The People’s Mosquito Project

My understanding was that there were likely to be problems with the CAA for an aircraft built using Glynn Powell’s moulds possibly because the NZ and CAA regulations are significantly different.

At that time we were part of the EU so I don’t doubt there were EU regs which threw a spanner in the works as well. Now that we are independent again that situation may well change but as stated in a post above the cost of sending a CAA inspector to NZ to sign off the various stages of the build would also be another factor.

K5054NZ I believe you are right. Rather than having to pay for a  CAA inspector to fly to New Zealand every couple of months or so to monitor progress, they elected to have the whole process carried out here in the UK.

DD

From memory the decision to build the moulds in the UK was made long before Glyn’s passing. Unfortunately I can’t find the information on their website but it may have had something to do with UK CAA approval and/or oversight.

If you haven’t already, why not ask TPM directly? 

As it turns out, the first ‘proof of concept’ fuselage IS also going to fly !

”These include B Mk.35 TA661 which the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association are restoring as KB161 in Windsor, Ontario. The fuselage for this aircraft was the first off the moulds which Glyn Powell made, and started out as a non-airworthy  proving effort for the project, which had originally been to static condition. However, this initial fuselage was manufactured to such fine condition that the project is now being restored to flying condition.”

http://warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/glyn-powell-de-havilland-m…

Thanks guys, I guess I was wondering not only about starting afresh on the moulds but also having to relearn the experience of using them, having turned out a number of airworthy examples in addition to the first trial build which was used for a static restoration only.

I am sure its just as easy to build your own and maybe from those moulds produce static variants for museums etc at a much lower cost, maybe borrowing a set of moulds and having them transported, fear of damage, insurance etc it was financially cheaper and safer to do at home.

Maybe a second airworthy one to follow pretty soon 

My contribution can only be based on 2nd hand info,  but as an overview could it include the factor that Glynn Powell, who build the  game-changing NZ  fuselage moulds,  died about a year ago ? He had previously been linked with TPM project.

When TPM acquired a huge resource of DH-98 technical drawing, that presumably advanced the prospect of constructing similar moulds by Retrotec, who were contracted to undertake the Mosquito restoration.  Given the formidable track record of Retrotec / Guy Black, it is likely that they were comfortable keeping the whole process ‘in house’ , and maybe the actual mould fabrication, though very precise, was not too much of an obstacle. Certainly, they seemed to take shape quite rapidly.

A lot a ‘possibly’ and ‘probably’ in there but hopefully something germane  also.

It seems not…..