Mossie in NZ film

I think that all Merlin engines from the Mk XX onwards until the 60 series used SU carbs that were fitted with “Miss Shilling’s Orifice” that fixed most of the negative G issues. Later 60 and most 100 series Merlins used a license built Bendix-Stromburg pressure carb (also called an injector carb, not to be confused with fuel injection, including early throttle body systems), with the original American item fitted to the Packard V-1650. The Merlin 130 series had a SU injector carb of British design that had little to do with the Bendix pressure carbs.

Nevertheless, the neg-G carb issues didn’t cause RR299’s accident, it was an issue of a mechanical failure that caused the fuel starvation/power loss.

I asked this question a little while back. The answer was that a carburetor malfuntioned on RR299. The fault was revealed during the accident investigation, and was not indicative of a design problem with the unit. Details are to be found within the AAIB accident report.

Two questions. Does the type of Merlin fitted have the neg G mod fitted? Wouldn’t want another Barton and it’d be nice to know lessons have been learnt.

Also I noted that the tail wheel was spinning in its recessed position. Is there a tail wheel brake or lock?

Now a Mosquito technical question: what is that “stripe” of wood that’s attached to the starboard fuselage? I know that on KA114, it’s only on the starboard side, and it seems that almost Mosquitoes have it at least on that side. What was it supposed to be for, and why is it only on the starboard fuselage?

There is an access hatch on that side of the fuselage, and the beam is there to provide re-enforcement. The Mossie prototype didn’t have the beam, and suffered a cracked fuselage around that hatch after a few flights. They fitted a replacement fuselage with the re-enforcement beam, and all Mossies were subsequently built with it.

Great video!!

I think that very few aircraft could’ve made the record flights that Mosquito PR34s made in the late 40s until jet bombers and airliners like the Canberra, Comet and Boeing 707 came about in the 1950s. And we can’t forget the record flights that were made by Hornets in the same time frame, including one from Gibraltar to Bovingdon at over 435 mph.

Of course, the Hornet owed it’s origins to the Mosquito (though the Hornet was a very different aircraft), and the Mosquito and Hornet housed at least twice the fuel of single seaters internally, never mind the huge drop tanks they could carry. Only USAAF/USAF fighter that can boast similar performance and range figures were the Merlin powered F-82 Twin Mustangs. Though I do also remember a Vampire jet fighter flying from Hatfield to Rome non stop in 1948 with Derry at the controls.

However, I doubt that few non-jet aircraft could beat the Mosquito as far as getting to a distant point and getting there very quickly.

True in peacetime, though I think the DC-7 could put up a good challenge.

But in the last years of the war the PR Mossies operating from Italy had to be escorted over Austria and Germany by P-51s and P-38s, which somewhat diminished the straight-line speed potential. The escorts could have kept-up with the Mossie at full chat but not for the endurance.

Now a Mosquito technical question: what is that “stripe” of wood that’s attached to the starboard fuselage? I know that on KA114, it’s only on the starboard side, and it seems that almost Mosquitoes have it at least on that side. What was it supposed to be for, and why is it only on the starboard fuselage?

Having watched it AGAIN, I was suddenly reminded of the Mosquito flicking through the clouds, formating on the lost Vampire in ‘The Shepherd’ novella by F
Forsyth

http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/206/language/en-CA/The-Shepherd–a-Canadian-Christmas-Classic.aspx

They also have a Vampire down there, a good director could shoot a stunning film of that story, a guaranteed Christmas hit !

How about this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjucirW9qcc

The only thing wrong with the video is……there should be another Mossie with 114 in formation ! No….make that TEN more. Absolutely enthralling. What historic aviation is all about.

A quick search on you tube should find two videos of the Mossie + vampire photo shoot, one from right seat, one from a helicopter. Also, a Venom should join them at Wings Over Wairarapa in a month.

Having watched it AGAIN, I was suddenly reminded of the Mosquito flicking through the clouds, formating on the lost Vampire in ‘The Shepherd’ novella by F
Forsyth

http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/206/language/en-CA/The-Shepherd–a-Canadian-Christmas-Classic.aspx

They also have a Vampire down there, a good director could shoot a stunning film of that story, a guaranteed Christmas hit !

They did have the Mosquito flying in a pair with a Vampire trainer at one of the airshows in NZ in the fall.

I also caught the film and have seen some photos on the internet, and I have to say that for a plane that has almost a 55′ wing span and is about 41′ long, you’ll be surprised at how small the Mosquito seems when you look at photos of people sitting in the cockpit–the canopy seems to be barely sitting above the pilot’s head!

Also nice to see it pulling some (albeit easy–it’s currently the only of it’s kind in flyable condition after all!) maneuvers. I’ve heard various sources talking about the Mosquito’s maneuverability, and how it compared to single seaters of the period. Some have said that it could turn with (or at times better than) the likes of a FW190, others have said that it wasn’t at it’s best in a conventional dogfight. Fact is that I’ve seen RR299 videos and this new KA114 film, and I have to say that it’s got a very tight turning radius for a twin, but I can see that roll rate would be a big problem, as it was for the DH Hornet and early P-38s before they were fitted with powered ailerons.

However, I doubt that few non-jet aircraft could beat the Mosquito as far as getting to a distant point and getting there very quickly.

The bombers had the yoke and the fighter versions a stick.

Great vid of a beautiful aeroplane and rebuild. Unfortunately the tinny little speakers of my lap top don’t do justice to the roar of the mighty Merlins.

Anon.

Oddly, DH were about the only British company to use a “stick” control, more inline with most German and American aircraft of the period, as opposed to the then more common “spade” grip that for example Spitfires and Hurricanes had. The Hornet, Vampire and Venom had a similar stick, and I think that the Hornet’s was almost a carbon copy of the Mosquito fighters’.

The bombers had the yoke and the fighter versions a stick.Anon.

Thanks.

Now can the British build one to fly please………..:D

Many “Thanks !!!” to these people !
They have made great and a noble cause, having restored this wonderful and famous bird to this excellent condition !

They are real MASTERS !

Yoke

The bombers had the yoke and the fighter versions a stick.

Great vid of a beautiful aeroplane and rebuild. Unfortunately the tinny little speakers of my lap top don’t do justice to the roar of the mighty Merlins.

Anon.

Beautiful lighting, stunning aeroplane, thanks for the link.

Propstrike.. I was just about to say the same thing!
Absolutely beautiful video and she look’s fantastic!! If she doesn’t win Grand Champion Warbird at Oshkosh there is something seriously wrong!

Having watched it AGAIN, I was suddenly reminded of the Mosquito flicking through the clouds, formating on the lost Vampire in ‘The Shepherd’ novella by F
Forsyth

http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/206/language/en-CA/The-Shepherd–a-Canadian-Christmas-Classic.aspx

They also have a Vampire down there, a good director could shoot a stunning film of that story, a guaranteed Christmas hit !

That sort of ultra low-level flying should not be allowed!

There was nobody out there to enjoy it 😉