Alberta Aviation Museum Mosquito CF-HMQ

Thanks we appreciate your visits…

Ask for me the next time you are in.

Tom H

Accurate on not, it’s the only Mosquito that I have ever had the chance to see up close and to actaully touch. At least once a year, I make a pilgrimage to the AAM to see what’s new and to touch ( very gently and briefly ) a little aviation history.

Bruce

I appreciate exactly what you are saying. But in some cases we do what we have to.

Our collection is split almost 50/50 Military and Civil types and it often breaks my heart to see ether put into non relavent colors. But as a volunteer I was often only 1 voice and now as a 240hr/month Executive Director I can only advise and find the ways to pay for it.

But as you say times change, the B-25 we are currently doing is step in the right direction. It would be fair I think to say it is a composite aircraft with parts coming from all over the place but is being done as a specific postwar 418 Sqn aircraft as accuratly as we can afford. But again it is a partnership with another associaton and stumbling blocks may still fall…but we are in the right direction.

Our biggest challenge is and continues to get more pressing is room, as it currently stands 2 out of 4 aircraft in restoration will have no indoor display space if we are delayed in expansion plans…that to me will be a huge shame.

But we continue to do the best we can.

Thanks

Tom H

Mark 12

You are right that is a beautiful Mossie

Thanks

I find it a little sad that we paint all of our postwar Mustangs, Lancasters and so on in wartime colours, when they have no relation to the actual service of the airframe in question.
Bruce

Bruce,

I thoght this one looked pretty good.

Mark

In fairness, I have been a little harsh in my postings elsewhere. Aircraft preservation is still in its infancy, and we should not judge work done yesterday by the standards of today.

20 years ago when I started to get involved in the preservation scene, it was very different; there was often no particular regard for a specific airframes history, but this is changing in all sectors.

I had not realised VP189 was restored so long ago – where does the time go??

I understand where you are coming from with the restoration of VP189, though I still regret it. I find it a little sad that we paint all of our postwar Mustangs, Lancasters and so on in wartime colours, when they have no relation to the actual service of the airframe in question.

Bruce

Hello Tom.
If I ever get up your way with time to spare, will make sure I bring along some work clothes and gloves to muck in and give you a hand where needed!

Thanks Peter

We may very well have met as I have been to Nanton with my father in law and daughter several times…matter of fact you featured both of them in one of your newsletters.

Nanton has done a superb job with the Lanc and others. Loved the operating rear turret my father in law made you guys put me in….no idea how he bailed out when his Lanc was shot down.

Like you we do the best we can…but we get better and better

Apprecaite the kind words…thanks again.

Tom H

Tom.
You have done a fantastic job with the Mossie. I am not sure if we have met but I did have the pleaeure of meeting two chaps in nanton that were from Edmonton. I keep promising I will make a trip up and see what a fantastic Job you and your group have done not only looking after the mossie but creating and running a first rate museum that Edmonton can be proud of!

Thanks Mark

Appreciate the support…hope ours has helped your cause.

Tom H

I
In regard to CF-HMQ, hindsight may make its current state or modification a regrettable outcome as compared to an inaccurate paint scheme, however it is undercover and not deteriorating any further, and perhaps at some time in the future , its time to revert back to its own form may eventually come, and it would seem the original acquistion and restoration was subject to these constraints. While perhaps regrettable, would the airframe have been saved otherwise? and exist in any form today?

Stuart Howe’s book on Mosquito survivors tells the unfortunate story of this aircraft’s modification which goes back to 1967 and a back breaking drop when being unloaded, external fibre-glassing, external display and vandalism long before donation to the City of Edmonton in 1975 and the more recent display in Tom’s museum, I think it is lucky to exist in any form, the Glynn Powell jigs etc were only a twinkle in the eye when all of this happened, and over the same time there were other derelict mossies lying around unwanted (the Mexico City XB-TOX / TA 717 or even Australia’s own VH-WAD A52-319)

In relation to “modifications” our own museum at Moorabbin for many years displayed its P40E fuselage mounted on a pair of CAC Mustang wings, a case of Australian ingenuity to display it as a more complete aircraft and allow it to undertake engine runs.

At the time it was the only P40 on public display in Australia, and a pair of P40 wings were not available. While attracting concern over the in-accuracy and sacrilege, the P40 has survived the “ordeal” and is currently under restoration (but still in need of a completed set of wings).

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Thank you Avion Ancien

We do the best we can with what we have and keep getting better.

Our collection is now at 38 ether on display or under restoration.

From 1918 to 1979 covering both Edmonton’s commercial and military history.

Appreciate the kind words

Tom H

I applaud you and your colleagues. There are more than a few who could learn lessons from what your museum has achieved.