WWII Dornier bomber raised from English Channel


The salvage attempt has been held up by strong winds in recent weeks

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A German World War II bomber has been raised from the bottom of the English Channel.
The Dornier 17 aircraft was shot down off the Kent coast more than 70 years ago during the Battle of Britain.
Believed to be the only intact example of its kind in the world, it has laid in 50ft (15m) of water on the Goodwin Sands.
Attempts by the RAF Museum to salvage the relic have been hit by strong winds over the last few weeks.
The BBC's Nick Higham on board the salvage barge said the weather conditions for the hour-long operation were "near perfect" on Monday evening.
Originally designed as a fast reconnaissance aircraft, slim and manoeuvrable, the Dornier had been converted by the Luftwaffe in the mid-1930s into a medium bomber.
The salvage plan was three years in the making and involved divers attaching lifting equipment to what are believed to be the strongest parts of the Dornier's frame and raising it whole, in a single lift.
The original plan to build an aluminium frame or cradle around the fragile wreck was abandoned after it became clear it would take too long and send the £600,000 project way over budget.
A two-year restoration will now take place at the RAF Museum's site in Cosford, Shropshire.
Experts plan to spray the wings and fuselage with water and a combination of citric acid and sodium hydroxide in an attempt to halt corrosion.
It will eventually go on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon, north London.

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