De Havilland Mosquito to fly again.

[RickRuski]

The worlds only air worthy De Havilland Mosquito was rebuilt at avspecs in Auckland NZ for its American owner and will have its first public display at Ardmore on the 29th September weather permiting. I will be there.

http://www.ardmoreairport.co.nz/Resources/library/Ardmore_Flyer_Winter_Edition_July_2012.pdf

[Robdd1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLGbXc22Z-8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtlGF84rD6A

Looks and sounds great

[holdenbj]

The worlds only air worthy De Havilland Mosquito was rebuilt at avspecs in Auckland NZ for its American owner and will have its first public display ay Ardmore on the 29th September weather permiting. I will be there.

http://www.ardmoreairport.co.nz/Resources/library/Ardmore_Flyer_Winter_Edition_July_2012.pdf

Excellent , looking forward to seeing the pics :grin:

[O_Smiladon]

yep I will be there to. just 5 min from my door:grin:

Have had her flying over my roof the last few days..:grin::grin::grin:

[GraveyardJimmy]

Would love one of these in CloD. Maybe sometime along the way if they ever make an expansion to the western front.

[Kupsised]

Lucky gits :P

I've heard rumours of this coming over to the UK for Flying Legends next year. Even if it doesn't happen, I really hope it comes to the UK at some point. It'd be a shame to not be able to see it.

[NZtyphoon]

The worlds only air worthy De Havilland Mosquito was rebuilt at avspecs in Auckland NZ for its American owner and will have its first public display ay Ardmore on the 29th September weather permiting. I will be there.

http://www.ardmoreairport.co.nz/Resources/library/Ardmore_Flyer_Winter_Edition_July_2012.pdf

Just wish I could be there with my camera...*ENVY+* Enjoy the sound of the two Merlins *ENVY++*.

[Glider]

Its many a year since I saw the UK Mossie before its tragic crash

[MiG-3U]

I like it :grin:

[Osprey]

Perhaps my all time favourite warbird. Excellent news, I hope she makes it to Duxford.

[Swoose]

Yes, it's terrific that a Mossie is able to take to the skies again. :grin:I'm fortunate that the Virginia Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Virginia USA will be the Mossie's home here. The Museum has a very impressive flock of warbirds and puts on some great airshows.

http://www.vam.smv.org

[Stiboo]

Wow - at long last..






great stuff...

[Flanker35M]

S!

Mosquito is one of the most legendary planes. Wooden Wonder, Termite's Dream and whatnot was it called :D But was very fast and versatile packing a real punch. Didn't they find the original "forms" on a dump which were used to make the fuselage? They were rescued and put for display somewhere.

[hc_wolf]

flanker... I agree but why u posting in here. Read the next thread Patch in 1 hour

[hiro]

i wish they could build new ones, like the FW 190, but it'd be difficult, even though most of its is wood . . .

thanks for the update on the Mossie


"In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft, but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy. The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that? There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops. After the war is over I'm going to buy a British radio set - then at least I'll own something that has always worked."

— Hermann Göring


I also read the Germans came up with the idea of a twin engine bomber that was so fast it could evade fighters and have none or minimal defensive weaponry. But the British were the only ones to actualize that idea.

[RickRuski]

There is in NZ a very clever man (Glyn Powell) who has made the fuselage formers from original plans for the main chassis for the Mossie. He has produced a number of full chassis as I believe and at least one full chassis has already gone to America for a rebuild for a static model (the wing sections I think were done in Canada).

Reading a further article it appears that Glyn along with help from others has not only done the chassis for this restoration but also the wings. Good on you Glyn Powell.

Have a look at this site, this is a great magazine.

http://www.classicwings.com/

[bw_wolverine]

Not sure if that's the only airworthy mosquito. I think we have one in Canada.... I could be wrong, though I swore I heard a radio piece just a few weeks ago about one flying.

I also love the Mosquito. I used to make mossies out of lego when I was a boy.

[Helrza]

Been following this project on this facebook page :) Great set of pics and vids from the entire build process start to finish :)

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Classic-Aircraft-Photography/265224834712

[RickRuski]

Just got back from the air show, you lucky sons of guns in the U.S.A. Don't know how Jerry Yegar is going to get it back to the States but it certainly won't fit in his suit case. It has less than 3 hours flying time since rebuild and the pilot (Keith Skilling says this has been the best build he has flown, not one hitch. Everything went without any problem). Those Merlins sound soo sweet and the final flyby with a Spitfire, P51 and P40N was brilliant. Having the planes flying at about 200 feet hight and almost 150 feet from the spectator line was a buzz. Took us 2 hours driving from my house to the airfield gates with a trip that would normally take us half an hour. The crowd was huge for our part of the world, even had some Australian commentators here saying nowhere else in the world would the spectators get this close to the action. The word is this is already gone international so probably on You Tube already.

