Airworthy Mosquito for UK

[Jon H]

News just in!

**LINK**

[Concorde Speedbird]

Yes! I have always wanted to see a Mosquito fly. These guys are also restoring (well basically building) a Mossie for the UK as well, so we may get two! That would be a nice formation...

CS

[Jon H]

Yea the 'peoples mosquito' group are building one and this I assume is a second one for (the wording implies) a single customer/owner. I would be happy with one but two is better :D its a shame it will be many years before we get either

[Colin Carpenter]

Wonderful news ! The finest aircraft built by the British aviation industry bar none ! But that's just my opinion ! Trouble is will I live long enough to see it ? Where will they get all those little bits from I wonder ? I have got a piece upstairs in RAF packaging from St Athan. Perhaps it's worth a fortune ? Will dig it out if SWBMO hasn't binned it. I remember being at Biggin in about 1969 and seeing it approach down the valley and being excited beyond belief as it was my fav since following it in war comics in the 50's.

Anticipation commences ! Colin

[J D 8]

The "little bits"[and big bits] will mostly come from existing airframes who's wooden sections are coming apart. The 1940's glue is coming to the end of it's life and to separate the layers to reset is just not practical. New airframes are being made in the same way as originals but with modern long life resins between the laminates.

[John Privett]

Wow... An airworthy Mosquito based at Biggin! Brilliant. I wonder how long we'll have to wait.

[Concorde Speedbird]

Well it looks like we could well be getting two- Vulcan to the Sky have announced that they are 'in discussions with The People's Mosquito to see how they can work together towards the return of the iconic Mosquito to flight in the UK, a vision of similar significance to that of restoring the Vulcan to flight'.

Seems like the VTTS are getting bored now 558 is down.

CS

[Jon H]

I saw this as well, great news. the more mossies the better

[Peter Android]

**LINK**

 

Geoffrey de Havilland said that if an aircraft looks right, it usually flies right. And this was the most beautiful aeroplane he ever built. And the best British (at the least!) aircraft of the war

For over 25 years, no Mosquito flew anywhere in the world, after the last flying one crashed at Barton Aerodrome, Manchester . That was largely because nobody wanted to trust the 50-year-old-plus balsa wood and especially glue in the ones that remained. (made with western plywood)

Then a chap in New Zealand, realising that the only way a Mossie would ever fly again would be to build a new one, discovered that all the original jigs necessary to form the wooden structures, had long since been destroyed.

So, as a "retirement project," (!) he set out to build new ones, faithful to the originals in every respect. Took him decades. What follows is the first result to come from those jigs. First flew in NZ in 2013, now in the USA .

Best aircraft of the war? :-

· Could carry a greater bomb load to Berlin than a B-17

· Could fly higher and/or faster than nearly all contemporary fighters, so no need for defensive armament

· The first true Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA). Bomber, fighter, night-fighter, fighter-bomber, strike, anti-shipping, torpedo-bomber, photo-recce, trainer, target-tug.

· 1/10^th the loss rate of the Lancaster

· On the relatively rare occasions when one did go down, only 2 men were lost, not the 7 in a Lancaster or the 10 in a B-17

· 1/3^rd the cost of a Lancaster

· So fast that the Americans, to avoid comparison, issued a standing order that their fastest fighter, the P-38 Lightning, was never to fly side-by-side with one,

· Quotes:

o AVM Don “Pathfinder” Bennett, AOC No 8 (Pathfinder) Group: "It's quite clear that the value of the Mosquito to the war effort is significantly greater than that of any other aircraft in the history of aviation".

o General Erhard Milch, the deputy head of the Luftwaffe: "I fear that one day the British will start attacking with masses of this aircraft" – (which we should have.)

o Reichsmarschall Herman Goering, head of the Luftwaffe: “It

Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 06/12/2015 17:41:10

[KingKade]

Posted by Peter Android on 06/12/2015 16:53:14:

**LINK**

Geoffrey de Havilland said that if an aircraft looks right, it usually flies right. And this was the most beautiful aeroplane he ever built. And the best British (at the least!) aircraft of the war

For over 25 years, no Mosquito flew anywhere in the world, after the last flying one crashed at Barton Aerodrome, Manchester . That was largely because nobody wanted to trust the 50-year-old-plus balsa wood and especially glue in the ones that remained. (made with western plywood)

Then a chap in New Zealand, realising that the only way a Mossie would ever fly again would be to build a new one, discovered that all the original jigs necessary to form the wooden structures, had long since been destroyed.

