, coming to a stop not too terribly
damaged, at least visibly. I believe the spar was damaged in the initial
impact, to where it was thougth the aircraft should not fly again.


Ron
Pilot/Wildland Firefighter