Mosquito first air show today

[seagull61785]

Also the other 'British Twin' got a little up-staged by the Mosquito, but it was a really fantastic restoration just the same. The Anson is perfect!







The formal dinner on Saturday night after the show was really something too. We even had a few Mosquito veterans (average age around 93 years young) telling us some great stories about this aircraft. Memorable x a billion!

Cheers

Barry

[DaveM2]

Looks like you shutter speed was a bit high on the Mossie Barry - going a bit quick though I suppose!

Dave

[Dave Homewood]

This film was made by my best mate Mike Cater of the Mossie display.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1QVzM76 ... detailpage

[Vital Spark]

As this aircraft was originally Canadian built Jerry said he wants to display her in Canada at some point too which will be full circle for her!

I hope it comes up to Hamilton, it would be great to see it fly with the Lancaster and maybe do a flypast of the old DH plant at Downsview.

[k5083]

Safe to say that we in the eastern US are excited about the possibilities. Meetups at Reading or Geneseo with the CWH Lanc, Jim's or Tom Duffy's Spit, Yagen's own Spit and Hurri, and the Potter toybox are just a few of the ideas. One of the shows here should seriously consider a Brit fest, gathering as much of the above as possible (Mustangs permitted only if in Commonwealth markings!).

August

[VaBeachEd]

We can't wait to get her home - here in Virginia Beach! I'm sure she'll be the star of our next airshow "Warbirds Over the Beach" May 18th -19th 2013. Va Beach is awesome that time of year - not too many tourists (yet!) and not too hot! Mark your calendars and "come on down"!!

[seagull61785]

Looks like you shutter speed was a bit high on the Mossie Barry - going a bit quick though I suppose!

Dave

Dave,

The Mosquito pic I posted first was not taken by me (I'm not that capable of manually adjusting shutter speeds as I normally use the auto function).

I received this pic as an email attachment from my mate Peter Fahey who organised the airshow and dinner Saturday evening. I've no idea who took it, already asked Pete if he knew so I can give credit to the photographer. The Anson pics were taken by me on Sunday.

Cheers

Barry

[kalamazookid]

We can't wait to get her home - here in Virginia Beach! I'm sure she'll be the star of our next airshow "Warbirds Over the Beach" May 18th -19th 2013. Va Beach is awesome that time of year - not too many tourists (yet!) and not too hot! Mark your calendars and "come on down"!!

Already making plans to be there. Wanted to go this past spring but couldn't make it. How about a Mossie/Spit/Hurricane formation or racetrack pattern and throw in the CWH Lanc if it decides to visit again?

This is probably the most spectacular warbird restoration out there. Combine the scarcity of the type and the processes used to create it, and I don't think there's any restoration out there that approaches this. Can you imagine what Glynn Powell is feeling after seeing the Mossie fly? After all, it was his dream that began with the construction of the new-build fuselages all those years ago that event made something like this possible. I'm still in awe of seeing pics of a Mossie in the air. Seems surreal. Never thought it would happen.

[DaveM2]

Looks like you shutter speed was a bit high on the Mossie Barry - going a bit quick though I suppose!

Dave

Dave,

The Mosquito pic I posted first was not taken by me (I'm not that capable of manually adjusting shutter speeds as I normally use the auto function).

I received this pic as an email attachment from my mate Peter Fahey who organised the airshow and dinner Saturday evening. I've no idea who took it, already asked Pete if he knew so I can give credit to the photographer. The Anson pics were taken by me on Sunday.

Cheers

Barry

Hi Barry

Understood, thanks. Please pass on our congrats to Peter-he can be proud of his efforts to put the whole thing together - well done that man!

[pjpahs]

Beautiful aircraft and I will go to see it when it is in the States. Looking at the photos I am trying to figure out the planes I.D. painted on the sides. Port side reads L-R; Y-Brit Roundel-EG ,looks like
"YOEG",starboard reads L-R:"EGOY". I read where the "Y" stands for Yegen and the E and G are his and wifes initials. Even if you read from the tail forward ,each side differs.Is it something in the Brit I.D. system ,or is this just what the owner wants?

