The Mosquito:

[hoggsnortrupert]

A bit of background:
While visiting at a retirement home, we meet "Ted" in his 90's.
Ted said he use to make Concrete moulds for the Mossie? this is the first I have ever heard of such.
Could anyone enlighten me?
Chr's
HSnort.:hmm:

[zarniwoop]

I don't have much detail myself, but concrete moulds were used in the manufacture of the Mossie as 'formers' to shape the plywood/balsa composite around

A search for 'de havilland mosquito manufacture' or similar should bring up some useful information for you.

[blue up]

The Fokker Albatros (sp?) of WW1 used a similar method to produce the semi-monocoque skin for fitting over woodedn frames. I used a small- scale version of this for making fairleads on my wooden homebuilt aircraft. Chuffing great big concrete formers, lots of very damp wood and lots of heavy weights.

[aerobelly]

You can see such a mould, for a Hornet (IIRC), at the De Havilland Heritage Museum at London Colney.



'b

[henry crun]

I have a faint memory of reading somewhere that it was the Canadians who developed the concrete mould idea.

When it was decided to build in Canada they came up with the idea to speed up production.
Apparently it took a fair bit of trial and error to allow for the shrinkage of concrete as it sets.

[SASless]

For a great tale of Mozzie flying in the War.....read "Terror in the Starboard Seat". Absolutely great book!

A review for the book....

http://www.mossie.org/books/reviews/Mark_Huxtable/Terror_in_the_Starboard_Seat_review.htm

[hoggsnortrupert]

Thanks chaps, all good info, SasLess a great site, thanks.
This only brings about another Q: How do they control the shrinkage rate of the concrete?
Would a former be allocated a Production run # ?
What were the tolerences between other production facilities formers:
Chr's
HSnort.
:ok:

[hoggsnortrupert]

Ted mentioned something about the glues then used in the lamination having a cassine content, and in Africa the white ants ate the glue laminations, and a few of the Aircraft broke under their own weight on the ground, and they also lost a few while in flight, does anyone about, and could confirm this.:ok:
Chr's
HSnort.

[Conan the Librarian]

I hadn't heard that one, though the Hornet suffered very badly from delamination in the Far East, though I think that was just the climate.

Conan

[jumpseater]

I can confirm reading somewhere that the laminated sections did suffer problems in humid environments, I can't recall reading about them suffering in flight break ups of any significant number or of them breaking due to weight on the ground. I used to work at BAe Hatfield when there were still old boys there who had just joined after the war, and again can't recall any similar 'war stories'. Thats not to say they didn't happen though.

[blue up]

My colleague Dave Scrimshaw told me several tales from the days when his father was a designer for aircraft components during the war. An Albermarle (think Boston/Hovoc buy with wooden wings and tail) had come back to Martlesham Heath from the far East. Whilst chatting with the groundcrew about the upcoming equipment drop trials he noticed a piece of fabric hanging off the trailing edge of one of the ailerons. Giving it a quick tug to tear the offending piece off he found himself holding about 6 foot of fabric. To round things off nicely, the wooden ribs dropped out under the force of gravity.:oh: Yes. Cascamite glue dies in high humidity and heat!

Towed and torched.:(

[JDK]

Concrete mould photo here:
http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/fpt/nwfp/mosquito/Mosquito.html
http://sres.anu.edu.au/associated/fpt/nwfp/mosquito/Image4.jpg
Glue and airframe failures are one of the 'blacked out' problems, I think, in history of de Havilland. However there's not a lot of documentation generally out there about it.

Another good site:
http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/dehavilland_mosquito.htm

[brickhistory]

For a great tale of Mozzie flying in the War.....read "Terror in the Starboard Seat". Absolutely great book!

Second the opinion! Very good look at squadron life and funny to boot!

[Fantome]

About recent New Zealand Mossie replica project, including making of moulds. www.mossie.org/articles/CWD/Mos.html

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Glue and airframe failures are one of the 'blacked out' problems, I think, in history of de Havilland. However there's not a lot of documentation generally out there about it.


I understand Messrs A V Roe and Co had similar problms with wooden winged Ansons in hot humid places. I don't think the problem was solved until glues like Aerolite 306 came along.

[jumpseater]

'Glue and airframe failures are one of the 'blacked out' problems, I think, in history of de Havilland. However there's not a lot of documentation generally out there about it.'

Before Hatfield closed I was able to spend a little time rummaging through the photographic section archives, I can't remember what excuse I used to get in there though!. There were plenty of images of production, service mods, battle damage etc which in their time would have been classified, for example radar/electronic fittings and installations, 'upkeep' the images were all there, in black and white. It was a staggering archive and I wonder where it went to? :ugh:
I can't recall any shots showing or appearing to show delaminating type problems. If there had been I feel certain they would have been there, and by now it would have been common knowledge in the general hiostory of the type. For example the Typhoon tail mods to overcome structural failing are widely known as is the resolution. I think if it were a significant issue, particularly in flight structural failure, by now it would be common knowledge.

[hoggsnortrupert]

If anyone is interested I have on video, old B/W documentry of the development of, and the testing of, and some interesting operational footage of the mossie:
This is care of my Elderly Dad, a retired Cinematographer:
Dad went through a period where he copied alot of historical stuff from old film onto video:
In the film it shows the electomatic props feathering/unfeathering, and a very brave roll around a dead engine at what appears to be rather low altitude, the construction of but no moulds?,and alot of other very interesting stuff.
I do not know what the copyright situation would be, but if anyone is interested I maybe able to copy it onto disk and make it available::ok:
Chr's
HSnort