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This is the place where the majority of the warbird (aircraft that have survived military service) discussions will take place. Specialized forums may be added in the new future
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Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sat Jan 12, 2019 6:38 pm

Airborne this morning! Well done all :supz:

https://www.facebook.com/15007377500536 ... 096389457/

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sat Jan 12, 2019 7:46 pm

Oh, thanks for that. That 5 seconds of sight and sound brightened my day.

August

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sat Jan 12, 2019 9:30 pm

Album

Spitfire MH367 (with photographer Gavin Conroy in the back) led PZ474 down the taxiway, crewed by Steve Hinton and Warren Denholm.


ImageSome additional stencils on PZ474 by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

ImageRunning up Starboard by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

ImageStylish chase plane - Spitfire MH367 by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

Takeoff at 11.33am

ImageTail up! by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

A few wide circuits, including gear tests, then we got a pass - most appreciated!

ImagePZ474 pass - thanks Steve Hinton and Warren Denholm by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

Landed at 11.51am

ImageGetting closer by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

ImageWell done team! by Errol Cavit, on Flickr
Last edited by ErrolC on Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:20 pm

Thank you Errol! I really appreciate you sharing your fantastic photos of the day's activity - what a gorgeous machine.

Not even speaking as a person who will be there, I really hope that it remains in New Zealand for the Classic Fighters Airshow. I think that would still allow enough time to have it shipped to the US, reassembled and ready by Oshkosh. ; )
Last edited by JohnTerrell on Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:54 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 12:11 am

It was truly a pleasure John.
There is a better chance of it remaining for Wings Over Wairarapa at Masterton 22-24 Feb than Classic Fighters two months later. Fingers crossed.

Update: there was a second flight mid-afternoon
http://mrcaviation.blogspot.com/2019/01 ... ed-13.html
Last edited by ErrolC on Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 12:49 am

More photos at two of our three big aviation blogs, MRC Aviation and NZ Civil Aircraft.

Wonderful, wonderful news! Errol: I'm so glad you were there.

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:16 am

What a magnificent machine! Thank you Erroll for the photos of the momentous occasion. Now if Rod will allow her a visit to the PoF airshow in the next year or two all would be right in the world. (My world anyway!)

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 9:53 am

I can only imagine how Glyn Powell must feel.
Imagine his dream, years ago, that was enough to start the ball rolling, on scratch building the moulds to reproduce Mosquito fuselages.
Skip to a few decades later and yet another gorgeous example of de Havillands genius returns to the skies.

A hearty well done and congrats to everyone involved.
Just awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERnkboDYHZ8

Andy

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 10:09 am

She's a beaut! Awesome times. Thanks for the headzup!

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 1:28 pm

And one of Gavin's A2A shots as Avspecs FB cover photo
https://www.facebook.com/Avspecs/photos ... 494194836/

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 2:06 pm

Congratulations to the teams at Aerowood, Avspecs and Lewis Air Legends!

Talking of DZ542, I wonder if this is bound for the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar following their announcement a couple of years ago?

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 4:37 pm

Initially didn't like the paint scheme but once finished, it may be my favorite. It rocks! What Mosquito is now closest to being the next to fly?

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 7:01 pm

marine air wrote:What Mosquito is now closest to being the next to fly?


That would be NZ2308. That is of course the Mosquito that Glyn Powell, for a number of years, was building/restoring for himself and is very complete. NZ2308 was acquired last year by the UK-based Mosquito Pathfinder Trust, who are having Avspecs in New Zealand complete the aircraft and have the Duxford, UK-based Aircraft Restoration Co. handle certification in the UK and flight testing - first in New Zealand and then in the UK (and ARCo will continue to be providing operational and maintenance support for the aircraft after it is in the UK). When the acquisition was announced last year, it was said it was anticipated that the aircraft could be completed and in the UK, flying, within only 2-years, which would result in the aircraft flying in the UK as early as 2020, but that is funding-dependent. Here is a photo, which I believe to be a bit dated, of NZ2308 from the MPT Facebook page: https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5CBFCD0B

After that, there is the bomber-variant Mosquito, DZ542, which has been actively taking shape at Avspecs. Here is one of the latest photos of DZ542, showing the glued-up halves of the fuselage together, posted to the Avspecs Facebook page just a couple months ago: https://scontent.ffcm1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5CC5D3B6

The Canadian Historical Aircraft Association has also been working on Mosquito KB161, to certified airworthy condition (everything being done/signed off on to allow it to be a flyer when completed), so that it will be able to be flown if there is sufficient funding to operate the aircraft when completed. Here is a photo from the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association's Mosquito FB page, taken last summer (once it reaches a certain state of completion, it will be coming back apart again so that the wooden sections can receive the fabric covering and coatings of dope and paint): https://scontent.ffcm1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/ ... e=5CB9831B


With PZ474 now flying, there are three flying examples (active) in the world, and all three of those being from Avspecs - KA114, TV959, and now PZ474. There would be a fourth example considered, that being the very original VR796, based in Canada, but after having flown several times in 2014 and 2015, it has not flown since 2015, and it sounds as though there is no immediate intention by the owner of flying it again. It can be said, however, that within a less than 7-year period (mid-2012 to early-2019), four DH Mosquitoes have now flown (three of which are now in Steve Hinton's logbook).

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 8:39 pm

What a celebration of a re-birth by Warren and his team and all the others involved! Airborne in Steve's safe hands and I can see Rod grinning like a Cheshire cat...
:drink3:

Re: DH Mosquito FB.VI PZ474 (Rod Lewis) ...

Sun Jan 13, 2019 9:45 pm

Thank you JohnTerrell, that is a very helpful summary of Mossie goings-on.

Here are some more photos of the Mossie and the Spitfire Tr.IX chase plane, and comparison photos of the three Mossies so far completed to airworthiness at Ardmore, both from the blog NZ Civil Aircraft.
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