Another Mossie airborne...

[treadigraph]

AvSpecs have flown their fourth Mosquito restoration, NZ2308 was taken up by Steve Hinton today (I think) and is destined for Rod Lewis (I think) in the USA... It's in Australian-built T.43.

It seems the next airframe will head for the UK...

[India Four Two]

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1184x1634/steve_hinton_8dd51d645020b877ee446439bac8508f574e0e2b.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQnyWTnPbXU

[Jhieminga]

... and is destined for Rod Lewis (I think) in the USA...
Jointly owned by Rod Lewis and Charles Somers right now. (see here: https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird-restorations/fourth-avspecs-mosquito-rebuild-flies.html).

Errol Cavit has some lovely photos, including some from the first flight, on Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBhUUt

[jabflyer2200]

Re treadigraphs post. I hope the next Mosquito does go to the UK. It wont be helped by the astounding statement.on the latest The Peoples Mosquito facebook post which claims that (mosquitoes built in new zealand) are not subject to the stringent and rigorous CAA controls a UK based aircraft would have to face….Astonished!

[Fargo Boyle]

The next Mosquito to be rebuilt is coming to the UK, but it's not the TPM one. It'll be a FB VI for the Biggin Hill based Spitfire collection - and is due to be available for pax flights! Better start saving those pennies...

Fly a Spitfire Restored Mosquito to be based at Flyaspitfire.com Biggin Hill (https://flyaspitfire.com/2023/02/06/mosquito-at-biggin-hill/)

[DHfan]

Considering it was the most produced variant, it will be good to have another FB.VI in the country. There's only one at the moment, the composite at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum.

[jolihokistix]

https://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/uploads/monthly_2024_03/IMG_7009.thumb.jpeg.997f9734f869cca8c8f45f5f938429c2.jpeg

[Jhieminga]

Photos from a fuel stop on the way to Wanaka here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/147661871@N04/albums/72177720315691833/

From https://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?p=960903

[treadigraph]

So TPM's Mosquito is based on RL249/G-FBVI, presumably Peter Monk's airframe is FB.VI DZ542?

Any other possible candidates for rebuild? I would hope one will eventually stay in NZ/Aus...

[GeeRam]

So TPM's Mosquito is based on RL249/G-FBVI, presumably Peter Monk's airframe is FB.VI DZ542?

Any other possible candidates for rebuild? I would hope one will eventually stay in NZ/Aus...

DZ452 isn't a FB.VI, its a rare B.IV, that saw operation service in 1944 in Scotland with 618 Sqn and then later as an ex-highball test aircraft.

It would be a shame if this is being changed to FB.VI config for Monks Biggin Hill outfit, but there is no other known surviving remains to be the basis of it to be used, so this must be the 5th and thus likely final one to come out of Avspecs Mossie production line.

[GeeRam]

Re treadigraphs post. I hope the next Mosquito does go to the UK. It wont be helped by the astounding statement.on the latest The Peoples Mosquito facebook post which claims that (mosquitoes built in new zealand) are not subject to the stringent and rigorous CAA controls a UK based aircraft would have to face….Astonished!

I'm not astonished at all that group would imply such a thing....:rolleyes: rather than stating the simple and obvious fact that Avspecs do not have CAA A8-20/21 accreditation....or preferably, not saying anything at all about other projects :ugh:

[DHfan]

DZ452 isn't a FB.VI, its a rare B.IV, that saw operation service in 1944 in Scotland with 618 Sqn and then later as an ex-highball test aircraft.

It would be a shame if this is being changed to FB.VI config for Monks Biggin Hill outfit, but there is no other known surviving remains to be the basis of it to be used, so this must be the 5th and thus likely final one to come out of Avspecs Mossie production line.

I believe it's more than rare, it's literally the only surviving B.IV. It's still listed for sale at Platinum Fighters.

I've never understood why the DH Museum restored W4050, the prototype, to the later two-stage Merlin configuration when bomber-nose single stage Merlin Mosquitoes are so rare.
I think the only other one is the Canadian-built B.XX KB336 at the National Aeronautical collection, Rockliffe.

