Mosquito!

[Colonel Sanders]

Never thought I would see one fly

I think this is the one fron NZ

[PilotDAR]

I expect that this is the one just rebuild by Victoria Air Maintenance in Sydney. I was sitting in it a month ago, dreaming. It flew a week after I was there, it is a masterpiece!

[Tom H]

This one is beautiful

It is KA114 (you can see it back by the tail) an ex RCAF Mossie that the pieces were stored in BC for many, many years.

Bought by Jerry Yagen of the Military Aircraft Museum in Virgina Beach.

Jerry had it restored by AVSpecs in New Zealand, it has new build fuselage, Wing, Horizontal stab/Elevator and Vertical stab/Rudder.

Fast, beautiful and I am told amazingly agile.

Tom H

[Colonel Sanders]

It's supposed to fly formation with a P-38 this afternoon if they can fix the right brake - they're wrenching on it right now

[Tom H]

I don't know Col.

I don't think the P-38 has a chance. (lol)

The Mossie is faster, can turn tighter, dive faster and climb quicker...

Oh yeah formation flying...sorry, but I think it would be a cool dogfight.

Tom H

[GA MX Trainer Dude]

Looks and sounds even nicer in flight!!





Mx

[AirFrame]

I expect that this is the one just rebuild by Victoria Air Maintenance in Sydney. I was sitting in it a month ago, dreaming. It flew a week after I was there, it is a masterpiece!

That's not the one in the photo... Compare photos to those on http://www.vicair.net/mosquito.html.

CS, where was that photo taken?

[Spandau]

What is that parked behind and to the right of the P-38? It almost looks like an A-20.

[Colonel Sanders]

Photo was outside of Canada. More details after I leave, to avoid the usual attacks from the internet weirdos.

Yes, that's an A-20 in the corner. Doesn't fly.

[Tom H]

Photo was outside of Canada. More details after I leave, to avoid the usual attacks from the internet weirdos.

Yes, that's an A-20 in the corner. Doesn't fly.

Non Flying A-20!

Then there is only one place I know of you could be and I'm not talkin. (lol)

Tom H

[target]

Worked with a gent that was a navigation on mossies during ww2.
He said if you where a 'prang' you would be pulling splinters for weeks.

[Colonel Sanders]

Met a very impressive young man (29 yrs) yesterday.

Flies his P-51, doing surface aerobatics at airshows:



Also flies formation in L39's on the airshow circuit.

Not sure he would be popular here.

[Spandau]

Scooter? He's a pretty accomplished tin-basher, too.

[frozen solid]

Oh man what a beauty the Mosquito is. Some aeroplanes just epitomize "perfection" in their form and their performance. For me the Mosquito is one of them, along with the good old DC-3, Gypsy Moth, a couple of others I'd probably get made fun of for mentioning. Like the original B737 and the DC-9. Maybe the ME 262 actually. Every notice how similar in silhouette the classic Boeing 737 is to an ME 262?

Anyway, what a beauty. I love everything about that machine. The mosquito and the DC3 almost make me want to write poetry when I see them. And I'm not usually a "poetry" kind of guy. Matter of fact, I generally hate poetry.

[Tom H]

Oh man what a beauty the Mosquito is. Some aeroplanes just epitomize "perfection" in their form and their performance. For me the Mosquito is one of them, along with the good old DC-3, Gypsy Moth, a couple of others I'd probably get made fun of for mentioning. Like the original B737 and the DC-9. Maybe the ME 262 actually. Every notice how similar in silhouette the classic Boeing 737 is to an ME 262?

Anyway, what a beauty. I love everything about that machine. The mosquito and the DC3 almost make me want to write poetry when I see them. And I'm not usually a "poetry" kind of guy. Matter of fact, I generally hate poetry.

Agree completely and consider myself lucky ours (static restoration) is just outside my office door!

Tom H

[frozen solid]

Sometimes the static restorations preserve more of the historical fabric of the aircraft at the expense of airworthiness.

For Mosquitoes in particular, I think when restoring them, the further gone they are, the more appropriate it is to make them airworthy, since that would involve a new airframe more or less, with the metal parts restored. If there was an example with the original airframe still able to hold up its own weight, I would be more in favour of a static job, preserving the actual plane and the work of those long-ago wartime woodworkers.

To what extent is your static aircraft original? I would love to see it. Like the DC-3 I just find the shape of those lovely aircraft soothing to look at. You're lucky to be able to look at one whenever you want!

[Tom H]

To what extent is your static aircraft original? I would love to see it. Like the DC-3 I just find the shape of those lovely aircraft soothing to look at. You're lucky to be able to look at one whenever you want!

Our aircraft is one of three sisters operated by Spartan from the hangar that is now the museum.
- Ours
- The one from Calgary being restored in Nanton
- Bob Jens that just flew in Victoria, now living in Richmond

Ours lived at CFB Namao as a gate guard for a couple decades and while there it had it's back broken when being moved....when she got pretty tired it was donated to the City of Edmonton archives.

While in the CoE archives it was stored outside, uncovered and in pieces. Needless to say it deteriorated badly while there for a decade or so as I am told.

When we got her she was considered unsalvagable by experts and only good for it's metal parts.
The nose was rotted badly, which in the end worked out as part of the agreement with the CoE was it be restored as a 418 Squadron Fighter Bomber aircraft.

The Mossie is one of the museums early restorations and restoration of the cockpit continues.

The original airframe was repaired to static display only and being an early restoration the camouflage is not quite correct (we will correct it when it is re restored in the future).

The machine guns and cannons of course are fake and the cockpit has been a long term challenge to find parts for, to the point we are now starting to fabricate some of the pieces.

Markings are of Russ Bannock's aircraft (Hairless Joe) when he was CO of 418 Squadron.



Last I checked she was the only one in Canada on regular (daily) public display, the National Museum has a Bomber version but you can only see it on special tours.

Considering what the team started with she's a pretty bird.

Tom H

[GA MX Trainer Dude]

For Mosquitoes in particular, I think when restoring them, the further gone they are, the more appropriate it is to make them airworthy, since that would involve a new airframe more or less, with the metal parts restored. If there was an example with the original airframe still able to hold up its own weight, I would be more in favour of a static job, preserving the actual plane and the work of those long-ago wartime woodworkers.

Well that one would be the ex-Spartan Air Services one that is now living in YVR. It is almost all original and should look like this in my humble opinion!








One Class Airplane with a great history now represented as something it never was! However since I am not the owner I have no say in it and it doesn't detract from the commitment by those who brought her back to flying status.

Mx