If I remember correctly, there’s been one movie, several TV programmes with a ‘DB’ theme and a number of books.

Dan Cooper is certainly a folk hero over in the Pacific Northwest – I seem to remember something in the files that said that the CAA insisted on Dan-Air’s 72’s be modified so the rear door could not be opened in flight – maybe the 1-11s were done as well!

Facinating post!

I’ve wandered around the Islands and Mainland since the Colonels were in power and come across numerous memories of crashes etc, but very little hard evidence apart from when we so nearly landed short on Skiathos and made a splash!

In fact, the only actual relic I have seen was at Olu Deniz in Turkey, where there used to be the sad remains of a Bristol Mercury outside a beachside bar. Some fishermen had dragged it up and just left it.

Slightly away from topic, but I have quite a collection of pictures from the Americans showing assorted aerial activity over Greece during WW2, but they are almost all involving the mainland, including some para landings around the old airport just inland at Glyfada.

Here’s one….. I’ll see what else I can find – I have them MUCH better rez, but it wont let me load here. If you drop me your email, I can send you them

If ones from the Manual are ok, I’ll scan them Monday!

James Thomas

Good to see you using a real name James!

Pleased to meet you!

Ahhh! Tis good to see that good old-fashioned mob rule still thrives here! Anyone who expresses an individual thought that is different to the clique gets set upon by a pack of rabid dogs, spewing forth vitriol – each trying to outdo the others with their comments!

If anyone cared to actually ‘read wot I wrote’ (to paraphrase the late Ernie Wise) they would clearly see I never said it was not a good achievement or that the aircraft designers and builders did not deserve credit for their efforts.

I spoke the obvious and having spent years going through the papers of Geoffrey de Havilland, Bishop et al – and therefore getting a ‘feel’ for not only what they did but what they were attempting to do – what has been created in France is clearly NOT a Mosquito. If the rest of the world does cannot appreciate the tongue-in-cheek sarcasm of my ‘spinning in their graves’ comment then I will certainly not apologise!

For the record, I feel the same about any aviation replica, facsimile, sub-scale or whatever. I’m sorry guys, but to my eyes they just do not look right when compared to the original. Vee-Dub engine cylinders sticking out of sleek engine cowlings that should enclose a vee… ‘oversized’ pilots heads stuffed hard up against a canopy that is as small as the builder can make it… non-scale code letters… oversized tails and control surfaces… wierd undercarriage arrangements… you name it, most replica’s suffer from that in one way shape or form. Proportion and ‘finess of design’ goes out the window and it offends my sensibilities! It is – to me – just mutton dressed as lamb! I just cannot see how that can ‘be honouring the original design’ or how it can be a ‘tribute’.

I remember a few years back someone was offering Ferrari Testarossa kit-cars that could be – and I quote – ‘…powered by a 1800cc four cylinder Ford engine’ I dread to think what Enzo was up to over that!

I was expressing my opinion, my views – I refuse to go along with the pack, not feeling that way – if I’m an ‘ignorant minority’, then so be it… but at least I can and am prepared to think for myself, and am not afraid to express my views in a calm and considered manner!

That is not, nor ever WILL be a Mosquito – Bishop and Geoffrey de H must be spinning in their graves!