Interesting stuff
I know what you mean (the bending pattern of the frame?) Well, start measuring then.
When I saw the first of the three pictures I thought, is that not more like a second-layer explosion? Then I saw the second one and it became a lot clearer.
The case has certainly been in exactly the position Bedford said he put it, behind the left-hand side of the bomb suitcase, right behind the bomb. (John's email contained some sarcastic remarks about Patrick Haseldine's assertions that case actually contained the bomb. Patrick is (a) complete looney-tunes, and (b) unaware of these photographs. And he'd probably just declare they were all faked if he saw them.)
My interpretation of that bending is this. I believe the bomb suitcase was originally resting near the bottom of the Carlsson case, but not absolutely flat on the floor. That is consistent with the theory that the bomb suitcase was on the bottom layer but had slipped a couple of inches or so to the left during the flight (or had originally been placed partly within the overhang).
The force of the explosion has forced the handle-side of the bomb suitcase obliquely UP against the side of the Carlsson case, bending it progressively inwards, until the contact has been disengaged as the hull ruptured and the luggage began to fall away.
Does that fly with you?
Ah, yes, I see, John has simply repeated the erroneous attribution I found in the reconciliation notes. So if it wasn't Williams, and obviously it wasn't, what was it? I think it has to be the small stuff from PD/889, exactly as you postulated.
The Schauble case is intriguing me. What you see is molten, partially charred plastic. The suitcase itself doesn't look severely damaged. I still think this one was on the third or fourth layer above the blue tourister. Resolution is poor, so I can't see any blue bits on it.
Have you clicked on the link to the full-size file? That has pretty good resolution, and I think I can see blue bits. In fact, I think I can see blue deposit on a good half of the flat surface of the lid. Unless the black has become discoloured to blue in the explosion. Except - it really is awfully blue, and there's some on the tan leatherette trim as well. If I'm right about that, then that case (lid-down) was flat on top of the Coyle case without any doubt.
Hell's bell's, LittleSwan, the closer I zoom, the more it looks like a blue deposit on top of the black fabric, in the most damaged parts. I know it's not that badly damaged, but the explosion seems to have dissipated fairly locally, and that blue is extraordinarily striking. However, if the Schauble case was right on top of the Coyle case, I'm not quite sure how the wire frame part of the Coyle case managed to get mixed up with the Thomas and Coursey cases.
Please have a look at the .tiff file and tell me what you think.
ETA: Having re-read Hayes's evidence, I note he says the Schauble case was olive-green, although I have to say it looks black to me in the photo. And he does not mention a blue deposit over the lid. So I suppose that must be discoloration of the very dark olive green to blue. Odd, though.
One thing I think we have to bear in mind is how far to the left the explosion was, even in relation to the luggage in the left-hand stack. Given that the explosion was right into the overhang, it's perfectly possible that even left-hand-stack items are going to show damage as if from a blast coming at them from the left-hand side.
Maybe it's possible to use an uploader (for example Zeta-uploader)
I've sent you a PM. I think we just do the FTP transfer, if you're amenable to a biggish FTP download.
Rolfe.