So, as a "retirement project," (!) he set out to build new ones, faithful to the originals in every respect. Took him decades. What follows is the first result to come from those jigs. First flew in NZ in 2013, now in the USA .

Best aircraft of the war? :-

· Could carry a greater bomb load to Berlin than a B-17

· Could fly higher and/or faster than nearly all contemporary fighters, so no need for defensive armament

· The first true Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA). Bomber, fighter, night-fighter, fighter-bomber, strike, anti-shipping, torpedo-bomber, photo-recce, trainer, target-tug.

· 1/10^th the loss rate of the Lancaster

· On the relatively rare occasions when one did go down, only 2 men were lost, not the 7 in a Lancaster or the 10 in a B-17

· 1/3^rd the cost of a Lancaster

· So fast that the Americans, to avoid comparison, issued a standing order that their fastest fighter, the P-38 Lightning, was never to fly side-by-side with one,

· Quotes:

o AVM Don “Pathfinder” Bennett, AOC No 8 (Pathfinder) Group: "It's quite clear that the value of the Mosquito to the war effort is significantly greater than that of any other aircraft in the history of aviation".

o General Erhard Milch, the deputy head of the Luftwaffe: "I fear that one day the British will start attacking with masses of this aircraft" – (which we should have.)

o Reichsmarschall Herman Goering, head of the Luftwaffe: “It

Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 06/12/2015 17:41:10

Go on.......

It......

[Peter Android]

It , er dissappeared ? don't know why it was moderated either. but, I am not great with P.C's and there was a link to vimeo , with an excellent flying video of the " new" mossie .

Maybe this website has an issue with * vimeo ?

Fantastic Aircraft - whatever .

Respect to all involved , past and present.

* link appears to work now ? apologies to mod's .

Edited By Peter Android on 06/12/2015 18:02:53

[Pete B]

Hi Peter, welcome to the forum!

I reckon you came up against the word-limit in your post, which is why it was cut short. IIRC, it's about 1500 words. You normally get a notification but that may not happen on a maiden post.

The original link you put up didn't work, so I fixed it. The Forum User Guides section has all the info necessary for correctly posting links and videos etc.

For a Vimeo video, just click on the 'share' button (the paper dart symbol), copy the embed code and in the forum reply box click on the 'Embed Media' button (next to the Youtube button) and paste the code into the box. You'll then end up with this, which, getting back to the thread, is a great video - thanks for putting it up!

Mossie photo shoot by Scott Slocum from Aero Media Group on Vimeo.

[Jon H]

I did hear a story once that a mosquito could go to Berlin and back, rearm/refuel, go to Berlin and back again, rearm/refuel go to Berlin and be half way back before a Shorts Sterling had made it to Berlin and back once.

If this story is true then that really is remarkable.

[Cuban8]

I had a chat to the Mossie chaps at Duxford this year and they hope to get a supporters group up and running around the first quarter of '16. Worth keeping an eye on their website or signing up for newsletters.

[Ian Jones]

Fantastic news and a great video. I notice the announcement says it's restoration perhaps it's another one where the manufacturers plate is only original part?

IIRC the last Mossie went down due to an engine maintenance error, something to do with one of the carbs I think.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Jon H]

Ian, this is the accident report. By all accounts neither carburettor was working properly. **LINK**

[Peter Android]

Posted by Pete B - Moderator on 06/12/2015 21:05:28:

Hi Peter, welcome to the forum!

I reckon you came up against the word-limit in your post, which is why it was cut short. IIRC, it's about 1500 words. You normally get a notification but that may not happen on a maiden post.

The original link you put up didn't work, so I fixed it. The Forum User Guides section has all the info necessary for correctly posting links and videos etc.

.................................................................................................................

Cheers.

I don't do , fully understand , or really bother with social media , but thanks for the tips.

Not a newbie as such , have been unable to log in for some time , probably my fault .

May I pay homage to the Guy who sent me this info on the mossie , Please .

A very exceptional chap ( he thinks not) who has performed a lifetime's work on behalf of the Air Cadets ( A.T.C as most people know them ) sadly having to retire through ill - health .

His rugby scrums were legendary , providing you were not the recipient of his boot !

But not nearly so keen as His humour ..............

Regards to "Taff " Wilson .

[Ian Jones]

Posted by Jon Harper - Laser Engines on 07/12/2015 12:40:32:

Ian, this is the accident report. By all accounts neither carburettor was working properly. **LINK**

Thanks Jon, that's refreshed my memory.