Aircraft General Discussion

We saw the Mosquito in flight on TV tonight, it looks beautiful. Its hoped that it will be able to tour the UK, before heading to the USA. Ian S C

Went down to Ardmore Airport yesterday morning hoping to see the Mosquito doing taxiing trials and was fortunate enough to see it come down the taxiway, it then aligned itself up with the main runway and proceeded to take off on its Maiden flight at approx 0940. It did anumber of circuits avccompanied by a Trojan before going out of sight, apparently they were having trouble with the airspeed indicator an went to Mangere (Jean Batten) Intl Airport. to land as the crash facilities were better there. I stuck around until 1130 before going home. Went down at abou1620hrs apperently the Mosquito had returned done a few more circuits before going back to Mangere. About this time a flight of 5 Tigermoths landed. At abot 1730 the Mosquito retuned to land. Apparently it has to do 5 flying hours before it can take part in an aeroshow so I guess it will be taking of shortly to do more hours. I live about 3km from Ardmore and sometimes I am on th landing flight path so I am ever hopeful i will see it again today.

Neil

The mosquito has been flying today at a special airshow, and been on TV news again tonight, then a "Breaking News Bulletin " came on, a Spitfire is circling Wanganui airport, burning off fuel before a forced landing, one undercarrage leg is stuck up. Don't know, but it is proberbly on a return flight from the airshow, I suppose we'll hear more later. Ian S C

Landing successful, the pilot walked away (no news of the aircraft, a bent prop at least, Oh well thats flying).

Edited By Ian S C on 29/09/2012 08:06:12

Edited By Ian S C on 29/09/2012 08:07:22

Ian,

I went to the airshow today and the Mosquito put on three seperate displays. Most impressive low fast sweeping turns to show off the plan and underside views to the crowd with with the only sound I now know to be better than one Merlin!

A great credit to all those that made it happen.

The owner of the restoration company said a second one will be completed in 2015, a P3 I think.

The Spitfire you referred to with a wheels up situation is I believe a homebuilt replica.

Pat

Never thought I'd see one of these fly again, wooden airframes don't last long so a total rebuild was the only way it was going to happen

An amazing achievement

Mosquito rebuild

**LINK**

**LINK**

**LINK**

**LINK**

ZK-SPT the 80%(I think),replica Spitfire, is an Austrailian designed kit by a company called Supermarine, and called the Mk 26B, it's all metal, and powered by a 5.7L Chevrolet V8 engine of 430hp.Compared to a Mk 1 Spitfire, it's power to wt ratio is better, it cruises at 180kts, and on take off, it climbs at 3500ft/min, 500 ft/min faster than the Mk1.

Mk 1 Spitfire span: 36' 10" Mk26B: 27' 8"

Wing loading: 23lb/sqft " : 17lb/sqft

Weight : 5500lb " : 2090lb

The undercarrage is opperated by electric screw jacks.

The pilot/owner, Richmond Harding (nick name Ditch), ex Topdressing pilot thinks it should be back in the air in a month. Ian S C

Good program after the news on TV 1 last night, about ZK - ADT/ ex G - AAJO, it was flown from England, to Sydney in 1935 by the father of its new owner Jan Chisum , its a 1929 DH 60G Gypsy Moth. Its not long since it had a rebuild, still has its origional engine from before the days when DH tipped them upside down, loverly little aeroplane, the owners husband has a Tigermoth, it was seen at the Mosquito airshow, flying in formation with the other DH biplanes. Ian S C

ps The 1935 flight took 157 hours, cruising speed is about 74mph.

Edited By Ian S C on 02/11/2012 13:10:09

@Ian SC (et al):

You need to be careful about referring to "upside down" engines - I seem to recall reading/hearing somewhere that the DH chief engines designer at the time (was it Maj. Frank Halford?) reckoned that "all the rest of us" had their engines upside down and he was the only "correct" one (i.e. with his pistons on the up stroke going upwards) - all other inline engines with the cylinders facing "downwards" were "inverted" installations.

Dunno myself, a bit before my time (but wish I could have seen the programme).

Krgds

AES

AES, the program as proberbly on the TVNZ web site, but as I'm on dail up, I don't even bother looking at that. Had a look on google, found reference to the TV program on the York And District Plastic Model Society web site.

http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/2012-11-01-5186851

Ian S C

Edited By Ian S C on 05/12/2012 11:50:55

The video seems to have benn withdrawn or moved from tvnz website.

Thanks Ian SC. Like KWIL I couldn't get the link - as he says, the TVNZ site says it has been withdrawn.

Ah well, thanks for the thought anyway.

Krgds

AES

AES, maybe try the York and District Plastic Model Society, maybe one of them has a copy, because one of them is building a model of that aircraft. Ian S C

Good idea Ian, thanks, will do.

Krgds

AES

The Mosquito had another day out today, one more airshow in NZ, then its off to the USA, and its home, there is talk that it may tour the UK at some time in the future, maybe next year. Ian S C

Thanks Pat, I'll have a look at it in a day or so, when I can see it on broadband, I;m not hanging around about 4hrs while it loads up on my dail up system. Ian S C Born aviation nut

Fantastic high quality videos, very impressed Pat.

Don't switch off at the end of the mosquito video, there are more bonus videos tagged on and on!

Beautiful stuff.

Len. P.

Thanks Pat, worked perfectly, SUPERB video.

Krgds

AES

For more on NZ aviation, including the Mossie, check out

**LINK**

This has quite a few sections in it , some will be of interest, some not, but worth a look. Ian S C

Saw the vidio this afternoon, Great, turned up the volume, just like being in the cockpit, wonder if there was a photographer in either or both the T-11, or the Spitfire. Any idea what the(warning) horn is on the Mosquito?

Got to the take of on the second Yak 3, then my 1/2 hour at the computor at the library was well over, and someone else was waiting for his turn on the computor, our library only has 5 screens, and the other 4 had kids playing games, perhaps I should have unplugged the headphones, that would wake them up!! Ian S C