Search for the "B-29" crashed in Tokyo Bay!
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Comment from academist staff
A Pioneering Method for Undersea Research Reveals an Aircraft Buried in the Mud
周藤瞳美
The wheel of the "B-29" found off Kisarazu
On 30 November, 2020, an object weighing about one ton, believed to be the front wheel of an aircraft, was salvaged by a local fishing boat in Tokyo Bay off Kisarazu, Chiba Prefecture. Based on the shape of the parts, it is believed to be the wheel from a B-29, a large bomber of the U.S. military.
During the Pacific War, many U.S. military planes from air raids on the mainland crashed in the Kanto area, and some of them fell in Tokyo Bay. Many of those that sank to the bottom of the sea were left untouched, unless they became obstacles to ship navigation or entangled fishing gear. If this wheel is from a B-29, then it has been lying on the sea floor for 75 years. What is the current state of the aircraft body? It may be buried in the mud of Tokyo Bay, but at present, it remains unknown.
The Society La Plongée for Deep Sea Engineering, would like to use the most advanced underwater technology to find the main body of the B-29 lying on the sea floor of Tokyo Bay. By revealing the location and current status of the B-29, and disclosing the survey process in real time, we hope to promote the spread of underwater survey technology and underwater activities, and to commemorate those who died along with the aircraft.
How to search for what is in the mud?
How to search for what lies in the mud
The biggest hurdle in this survey is that most parts of the aircraft are buried in the mud. Therefore, in addition to the multi-beam sonar (MBES), which acoustically measures the seafloor topography in three dimensions, we will use the sub-bottom profiler (SBP), which transmits acoustic waves directly below the seafloor below, to investigate into the mud.
The flow of the survey is as follows. First, we will measure the topography of the seafloor around the presumed sinking location using MBES to check for unconformities (protrusions in the seafloor). MBES measurement equipment will be installed on both an unmanned surface vessel (USV) and a fishing boat. The USV will be remotely controlled or automatically operated. The SBP is also attached to the fishing boat to search for artifacts in the mud.
Then, from the data measured by the MBES and the SBP, we will narrow down the candidates for the crashed aircraft, and deploy a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from the fishing boat to confirm and photograph what the unconformities are. By combining these images, we will be able to get a complete picture of what has fallen to the sea floor. The position of the ROV is measured in real time by a detection device attached to the fishing boat.
One of the key points of this survey is to use the USV to find the target in a short period of time; the efficiency of the survey will be doubled if the USV and the fishing boat share the survey area. This method of using USVs to increase search efficiency is a pioneering one for future seafloor surveys not only scientific but also industrial.
Request for Research Fund Support
The survey will be conducted mainly by the Society La Plongée for Deep Sea Engineering, and all members will be volunteers. We are challenging crowdfunding to cover the cost of the fishing boat.
By investigating the B-29, which has a profound history, and reporting on it, we hope to help many people, including young people, think about war and peace, and advanced technology. We will also use the experience gained from this research for our next project to search for the U.S. Navy's Albacore submarine, which has been postponed due to the Covid-19. We would appreciate your support.
Profile
Tamaki Ura
Project timeline
| Date | Plans |
|---|---|
| May 16, 2021 | Enter Ushigome Port. Installed equipment and USV on a fishing boat. |
| May 17, 2021 | - |
| May 18, 2021 | the USV will be transported to the survey area and deployed on the water, where it will be navigated automatically (including remote control) to conduct the MBES survey. At the same time, MBES and SBP surveys will be conducted by the fishing boat. |
| May 19, 2021 | Same as May 18 in the morning. In the afternoon, we will set the target and deploy the ROV from the fishing boat. We will return to the port after the survey and de-rigged. |
| May 20, 2021 | Reserve Day |
| スケジュール変更： | 海況が悪いため、調査を1日延期いたします。（2021年5月17日編集） |
Pledge Rewards
We will send you a "Survey Report (electronic version)" that summarizes the results of this survey.
Summary of survey results (PDF) / Thank you message
31 supporters are supporting with this reward. （No quantity limit）
We will send you a "Detailed survey report (electronic version)" that summarizes the results of this survey.
Detailed survey report (PDF) / Summary of survey results (PDF) / Thank you message
81 supporters are supporting with this reward. （No quantity limit）
We will compile the results of the survey as soon as possible after the survey is completed and hold a lecture to report the results. All are welcome to attend. Once the COVID-19 infection situation is healed, the lecture will be held in Tokyo, and online participation will be possible.
Online special debriefing session / Detailed survey report (PDF) / Summary of survey results (PDF) / Thank you message
41 supporters are supporting with this reward. （No quantity limit）
Let's have a drink and have a lot of fun while talking about the story behind the survey, the story about B-29, future prospects, your requests, etc. We will hold several drinking sessions with about 10 participants per session. Bring your own lubricants (beverages) and additives (knobs).
You can also hear behind-the-scenes stories about underwater survey technology! Online drinking session / Online special debriefing session / Detailed survey report (PDF) / Summary of survey results (PDF) / Thank you message
0 supporters are supporting with this reward. （No quantity limit）
We will send you a digest video of the survey, including underwater image.
Digest version of the survey video / You can also hear behind-the-scenes stories about underwater survey technology! Online drinking session / Online special debriefing session / Detailed survey report (PDF) / Summary of survey results (PDF) / Thank you message
1 supporters are supporting with this reward. （No quantity limit）
We will send you the detailed video of the survey results.
Detailed version of the survey video / Digest version of the survey video / You can also hear behind-the-scenes stories about underwater survey technology! Online drinking session / Online special debriefing session / Detailed survey report (PDF) / Summary of survey results (PDF) / Thank you message
2 supporters are supporting with this reward. （No quantity limit）
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Summary of survey results (PDF) / Thank you message
31
supporters
back
（No quantity limit）
Detailed survey report (PDF) and others
81
supporters
back
（No quantity limit）
Online special debriefing session and others
41
supporters
back
（No quantity limit）
You can also hear behind-the-scenes stories about underwater survey technology! Online drinking session and others
0
supporters
back
（No quantity limit）
Digest version of the survey video and others
1
supporters
back
（No quantity limit）
Detailed version of the survey video and others
2
supporters
back
（No quantity limit）
