Archaeologists hunting for World War II Spitfires in Burma believe there are no planes buried at the sites where they have been digging, the BBC understands.
The archaeologists have concluded that evidence does not support the original claim that as many as 124 Spitfires were buried at the end of the war, the BBC’s Fergal Keane reports.
Wargaming.net, the firm financing the dig, has also said there are no planes.
But project leader David Cundall says they are looking in the wrong place.
He told the BBC that he feels very frustrated but is determined to keep up his campaign, and remains convinced Spitfires are buried in Burma.
Asked if he would apologise if he was proved wrong, he replied: “Of course I will. But I’ve tried and I believe it’s better to have tried and failed than not to have tried at all.”
An initial survey of the site began in early January, with excavations due to begin after that.
A scheduled press conference was cancelled on Friday morning by Wargaming Ltd, with a spokesman saying he hoped to give more details later.
When pressed, the spokesman said there are no Spitfires, our correspondent says.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21074699