[treadigraph]

DZ452 isn't a FB.VI, its a rare B.IV, that saw operation service in 1944 in Scotland with 618 Sqn and then later as an ex-highball test aircraft.

IV/VI, apologies, must come from being left handed! Or more likely a brain fart while mentally composing my post after looking at the late Geoff Goodall's site.

[GeeRam]

I believe it's more than rare, it's literally the only surviving B.IV. It's still listed for sale at Platinum Fighters.


Yes, this is why I'm not sure if DZ452 is indeed the one destined for Biggin Hill, as surely, it would be shown as sold by now...?

I know the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society in NZ had the parts remains of FB.VI HR339 along with the fuselage of another FB.VI, and the RZNAF Museum have substantial parts of two separate FB.VI's but whether either of these 4 aircraft will provide parts/ID for the Monk FB.VI I don't know...?
I can't think of any other identifiable parts sources for a FB.VI project, other than the oft rumoured but never confirmed story that the CAF had the remains of a FB.VI held in store for years.

[treadigraph]

other than the oft rumoured but never confirmed story that the CAF had the remains of a FB.VI held in store for years.

Per Geoff Goodall, CAF had vestigial remains of:

FB.VI PF670/N9868F - derelict San Antonio TX, broke up while being dism. for transporting to Harlingen: parts only
PR.34 RG300/N9871F - same as above but supposedly now with Collings Foundation along with original parts of TV959 not used in rebuild plus parts of TA717/XB-TOX and PZ467/NX64422.

[treadigraph]

According to New Zealanders on WIX, it definitely isn't DZ542 but another FB.VI acquired by Peter Monk. Possible i/d suggested is TE881, the remains of which were apparently available from John Smith's estate along with the complete TE910 now on static display at Omaka.

Looking through Geoff Goodall's listing (which doesn't seem to include TE881), quite a few Antipodean survivors have been used in static restorations over the years which does make one wonder what else might be hiding in a cupboard in the dusty corner of a hangar!

[Jhieminga]

Re treadigraphs post. I hope the next Mosquito does go to the UK. It wont be helped by the astounding statement.on the latest The Peoples Mosquito facebook post which claims that (mosquitoes built in new zealand) are not subject to the stringent and rigorous CAA controls a UK based aircraft would have to face….Astonished!
I had a chat with a TPM member last year during which the same statement turned up. As has been mentioned, Avspecs do not have the A8-20 paperwork needed to qualify as a CAA approved organisation. Because of this, a Mossie from Avspecs would have to be treated as an airframe with unknown provenance and unknown maintenance records by the CAA, probably leading to it not getting onto the UK register. The actual CAA controls are similar to what Avspecs work to, or what the FAA requires, but their regulations offer more leeway for airframes with a checkered past. The Avspecs airframes currently flying are all registered in the 'Experimental' category in the US, the UK does not offer a similar option and it is this stumbling block, along with (I guess) the PR angle of having a UK-built Mossie, that may have lead to TPM going down the route of setting up a Mosquito production line for a single example in the UK.

[GeeRam]

According to New Zealanders on WIX, it definitely isn't DZ542 but another FB.VI acquired by Peter Monk. Possible i/d suggested is TE881, the remains of which were apparently available from John Smith's estate along with the complete TE910 now on static display at Omaka.


Aahh....yes, I remember when John Smiths estate was cleared out there were some remains of another ex-RNZAF Mossie along with the complete TE910, but couldn't find the info.
That's very much a possibility.

[GeeRam]

Aahh....yes, I remember when John Smiths estate was cleared out there were some remains of another ex-RNZAF Mossie along with the complete TE910, but couldn't find the info.
That's very much a possibility.

How stupid do I feel.....

Just found my own post on here from over a year ago about TE881 forming the basis of a large cache of the parts acquired by Avespecs etc.

Doh......

Old age is wonderful :{

Anyway, with now 4 very active Mosquito's in the world, you'd have to go back to 1968 when 4 were used for filming Mosquito Squadron, for the last time that many were flyers.
B.35 VR796 in Canada is technically a flyer of course, but I don't believe its flown much, if at all since its original batch of post-restoration flights back in 2014. I know it was sold a couple of years ago, and made the flight to its new home two years ago in June 2022, but don't think its flown again since?