DeHavilland Mosquito

[STUNO]

Apparently there are very few of these left in flying condition.

But there will be one more next weekend, one has been rebuilt here and is expected to take its first flight next Saturday. The rebuild has taken quite a few years!

The just as good news is that a second one is well on the way to finishing.

 

An article from January

http://www.theaucklander.co.nz/news/mos ... d/1234388/

 

youtube

[CreepingJesus]

Brilliant news! I've a real soft spot for these, 'cos one of my history teachers at school was a Mossie pilot. He could talk for hours about those, and his love for them shone right thro'.

[Manbearpig]

Awesome craft. Some modern war historian proposed a "Captain Hindsight" theory that we would have been better ploughing our wartime resources into huge Mossie squadrons for precision bombing raids. Instead we wasted hundreds of thousands of lives in costly high altitude mass raids.

[Negative Creep]

Awesome craft. Some modern war historian proposed a "Captain Hindsight" theory that we would have been better ploughing our wartime resources into huge Mossie squadrons for precision bombing raids. Instead we wasted hundreds of thousands of lives in costly high altitude mass raids.

 

 

You do have to wonder if are bombing was worth the cost, although early in the war the technology for precision strikes simply didn't exist. A wonderful aircraft though which very nearly wasn't build, although you can imagine why people would have been cynical when you proposed an unarmed wooden bomber.

 

I've always had a soft spot for the Beaufighters and Havoc though, mainly because they don't get nearly as much attention.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My Great Uncle was the last British airman shot down and killed in WW11, May 1945 whilst Napalming Jaegel airfield in Kiel as one of a group of six Mosquitoes. He started off with Wellingtons and moved to Mosquitoes around 1943. He had already been demobilised but volunteered for this one last job, destroying a gathering bunch of BF109's and FW190's. Even though the war was all but over, this group of Luftwaffe nutters were likely to fly to Norway and keep the war going from there.

[Negative Creep]

My Great Uncle was the last British airman shot down and killed in WW11, May 1945 whilst Napalming Jaegel airfield in Kiel as one of a group of six Mosquitoes. He started off with Wellingtons and moved to Mosquitoes around 1943. He had already been demobilised but volunteered for this one last job, destroying a gathering bunch of BF109's and FW190's. Even though the war was all but over, this group of Luftwaffe nutters were likely to fly to Norway and keep the war going from there.

 

 

Any death near the end of a conflict is poignant, although without wishing to be disparaging we were still fighting Japan until August 1945

[willswitchengage]

+1. The best engines (other than the

), one of the fastest planes of the war, and made of chopped down trees. Plus, one of my first ever Airfix models Fairey Swordfish has got to be my favourite, however. I can see why pilots got all da honeyz back then.

 

Planes just got boring when gas turbines appeared on the scene (all new planes are shit etc).

[RoadworkUK]

+1. The best engines (other than the

).

 

My Grandfather (ex Halifax aircrew and previous owner of my Rover) would agree strongly.

 

I saw a Mozzie on one of its final pre-crash displays at a Cornish airshow in the 90s. An astonishing spectacle with an amazing soundtrack. Would have been interesting if they'd ever fitted Griffons... You know, for fun.

[STUNO]

Here is the news item I saw last night. Starts at 13.00 mins

 

http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/2012-09-24-video-5101399

[STUNO]

IT Goes

 

amcam roadside video, watch the road traffic too!

 

And more

[Lankytim]

Just superb, what a sound!

[Wilko220]

This place is just down the road from me and WELL worth a visit - a properly shite aircraft museum

http://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk/