I seem to remember this technology being briefly toted as a way to stop cars rusting, back in the '80s. "The ICUA Zadar team of conservators and archaeologists carried out in situ underwater conservation of the wreckage of the Junkers Ju 87 aircraft, known as the Stuka, achievement showed that it is possible to permanently protect an aircraft wreck under the sea. As it is known, Croatia was one of the first countries to ratify the 2001 UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Underwater Cultural heritage. By establishing a high-quality system for archaeological surveying, investigation, and preservation of underwater archaeological sites and finds, Croatia made tremendous strides in underwater archaeology at the start of the twenty-first century. The ICUA Zadar team of conservators and archaeologists successfully completed a pilot project in October and November 2024 to test in-situ underwater protection for the Junkers Ju 87 aircraft wreck, also known as Stuka. In the past, it was thought that underwater aircraft wrecks could not be effectively preserved and that material corrosion would cause them to completely deteriorate and be destroyed in ten to fifteen years. A group of specialists assembled by the ICUA Zadar in May 2024 measured the corrosion on the Stuka wreck in order to conduct a conservation analysis. The results showed that the cathodic protection could be achieved using sacrificial anodes... ...In October, the ICUA Zadar team installed two test anodes to assess their effectiveness. Subsequent measurements indicated that the connection of the anodes effectively passivated the wreck, halting further deterioration. This achievement showed that it is possible to permanently protect an aircraft wreck under the sea, making the Stuka the first wreck of its kind where the deterioration process was successfully stopped. The trial installation of smaller anodes on the Stuka wreck will continue to provide protection in the coming months. In 2025, a comprehensive project will be implemented to protect the Stuka for the next fifteen years using this economically viable method." Croatian Team Finds a Way to Effectively and Permanently Preserve Stuka Aircraft Wreck Under the Sea - Arkeonews
