The annoying thing here is the USN keeps taking the easy wins of recovering aircraft from Lake Michigan.
There are plenty of restored F4Fs and FMs out there. But NOT a single TBD Devastator, which was a big advancement in Naval Aviation when it first entered service, made significant contributions at Coral Sea and went down to tragic glory at Midway.
Four are known to exist. All are under water. One off Miami, another off San Diego and two more in the Gilberts. The one off Miami is a Coral Sea vet.
The Navy should be spending it’s limited recovery assets going after one or more of these. Not mucking around with Frikkin FM2s.
This is what happens when the Navy lays perpetual claim to anything and everything it ever flew that went down.
In contrast, the Army/Air Force’s policy is that if one of its planes crashed prior to a certain date (I want to say 1962), in their eyes it’s free and clear for recovery and restoration.