Only surviving Luftwaffe Dornier 17 aircraft set to emerge from Kent sands

A German bomber shot down during the Battle of Britain could soon be on display in London

The only surviving Dornier 17 aircraft has been discovered off the Kent coast.

The Luftwaffe bomber was forced to make an emergency landing in the sea after being shot down on August 26 1940 by the RAF during the Battle of Britain.

Only two of the four crew members survived the impact at Goodwin Sands, both becoming prisoners of war.

Last month, a survey commissioned by the RAF Museum at Hendon found that the plane remains largely intact, with only slight damage to the cockpit and windows.

The museum's Ian Thirsk told the BBC it was "one of the most significant aeronautical finds of the century".

The museum hopes to conserve rather than restore the plane before putting it on display. Unlikely as it seems, if this aircraft were ever to appear at auction it could achieve a huge sum, being the only surviving example of its type and due to the unique period of history in which it served.

Around 1,700 'Flying Pencils' were built - only one survives

Nicknamed "The Flying Pencil", around 1,700 were built, originally for carrying passengers.

Collecting aircraft is a small yet burgeoning market for collectors and investors. Last year's EAA Airventure auction in Wisconsin saw a number of rare aircraft go under the hammer, including a Socata TBM 700 for $900,000.

A 1917 Curtiss MF Seagull Flying Boat, which no longer flies, sold for $506,000 at Bonhams in 2010 while the only fully-restored 1929 Hamilton Metalplane H-47 achieved $671,000 at Barrett-Jackson.

• Click here to view our space and aviation stock items for sale
• Learn how you can get pleasure and profit by investing in militaria
• Read all the latest Medals and Militaria and Space and Aviation news

Join our readers in over 200 countries around the world - sign up for your free weekly Collectibles Newsletter today or download our free Collectors News app for your iPhone

Recent and related articles...

· $500k vintage flying boat to auction in New York | 19 March 2010

The Curtiss MF Flying Boat is the first vintage plane to be auctioned in Manhattan, US

· $275k for a renowned US air force plane | 3 February 2010

This Twin Beech aircraft, the likes of which were used in World War Two, has come to market

· The Collections of Paul Allen | 12 January 2010

The philanthropist, Microsoft co-founder and collector

· Early plane found in Antarctica | 4 January 2010

Nearly a century on, the first British Vickers plane is yielded up by the ice

· 'Rarest and most beautiful' aircraft in the world to sell in Arizona | 8 December 2009

www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

Image: Folkerts