Mossie KA114
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Discussion

tdm34

Original Poster:

7,494 posts

239 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Just Watch! Preferably in HD and with the sound turned right up..........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvp2AeM68iM

DieselGriff

5,160 posts

288 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Excellent video and great news that she's now flying! What a lovely aeroplane, thanks for sharing.

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Been flying for quite a few months.

In fact, at the moment, it ISN'T flying as it has been dismantled ready for shipment to Jerry Yagen in the US (according to the latest Aeroplane Monthly).

Simpo Two

92,666 posts

294 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Glorious sound. Good old Kiwis; shame we couldn't manage to do it.

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Simpo Two said:
Glorious sound. Good old Kiwis; shame we couldn't manage to do it.
We could - and do - all the time.

FourWheelDrift

92,237 posts

313 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Eric Mc said:
We could - and do - all the time.
Sounds like NF.36 RL249 which was recovered in 2006 was given the go ahead last year for full restoration to flying condition in the UK - http://peoplesmosquito.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/pr...

Yes it will need new wings and other bits but there are very few needing a full restoration that haven't been a bit of a Triggers Broom.

Simpo Two

92,666 posts

294 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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What, restore Mosquitos to airworthiness? Must have missed them.

aeropilot

40,526 posts

256 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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FourWheelDrift said:
Sounds like NF.36 RL249 which was recovered in 2006 was given the go ahead last year for full restoration to flying condition in the UK - http://peoplesmosquito.wordpress.com/2012/03/15/pr...

Yes it will need new wings and other bits
laugh

It's new build EVERYTHING, not just new wings and other bits......there are basically NO bits of RL249 left other than a few burnt/charred bits n bobs dug from the crash site..... and an identity, and it's the latter that is the sole important bit.
Anyway, it's not a given that a NZ new build would get CAA certification anyway, without the required documentation (which KA114 didn't come with as not neccessary for NZ or USA)




Edited by aeropilot on Wednesday 27th February 13:44

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Simpo Two said:
What, restore Mosquitos to airworthiness? Must have missed them.
No, having a thriving warbirds restoration industry.

It just so happens that a Mosquito hasn't featured - yet. But, as pointed out above, could very well be soon.

williamp

20,380 posts

302 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Aparently there is a team of experts heading to africa as they have heard they have "lots of mosquitos" there with wings and everything...

scubadude

2,619 posts

226 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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NICE.....

The first flying part where he was chucking it about down low was most impressive, especially when you see how "lazy" the controls looked- big balls at that height... can only marvel at the boys who did that (lower) with a load of bombs at night!

Thanks for posting.

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
quotequote all
scubadude said:
NICE.....

The first flying part where he was chucking it about down low was most impressive, especially when you see how "lazy" the controls looked- big balls at that height... can only marvel at the boys who did that (lower) with a load of bombs at night!

Thanks for posting.
Mossies tended to operate during the day - except for Pathfinder force Mossies that went ahead of the main bomber force to mark the targets with flares.

And of course, the Nightfighter Mossies, which generally operated above 10,000 feet.

Salt flat rat

85 posts

163 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Would you not have believed yourself to be utterly unconquerable when flying such a magnificent machine ? I only wonder that Luftwaffe pilots could ever bring themselves to shooting down a Mossie - they must have felt it was a travesty so to do !

I pride myself on having known John " Catseyes " Cunningham for the last few years of his life. As a man who shot down very many German planes during radar interceptions in his Mosquito night fighters, he was a very controlled and coolly unemotional bloke, but I always saw a tear or two of nostalgic recollection appear in his eyes whenever he recalled his beloved Mossies.

And what did he drive ? An elderly, but superbly maintained BMW 3 series ! " Why do you drive a German car, John ? " , I once asked him. " The buggers tried to shoot you down and kill you for over five years, why not drive a nice English car such as an Aston like mine ? ". " Simple, old boy " he replied " Mine is twice the engineering at a tenth of the price ! " .

I once took him out in the Alfa Romeo 3 litre V6 166 I owned at the time. " Now, that's a proper car ! " he told me , " what's the depreciation like ? ". I told him. " Bugger that, he said, that's more than my RAF pension ! "

Simpo Two

92,666 posts

294 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Salt flat rat said:
I only wonder that Luftwaffe pilots could ever bring themselves to shooting down a Mossie - they must have felt it was a travesty so to do !
On the contrary, it would have been a highly prized scalp.

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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And they failed miserably to emulate it -


Ginetta G15 Girl

3,220 posts

213 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Oh I don't know Eric, the He219 would give a Mossie a run for its money, and probably an Me410 too.

tdm34

Original Poster:

7,494 posts

239 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Ginetta G15 Girl said:
Oh I don't know Eric, the He219 would give a Mossie a run for its money, and probably an Me410 too.
The He219 maybe, if the pilot was at the top of his game! There was never enough
Of them, also they early ones where never as quick as they claimed
And they were beset with reliability problems as well.

As for the ME410 it wouldn't see which way a Mossie went, it was a huge disappointment for the
Luftwaffe.

Ginetta G15 Girl

3,220 posts

213 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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tdm34 said:
There was never enough
Of them, also they early ones where never as quick as they claimed
And they were beset with reliability problems as well.
I'm fully aware of how few Uhu's there were as well as the reliability problems.

tdm34 said:
As for the ME410 it wouldn't see which way a Mossie went
I'm afraid we'll have to disagree there. Me 210 yes, Me 410 no.

Simpo Two

92,666 posts

294 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Ona trivial note, from Wiki, 'The Me 410 night bomber proved to be an elusive target for the RAF night fighters. The first unit to operate over the UK was V./KG 2, which lost its first Me 410 on the night of 13–14 July 1943 when it was shot down by a de Havilland Mosquito of No. 85 Squadron.'

So like they were used in the Intruder role as well as others. Mind you after dark it would be more down to AI capability and skill of radar operator than sheer performance.

aeropilot

40,526 posts

256 months

Wednesday 27th February 2013
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Ginetta G15 Girl said:
tdm34 said:
As for the ME410 it wouldn't see which way a Mossie went
I'm afraid we'll have to disagree there. Me 210 yes, Me 410 no.
I'd say it would be pretty even, given the almost dentical top speeds between the two a/c ( Mossie FB.VI) and I'd side with the Mossie over the 410 given most 410's were equipped as more heavily armed bomber destroyers, but, with the advent of the P-51's being able to escort the bombers all the way there and back, the Zerstorergeschwader 410's were mauled by the USAAF P-51's, and what was left of them were withdrawn from Reich Defense duties by mid '44.

They made effective and elusive solo night raiders over the UK, but ironically, the first one lost over the UK was downed by a 85 Sqn Mosquito nightfighter smile

That 410 that used to be at St.Athan did sound lovely though when it used to be run up, there's a video on Youtube of it running up it's DB's taken back in the 80's biggrin