Originally Posted by Mandator
The team at Avspecs and all those involved in putting the new Mosquito back in the air have received richly-deserved praise. However, in watching all those YouTube clips of the event last weekend, a shudder went up my spine.
With no more than a couple of hours on the clock, and presumably with a pilot with only a couple of hours currency on type, the Mosquito was 'wrung out' in front of the paying public. From what I could see the crowd line appeared to be breached and one or two manoeuvres looked distinctly on the limit. It looked to me like we were heading in the direction of another disaster like Farnborough in 1952.
No vertical maneoveres were permitted for the display, with so few hours of pre-display testing.
However, as to the higher energy flying, that's to be commended really given the handling characteristics of the Mosquito.
It's worth reminding of what that late, great TP, Neil Williams said once in reply to being asked to fly an air-air photo with a him flying a Mossie B.35 and being photo'd from a Piper Comanche.
Neil asked if the Twin Comanche would do 200kts. The Piper pilot said no, why?
Neil responded that he would never fly a Mosquito at less than 200 kts once airborne.
