Warbird Information Exchange

Engine runs at Warbirds On Parade on Sunday. it taxiied to the hardstand from the AvSpecs hangar a few hundred metres away, the tug was easier and more dramatic for the short move to the grass in front of the crowd line.

DH Mosquito T.43 NZ2308 Engine Run by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

Amazing!
Thanks for the picture.

Andy

Oshkosh..?

Phil

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A man's got to know his limitations.

Great photo, Errol!

On social media, Lewis Air Legends has mentioned that they'd like to have it at Oshkosh this summer, but timing might be rather tight. It's scheduled to be at Warbirds Over Wanaka, just over two weeks from now, for which it will of course need to be flight tested between now and then. Following that, it will be flown back to Ardmore, disassembled, crated and shipped, reassembled in the US, and put on the US register and flight tested again.

With regard to the paint scheme, it is a mixture of its post-war RNZAF markings but with D-Day invasion stripes and fuselage codes painted red (the code letters themselves are accurate to the airframe's post-war service in the RNZAF, though they would have been black). There is some thought that this might be temporary, with this year of course marking 80 years since D-Day, but it certainly doesn't look temporary. I quite like the looks of it.

The scheme has really grown on me too, John, but we are very much in the minority!

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
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"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22

Yes, that combination of scheme elements makes sense if they aren't going to have time to apply the final scheme before it is at events where they want D-Day stripes on. The silver is there anyway, the RNZAF markings are fairly straightforward.

At least it isn't having to be shipped through any canals, although there is general disruption to shipping schedules worldwide.

Hopefully I can catch a test flight (they might pre-announce?) or departure to/arrival from Wanaka. Unfortunately work's year-end is March, so I can't sit on Ardmore's fence on Wed/Thur before Easter.

A friend was quoted $400,000 to ship a large SE warbird from the UK to the West Coast.

I can't imagine what the cost would be for having a Mosquito shipped across the Pacific.
But then again, if you can afford a new Mosquito....

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I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Fly it over...

Phil

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A man's got to know his limitations.

That makes it sound like they were planning to restore it to airworthy. They weren't, it was to find out how the airframe had fared. Although it was hangared by then, it had spent many years outside previously, not least at the museum.

I found an ancient post (approaching 20 years ago) on the Flypast forum by Bruce, who was then a big cheese at the Mosquito Museum, regarding the inspection.
It was ultrasound, not X-ray, it was TA634 and they were planning to do the same to W4050 in due course. Whether that was ever done I don't know.

Quote:
"It is interesting to note that much of the 'delamination' found on TA634 was from original manufacture - i.e. voids where the glue had not stuck. There was a little found that was through age and neglect, but really comparatively little."

I made an earlier comment about different roundels.
Question, what mark Merlins does the second (these are all Australian-built) Mosquito have?

All Australian-built Mosquitoes had Packard Merlin 31s or 33s, the equivalent of Rolls-Royce Merlin 21s and 23s.

The first one appears to have the siamesed rear exhaust manifold and the second one has a standard manifold.

First test flight of NZ2308 ZK-PWL at 3:24 NZDT.
Congrats to all.

Fantastic news!
Congratulations to all involved for another monumental milestone!

Andy

Remember Kermit Weeks on his Mosquito in the EAA museum stateing the glue used in the construction breaks down over time and would have to be completely redone to make airworthy. Also wonderd why all the currant flying Mosquitos regardless of type all have the flat fighter windscreen?

Some photos and background here: https://vintageaviationnews.com/warbird ... flies.html

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