[Sternjaeger II]

Lucky gits :P

I've heard rumours of this coming over to the UK for Flying Legends next year. Even if it doesn't happen, I really hope it comes to the UK at some point. It'd be a shame to not be able to see it.

Very unlikely unfortunately. The fuselage is sitting on the wing, which is one big long spar, and disassembling it for travel would be a true PITA, so doing it more than once is very unlikely. Nobody in their sane mind would think to fly that across the world, so no, I think your "rumour" is more like most of us "hope" making a lot of noise ;)

Again, I'd love to be proven wrong, but it's a very difficult thing to do, especially on such a unique wooden construction.

Oh well, there's still plenty of people with more brass than sense in Europe, give it some time..

[fruitbat]

Unfortunately Sterns almost certainly right i think,


according to this month's Flypast magazine, although there were plans to fly the aircraft to Virginia 'the long way round' including a stay in the UK for the airshow season next year, these have now been scrapped and the owner is now planning to crate the aircraft and take it straight to the US. So no Mossie at Legends next year I'm afraid.

[NZtyphoon]

Just got back from the air show, you lucky sons of guns in the U.S.A. Don't know how Jerry Yegar is going to get it back to the States but it certainly won't fit in his suit case. It has less than 3 hours flying time since rebuild and the pilot (Keith Skilling says this has been the best build he has flown, not one hitch. Everything went without any problem). Those Merlins sound soo sweet and the final flyby with a Spitfire, P51 and P40N was brilliant. Having the planes flying at about 200 feet hight and almost 150 feet from the spectator line was a buzz. Took us 2 hours driving from my house to the airfield gates with a trip that would normally take us half an hour. The crowd was huge for our part of the world, even had some Australian commentators here saying nowhere else in the world would the spectators get this close to the action. The word is this is already gone international so probably on You Tube already.


ENVY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEyDlgJYIF8

[Kupsised]

Unfortunately Sterns almost certainly right i think,

Argh, selfish bugger :P Hopefully it might make its way over to the UK at some point in the future though. Hell, if it's money they need, I'm sure there'd be no shortage of it. They could take a leaf out of the Vulcan's book.

I didn't actually realise this was going to the US though until yesterday though, I assumed it was staying in NZ. Unfortunately that means it'll probably stick there too, along with all the 190s and other stuff they've got that'd be great to see even just once on the UK circuit.

Still, we can hope for the future at least, or start saving up for a trip to the states.

[Sternjaeger II]

unfortunately it's mainly due to the nature of the construction technique of the aircraft. You have to bear in mind that once you disassemble the wings of an aircraft you need to rig them back in position, making sure that the alignment is correct, or you'll have to re-trim the aircraft again. It is recommended not to do it too often though, especially with a wooden construction, which finds its solidity in its build, and is more prone to flex and expand/contract under certain scenarios. It wouldn't surprise me if once they get it to the US the re-fit of the fuselage to the wings will give them problems: the change in humidity, pressure and other mechanical factors will all come into play.
So as much as it's a shame it won't make it here, I understand them fully.
As per flying it around, good luck finding an insurance company that will cover you for that, especially if your powerplant is based on two temperamental engines like the RR Merlin, which has a TBO for heads and banks at circa 300 hours, as opposed to a P&W radial, whose TBO is around 1500 hours..

[Al Schlageter]

With the large number of P-51s powered by Merlins, never mind the other Merlin powered a/c, there must be some insurance companies that will insure the a/c.

[JG52Uther]

Would have loved to have seen it at Legends :(

[fruitbat]

Would have loved to have seen it at Legends :(

I have heard rumour of another Mossie over here being restored, shhhh!;)

[JG52Uther]

I know, but at the pace things move here (cough Blenheim cough)who knows when that will be done!

[Sternjaeger II]

With the large number of P-51s powered by Merlins, never mind the other Merlin powered a/c, there must be some insurance companies that will insure the a/c.

it's not only a matter of engine per se, it's a series of things:

1) the plane has very low flying hours since new, so problems might still arise
2) the route to follow would mean a lot of risks, not only geographical/political ones, but also environmental/meteorological ones.
3) it's a tricky plane to fly which is very unforgiving when low and slow, and there aren't many good pilots for it out there.
4) You need to make sure that for every stop of the journey you have the correct fuel, oil, suitable runways, alternates and possibly spares.. it's a HUGE logistics work to make things right. And still you'd have to fly over a huge portion of ocean and territories that might not like you to fly in their airspace at certain altitudes, cos let's not forget that you'd have to take the Mossie at high altitude for it to be very efficient.

