Pssst! Wanna buy a Mosquito bomber?

[Tony1963]

Eric Mc said:

Would be interesting to hear. It would be lovely if they had a Mosquito but it's not ever going to be likely now.

Yep, look forward rather than back. We are very lucky to have what we have right now. As the U.K. slides into obscurity, we will lose more and more old aircraft and cars to foreign buyers.

[Eric Mc]

I'm beginning to wonder if the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight might become the RAF's largest squadron.

[Tony1963]

Eric Mc said:

I'm beginning to wonder if the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight might become the RAF's largest squadron.

RAF squadrons aren’t usually ‘big’ at 12 or 13 aircraft (?) so at 12 aircraft the BBMF doesn’t need much.

We had 24 F3 Tornados on my squadron in Saudi. Sometimes I was the only Brit on shift for my trade. Looking back at that makes me wonder how I got away with it

[Tony1963]

Eric Mc said:

Would be interesting to hear. It would be lovely if they had a Mosquito but it's not ever going to be likely now.

I finally got round to asking my workmate.
Obviously it was a long time ago, but what he remembers is that the BBMF had agreed to take the Mosquito on at the end of the season (but it crashed that season), the bombers pilots had won the battle to fly it, and that it would have worked financially.
The bomber pilots won, because the fighter pilots had almost crashed the Dakota twice already, so they couldn’t be trusted

[Eric Mc]

So near but yet so far. What a waste.

[Tony1963]

Big Euromillions win > Buy Mosquito > Gift to BBMF with funds to run til I pop ma clogs

[zsdom]

https://flyaspitfire.com/2023/02/06/mosquito-at-bi...

[Flying Phil]

zsdom said:

https://flyaspitfire.com/2023/02/06/mosquito-at-bi...

Excellent news, I've always loved the Mosquito!

[andyA700]

I hope that they hit their target and that I am still alive in 2026, so that I can witness a Mosquito over Kent, with the double Merlins rumbling away.
Good luck to them.

[Eric Mc]

Great to hear that the project is still "live".

[S600BSB]

Even featured on Radio 4 news this morning!

[Eric Mc]

Although rather simplistically explained.

[clive_candy]

dr_gn said:

Volare said:

I knew the mosquito was made out of wood but I didn't realise to what extent and how it actually looked, that is incredible, like a giant model.

I built a Tamiya 1:72 model a few years back that was meant to show the basic materials and wooden sheet orientations used in its construction:

Just spotted this and can't believe there's not been more comment on what a fantastic piece of work it is. Sir, you are a master modeller!

[zsdom]

S600BSB said:

Even featured on Radio 4 news this morning!

Different project, that was the peoples Mosquito

[Mark V GTD]

clive_candy said:

Just spotted this and can't believe there's not been more comment on what a fantastic piece of work it is. Sir, you are a master modeller!

That is a truly lovely model!

[aeropilot]

zsdom said:

S600BSB said:

Even featured on Radio 4 news this morning!

Different project, that was the peoples Mosquito

Yep.

I'm sure it wasn't coincidence that the People's Mosquito project made national radio on the same day that Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar made the announcement of their own Mosquito project.

Hopefully this will now mean at least one airworthy Mossie in UK skies in the future, with BHHH's announcement.

It appears likely that the BHHH Mosquito will be created out of the identity of the various remains of FB.6 TE881, that had been in acquired by the late John Smith many decades ago, and the remains of which were bought by Avspecs, from his family when his other aircraft and parts stash was removed from his farm a year or so ago.
The fact that its likely to be built in parallel to the restoration that Avspecs have now just commenced on the restoration to airworthy of the ex-Glyn Powell T.43 for Rod Lewis (the project that was supposed to have been acquired by the probably now defunct UK Pathfinder Group) makes it highly probably that BHHH's 3 year timescale is not unrealistic.

[Mark V GTD]

My company works with Avspecs and I would say that programme is perfectly possible given the appropriate funding.

[dr_gn]

Mark V GTD said:

clive_candy said:

Just spotted this and can't believe there's not been more comment on what a fantastic piece of work it is. Sir, you are a master modeller!

That is a truly lovely model!

Thanks both. Happy to exchange it for a flight as and when

[hidetheelephants]

aeropilot said:

Eric Mc said:

Tony1963 said:

aeropilot said:

If BAe had made the decision to hand over RR299 to BBMF a year earlier, it might still be flying.......

The BBMF is run on an extremely tight budget. I doubt whether, at any time over the last 40 years, they’d have coped with running a Mosquito as well as the rest of the fleet.

They could have sold off one of their Spitfires to raise funds. They have done that in the past.

By all accounts, funds were not going to be an issue, had BAe donated RR299 to BBMF. The only issue there appeared to be was an argument within as to who was going to fly it.....the Lanc/Dak crews wanted to have it under their 'wing' being multi-engine, but the dual control T.3 being a solid nose version, had the fighter style control columns, not a bomber style half wheel yoke stick, so the fighter pilots wanted it as it wasn't a 'bomber'..

All academic now of course.
Sad that's its lost, and sad that two crew went with it, and even more sad, that the only people that seem to have the funds and interest to restore and fly them are the bloody yanks
Given the huge number of Aus/Kiwi crews that flew them operationally, and the fact they are being restored to fly out there, its also a shame one also hasn't stayed down under as an airworthy example, given 3 have now been done, and a 4th is now on its way.

What happened to the wreckage of 299? Isn't it a prime candidate for a new kiwi fuselage?

[aeropilot]

hidetheelephants said:

aeropilot said:

Eric Mc said:

Tony1963 said:

aeropilot said:

If BAe had made the decision to hand over RR299 to BBMF a year earlier, it might still be flying.......

The BBMF is run on an extremely tight budget. I doubt whether, at any time over the last 40 years, they’d have coped with running a Mosquito as well as the rest of the fleet.

They could have sold off one of their Spitfires to raise funds. They have done that in the past.

By all accounts, funds were not going to be an issue, had BAe donated RR299 to BBMF. The only issue there appeared to be was an argument within as to who was going to fly it.....the Lanc/Dak crews wanted to have it under their 'wing' being multi-engine, but the dual control T.3 being a solid nose version, had the fighter style control columns, not a bomber style half wheel yoke stick, so the fighter pilots wanted it as it wasn't a 'bomber'..

All academic now of course.
Sad that's its lost, and sad that two crew went with it, and even more sad, that the only people that seem to have the funds and interest to restore and fly them are the bloody yanks
Given the huge number of Aus/Kiwi crews that flew them operationally, and the fact they are being restored to fly out there, its also a shame one also hasn't stayed down under as an airworthy example, given 3 have now been done, and a 4th is now on its way.

What happened to the wreckage of 299? Isn't it a prime candidate for a new kiwi fuselage?

The burnt out remains (what there was left) were all destroyed by BAe after the conclusion of the investigation.