This winters small project at the de Havilland Heritage Centre has been the completion of the undercarriage for Mosquito FBVI TA122. This little job was started over ten years ago by yours truly, but as a result of redundancy at the time, never finished. The ball was picked up by Bob Glasby, the project manager, after the successful mating of wing and fuselage, with the intention of getting it on its wheels for Easter, and was carried out by all members of the mosquito team.
Today, that job was completed as the attached pictures show…
Thanks are due to Dunlop Aerospace for looking over the tyres, and to all of the team who made this possible. We also remember our team member, Ray Gall, who passed away over the winter, who would have loved to see this day.
Come and see her on her wheels for the first time in over 55 years – she will be back on her jacks in a couple of weeks to allow completion of the leading and trailing edges.
Photographs courtesy of, and copyright to R. Glasby, 2010
By: keithnewsome - 4th April 2010 at 21:31
Thank you Bruce ! My questions will possibly come from photos posted in another thread which I will kick off after I have sorted and tweaked the photos from today !!!
Keith.
By: Bruce - 4th April 2010 at 21:12
Ask away!
By: keithnewsome - 4th April 2010 at 20:47
Visited today ! Oh yes looks supurb ! One photo here, will start another thread, have 150 photos of most things at the museum, and possibly some questions ?
Keith.
By: Bruce - 4th April 2010 at 07:01
Its gained engine bearers too!
Thanks to all for the nice comments. Its appreciated.
Work on the prototype is ongoing, but is slow. More developments hopefully this year.
Bruce
By: Peter - 3rd April 2010 at 23:57
She really looks great!
By: Septic - 3rd April 2010 at 22:19
Thanks for the ‘Heads up’ Bruce, I popped in this afternoon and the FBVI looks magnificent.
Hopefully at some stage in the future the prototype will receive the same care and attention as the B35 and FBVI. Here’s a long range side view. More to follow tomorrow on another thread.
By: cometguymk1 - 3rd April 2010 at 22:01
it looks amazing on its wheels 🙂
By: Arabella-Cox - 3rd April 2010 at 17:14
Mossie
That’s not a real Mossie – it’s the new Airfix 1/24 scale kit half way through construction:diablo:
Great work chaps. It’s a few years since I last visited the museum and I must find the time to make the journey again – fantastic place and a lovely aircraft – one of my favourites.
Anon.
By: Seafuryfan - 2nd April 2010 at 22:18
Excellent work, MAM!:)
By: BSG-75 - 2nd April 2010 at 15:47
I was last there in the spring of last year and my son and I loved the afternoon we had there, I can recommend it to anybody who hasn’t ever been. As can Josh.
That is great news about the FB VI Bruce, I think I’ve been to the museum 4 times over the past 15 years or so and seen it move along piece by piece, its great to see her up on her wheels.
By: PeterVerney - 2nd April 2010 at 14:59
Very well done. I will have to try and visit again sometime this year.
By: Peter D Evans - 2nd April 2010 at 14:55
She looks fantastic, so well done to everybody associated with this superb museum. I haven’t been for a few years so must go again and if you haven’t been, your missing out on an absolute gem!
Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator
By: WJ244 - 2nd April 2010 at 14:51
Great work. I saw the wing in the workshop years ago in the early stages of its restoration which makes me appreciate even more the time and effort
that has gone into this airframe. It must have been a long uphill battle and it is good to see it looking far more like a complete aeroplane.
By: Bruce - 2nd April 2010 at 14:13
Since Bob took over the project, he has really organised the team well, and we have some excellent engineers working on the project. The new leading and trailing edges, built by Gerry Mears are a real work of art – absolutely lovely. There is a little way to go before the wing is fabric covered, but real progress can be seen every month now.
The aircraft is well on the way to being live once more – Bob has completely rewired the aircraft from nose to tail. He has also rewritten and translated the Swedish parts manual, catalogued and organised the Smithsonian drawings, and redrawn all of the leading and trailing edge ribs. It goes right over my head I can tell you!
I claim no involvement with the work at present; I am currently semi-retired from the museum!
Bruce
By: Davemc - 2nd April 2010 at 12:36
Wonderful sight, must get over there this year
By: mhuxt - 2nd April 2010 at 12:15
Fabulous news, well done.
By: Jon H - 2nd April 2010 at 11:30
So we can bin TA122’s undercarriage leg we have on show?:D
Cees
Also can we have TA634 back at Speke now that you are falling over Mossies there? 😉
Joking aside impressive stuff. Must have been a good few years since two Mossies where parked next to each other.
Jon
By: Rlangham - 2nd April 2010 at 11:27
Great photos, hope to make it down there again soon, it’s been about four years since my first, and only, visit!
By: CeBro - 2nd April 2010 at 11:20
So we can bin TA122’s undercarriage leg we have on show?:D
Cees
By: darrenharbar - 2nd April 2010 at 09:31
Excellent news Bruce – she has come on a long way since I last photographed her. Must pay a visit again soon, especially if you plan to get the pair outdoors at some point! 🙂
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April 1, 2010 at 9:33 pm