Another Mossie airborne...
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Another Mossie airborne...
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...
It seems the next airframe will head for the UK...
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Jointly owned by Rod Lewis and Charles Somers right now. (see here: https://vintageaviationnews.com/warb...ild-flies.html).
Errol Cavit has some lovely photos, including some from the first flight, on Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBhUUt
Errol Cavit has some lovely photos, including some from the first flight, on Flickr: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBhUUt
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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!
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
Fly a Spitfire Restored Mosquito to be based at Flyaspitfire.com Biggin Hill
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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.
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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...
Any other possible candidates for rebuild? I would hope one will eventually stay in NZ/Aus...
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.
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!
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 
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.
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'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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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!
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!
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!
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.
That's very much a possibility.
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?
Last edited by GeeRam; 3rd Apr 2024 at 15:04.