I could carry on, but I think this is enough as it is to scare any insurance company, even the ones that are specialised in this sort of things. Things can be done, but common sense must prevail when dealing with extremely rare machines.

Another (very likely) option is that the owner is gonna get tired of it and will put it on the market in a couple of years' time, and the Mossie will finally head back home (provided Kermit Weeks or some other minted collector decides he wants it!).

[Sternjaeger II]

I know, but at the pace things move here (cough Blenheim cough)who knows when that will be done!

In the end of the day it's all down to how deep the pockets of the owners are. You mentioned the Blenheim, but at least that one has flown.. think about the Beaufighter or the Cr.42 in Duxford.. They'll be done, but some of these projects can take up to 20 years!

[bongodriver]

I thought Kermit already had one which is technically flyable.

[fruitbat]

i have a dream.......

Lancaster, Mosquito, Spitfire and Hurricane side by side flypast at Duxford.......

The Merlins !

:cool:

[fruitbat]

I thought Kermit already had one which is technically flyable.

It was untill its been rotting in his hangar.

[Sternjaeger II]

yeah, whatever happened to his Mossie? I heard he kinda gave up on it, but don't know the details.

[TomcatViP]

ENVY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEyDlgJYIF8

Thx for the vid!

Sink rate seems high or was it a camera effect ?

[RickRuski]

This project spread over about 8 years, but what a beautiful job has been done. The fusealage builder (Glyn Powell) has another in production we were told for himself along with the wings. The main problem Jerry Yegar has in getting it back home is the wings, they won't fit in a standard container (being a one piece wing). There was a suggestion a the display that he buys some land here and shifts his whole collection to NZ (as if that's going to happen). We had Kermit Weeks here in NZ last year at the Omaka Classic Fighters air show in Blenheim to pick up his new WW1 Albatross that was built here. He flew this at the air show at Omaka Easter 2011 (mainly a WW1 air show with a lot of replica WW1 aircraft. Approx 12 in the air dogfighting together at the same time). The fuselage that Glyn built earlier that went to the U.S.A, the wings were built in Canada probably because of the transport situation. If Jerry decides to have the plane flown home some lucky people are in for a treat.

For those that couldn't be here, here's a clip from the Mossie display (Pilot, Keith Skilling): -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQI6je-E5J0

[NZtyphoon]

This project spread over about 8 years, but what a beautiful job has been done. The fusealage builder (Glyn Powell) has another in production we were told for himself along with the wings. The main problem Jerry Yegar has in getting it back home is the wings, they won't fit in a standard container (being a one piece wing). There was a suggestion a the display that he buys some land here and shifts his whole collection to NZ (as if that's going to happen). We had Kermit Weeks here in NZ last year at the Omaka Classic Fighters air show in Blenheim to pick up his new WW1 Albatross that was built here. He flew this at the air show at Omaka Easter 2011 (mainly a WW1 air show with a lot of replica WW1 aircraft. Approx 12 in the air dogfighting together at the same time). The fuselage that Glyn built earlier that went to the U.S.A, the wings were built in Canada probably because of the transport situation. If Jerry decides to have the plane flown home some lucky people are in for a treat.

For those that couldn't be here, here's a clip from the Mossie display (Pilot, Keith Skilling): -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQI6je-E5J0

Great footage, thanks for that Rick Ummm...synchronised Merlins :grin::grin:

[NZtyphoon]

Thx for the vid!

Sink rate seems high or was it a camera effect ?

Keith Skilling is one of the best pilots in the business and he wouldn't let the sink rate develop beyond the book limits; cf this wartime footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7pNBSRkEiQ

[TomcatViP]

C'mon, I am not saying that it was badly piloted ! Just that the sink rate seems high for a WWII plane.

I wonder if I had the same feeling watching 633 (the mov). Or maybe it's the two point landing

[RickRuski]

Here's another bit of video posted on youtube by the guys at Kiwisim, shows Mossie take off as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQNAszrTImo&feature=player_embedded

[Sternjaeger II]

C'mon, I am not saying that it was badly piloted ! Just that the sink rate seems high for a WWII plane.

I wonder if I had the same feeling watching 633 (the mov). Or maybe it's the two point landing

what did you actually mean with "high sink rate"?

You mean the way he's coming down for landing? You have to bear in mind that the landing glide for a Mossie is something you can't fiddle too much with: you have a big wing surface and flaps, but also two torquey Merlins with propellers turning in the same direction, so it's important to preserve your speed on your way down if you don't wanna make a glorious mess of it, and you need to do a two wheels landing, cos other than the high speed requirement the Mossie surely has a funky CoG.

[badfinger]

The video was taken with a telephoto lens. Meaning that the distance is what is called "fore-shortened". The distance is compressed. This makes the sink seem greater than it really is.

binky9