Dangerous Work: Spartan Mosquitos
Thread Starter
Dangerous Work: Spartan Mosquitos
Excellent short documentary on Mosquitos used by Spartan Air Services in the Canadian Arctic:
Last edited by India Four Two; 15th Apr 2019 at 19:07.
what were they doing? they never described it? Aerial Photography I guess?
Thread Starter
Yes, they were aerial mapping the Canadian Arctic Islands, which were relatively poorly mapped*.
For example, Prince Charles Island, Air Force Island and Foley Island did not show on any maps until after 1948.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Charles_Island
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Island
* Not surprising really - 36,563 islands spread over 550,000 square miles!
For example, Prince Charles Island, Air Force Island and Foley Island did not show on any maps until after 1948.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Charles_Island
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Island
* Not surprising really - 36,563 islands spread over 550,000 square miles!
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When I started at Burnaston as a sprog they were just finishing the Spartan Mossies.
I think they came from storage at RAF Silloth. They were worked by Derby Aviation and ferried to Canada.
After work was finished the aircraft were flown Dave Oligivy and included a beat up of course !!
At the end there was one aircraft left over which stayed at Burnaston for some time. We used to take it out of the hangar periodically and ground run it.
My job as a sprog was to operate the Ki-gas primer for engine start. The primer was located ( by a sadist !!) externally under a flap just along side the Merlin exhaust stacks and as you primed you go a blast of hot exhaust gas !! So as you were getting roasted the ground crew were shouting for you to keep priming ! No elf and safety !!
The aircraft stayed there complete for some time both then finally broken up !
I think they came from storage at RAF Silloth. They were worked by Derby Aviation and ferried to Canada.
After work was finished the aircraft were flown Dave Oligivy and included a beat up of course !!
At the end there was one aircraft left over which stayed at Burnaston for some time. We used to take it out of the hangar periodically and ground run it.
My job as a sprog was to operate the Ki-gas primer for engine start. The primer was located ( by a sadist !!) externally under a flap just along side the Merlin exhaust stacks and as you primed you go a blast of hot exhaust gas !! So as you were getting roasted the ground crew were shouting for you to keep priming ! No elf and safety !!
The aircraft stayed there complete for some time both then finally broken up !
Despite the island's size, it was not discovered until 1932, when the tug captain W. A. Poole first sighted it. His information never made it onto any published map. It was rediscovered in 1948 by Albert-Ernest Tomkinson navigating an Avro Lancaster for the RCAF 408 (Photo) Squadron, though it was likely known to the local Inuit long before that. The island was named for Prince Charles, who was born the same year.
