The Lake Murray B-25
The Southern Museum of Flight is now home to a World War II bomber that has been at the bottom of Lake Murray, South Carolina for over 62 years.

The twin-engine bomber ditched in the lake after an engine failed during a training mission on April 4, 1943. Recovering the plane and finding a home for it has been the 16-year quest of Robert Seigler, a Greenville pediatrician and amateur historian.

The plane settled in 150 feet of water, too deep for the military to salvage. Its depth has protected it from souvenir hunters. The bomber reached the surface of the lake on September 19, 2005.

Since arriving at the Museum, work has begun on removing debris and corrosion from the aircraft.

After the aircraft is cleaned and sprayed with anticorrosive chemicals, the B-25 will be reassembled inside the new exhibit hall, where sand and lighting will be used to make the craft look like it’s still on the lake bottom. “The aircraft really is too badly damaged to do a complete restoration and people really want to see it the way it appeared in the lake”, stated Director Jim Griffin.

The plane, one of the oldest remaining B-25s, will be the centerpiece of a new wing. “In some ways,” said Griffin , “it’s like the Titanic, lost and rediscovered.”