[JDK]

You don't 'read' the roundel. EG is the unit (squadron) code, Y is the aircraft in squadron letter, and the EG-Y refers primarily to a RNZAF Mozzie on the Amiens raid (487 Squadron, RNZAF) chosen by the rebuilders; and it 'happens' to be Mr & Mrs Yagen's initials as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._487_Squadron_RNZAF

HTH!

Last edited by JDK on Wed Oct 03, 2012 5:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[JDK]

In answer to the other part of the question, British and Commonwealth aircraft usually had the roundel applied at factory, and the two-letter unit code applied at the squadron, along with the individual aircraft letter. Because of the positioning of the roundel usually being symmetrical*, and a fixed distance down the fuselage, the unit code two letters would often be applied both sides forward (or sometimes aft) of the roundel as appropriate, so they fitted in the space available.

However the convention is to record and report the two letter unit code EG, then the aircraft code, Y, never the other way around, and that's usually read off the port.

And there are numerous exceptions and variations, but that's the base concept.

Regards,

(*There are many cases where the roundel position is asymmetric, so the unit codes and aircraft letter read the same sequence both sides.)

[pjpahs]

I was just about to ask about that. Thanks for the info, I just didn't know and the Yagens initials were just a quirky chance. I always assumed the Mossies engines were "handed", but looking at the video it seems they are not, unless I am seeing things ,,, again.

[JDK]

Glad to help!

I was just about to ask about that. Thanks for the info, I just didn't know and the Yagens initials were just a quirky chance.

Well, let's say a 'happy coincidence'! It's great that the codes commemorate a notable RNZAF unit and the owner.

I always assumed the Mossies engines were "handed", but looking at the video it seems they are not, unless I am seeing things ,,, again.

No, the Mosquito's Merlins turned the same way, one main reason why the aircraft's take off and landing characteristics are so challenging (nice to be able to write 'are' not 'were'. ). However the even sleeker and more impressive DH Hornet had handed engine/props.

Regards,

[Dave Homewood]

the EG-Y refers primarily to a RNZAF Mozzie on the Amiens raid (487 Squadron, RNZAF)

Actually James, although it was originally stated that the aircraft would be in the markings of an Amiens Prison raider, in the end the code EG-Y was chosen and none of the three Y's on the squadron were on that raid.

There was another No. 487 (NZ) Squadron aircraft that Warren was hoping to paint it as which had some interesting nose art and a lot of bomb markings but try as we might we could not determine its code and serial number. So in the end the back up plan was to use code letter Y.

Anthony Galbraith did some research for Avspecs and established the squadron had operated three Mossies with the code Y, all three having been lost in action with their crews killed. The info below on them was supplied to me by Andy Hosking of Avspecs. They were:
HX937 Served on 487 from 13/8/43 until failed to return from ops 9/10/43, HX937 of No.487 Squadron crashed near Stekene.

HX854 Served with No. 487 (NZ) Squadron from 3/10/43 until 14/2/44 then transferred to No. 107 Squadron crashing after take off on Sunday 23rd of April 1944

NT180 served on 487 from 8/6/44 until failed to return from ops 12/9/44

Note one crashed well before the Amiens Prison Raid, one transferred to another unit just before the raid where it later crashed and the other entered service after that raid date, which was 18th of February 1944.

The RNZAF operated four Mosquito Squadrons. No. 487 (NZ) Squadron in WWII was a specialist, some might say, elite low level pinpoint bombing squadron that did a lot of interesting raids on buildings such as Gestapo HQ's in Holland and Denmark.

No. 488 (NZ) Squadron in WWII was a nightfighter squadron who's Mossies were mostly the ones with the bulbous radar nose.

No. 489 (NZ) Squadron converted to them late in the war from their Beafighters, and operated the Mossie as a shipping strike aircraft in Coastal Command.

No. 75 Squadron RNZAF operated Mosquitoes from Ohakea in the 1950's before they were replaced by Vampires.

When Jerry agreed that a kiwi colour scheme should be applied, No. 487 (NZ) Squadron was the obvious choice given their amazing history as a special unit.

As James says it is a pure co-incidence that the squadron's famous codes EG (which if you look are also worn on Kermit Weeks' aircraft!) also stand for Elaine and Gerald, so the Y code for Yagen was a bonus. But the codes reflect genuine codes used in the squadron.