Could anyone kindly advise on the best procedure for removing a tyre from a Mosquito wheel ?
Is it a split rim ?
What are the steel tags on the rim circumference for ?
Thank you

Don’t suppose you have the rest of the Mossie hidden away????

Spot-on. It’s not as though it’s unique or that special. £50k would knock a big hole in the cost of something much more interesting. Good-Luck to the sellers however. I can’t help thinking though, that if it was well-publicised – it’d have been more cost-effective to stick it on eBay with a Penny Start. The expensive Bonhams sellers fee will tend to suppress the sale price.
Let’s hope it stays in the UK.

Well I for one hope that its stays on the UK mainland, is restored to fly and preferably in civil markings. So many Maggies were the back bone of post war flying schools, it would be nice to see her finished in a civil scheme say overall silver with deep red markings.

Teaser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzUUlO6ihwE

Shes going to need a safe pair of hands. Note how the pilot just manages to avoid a ground loop rolling out as she hits the puddle. More 109’s were supposedly lost in take off and landing incidents then in combat. Looking forward to seeing this one
hope she’s going to be Duxford based.

Thanks for that PerfectPic Co.,
I was hoping that other Forum-users might join in and share their photos. I too visited a dissused (or rather destroyed) airfield in this area which was known as Fliegerhorst Venlo-Herongen. From, 1941 onwards Venlo-Herongen was home of the I.NJG1, the first Nightfighter-squadron with their all-black Bf110s. In January 1944 65 aircraft were stationed here, of which 37 belonged to I.NJG1. These included one Do217N, 4 He219H-O, two JU88R-2 and twenty Bf110G-4. Before the war ended even the rocket-fighter Me163 was stationed in Venlo-Herongen as well as the He111 bomber equiped with the V-1. On February 26th 1944 USAAF Marauders flew the first air-raid against Venlo-Herongen. The Nazis later gave the air base up and destroyed most of what was left before retreating.

Here’s a Google_earth-view of the site today. The runways can still be made-out. The ruins of hangars and barracks are on the German side of the former airfield; the runways are on the Dutch side. Today the site is known as the “Groote Heide” in Dutch which means large meadow. There are a number of sign-Posts everywhere describing the area to visitors.

The numbers Show where the following Pictures were taken. Though I was there all afternoon yesterday I spent most of the time on the airfield.

Picture 1. We are now looking down one of the main runways. The tarmac has long since gone but most of the space is still very open. You can tell why this area was chosen for use as an airbase.

Picture 2. Part of the site is being used by a local Gliding-Club. Their grass-Strip is next to one of the former runways.

Picture 3: We are now looking across the beginning of the main runway I came here on. It thrills me to think that years ago all-black Dornier 217s; Ju 88s; Bf 110s began their take-off run right here! Even the rocket-propelled Me163 took off on their few and futile missions from here.

Picture 4: Here’s one of the hangars now used by the Gliding-Club. The rear wall of one of the Nazi hangars is still standing behind it. The concrete floor is still the original floor of the German Hangar.

Picture 5: I have to admit this isn’t one of the pictures I took yesterday. This is one of the so-called Rundbogen-Halle (Semi-circle-Hangar) of which quite a few can still be seen, but this one here is far and away the best preserved. Built to shelter Night-Fighters that have Long since vanished, nature is taking over. Guided tours are being held here several times a month. The next one is in mid-November. I’m definatly back. The wooded area is full of destroyed barrack buildings. Part of the Officers’ Quarters are still untouched and still being used. One of the large surviving buildings is still being used as a School but most of the site is destroyed. Visitors that don’t know that this was a former airfield wouldn’t even recognize the area as one.

Peter

More more more please Peter. Fascinating each and every one, this tread could run for years!

Thank you

Had the pleasure of seeing both Lancasters fly together in excellent conditions, all that I can say is thanks to all concerned for the opportunity and congratulations on the safe return home to VeRA, damn good job, done well.

Why the need for nit picking? I would reckon that the crews of both planes are very well aware of the capabilities of the aircraft and their own experience and fly accordingly.

Who would have thought nearly 70 years after world war 2 ended we would get to see two Lancasters flying together again over the British Isles. What a summer, what a sight and what memories. My own personal highlight was flying 93 year old Norman Gregory former bomb aimer at 101 Lancaster squadron at Ludford Magna into the Little Gransden airshow. We had a great day out together, it was a very moving occasion for both of us. Hard to imagine Norman was just 23 years old and managed five missions only before being shot down in flames over Dortmund, one of three only to survive from his crew of eight. Taking my son back to university last week, chatting on route to London, this young man also 23 years of age has his whole life before him. Tens of thousands of similar young men paid the ultimate price for the freedom that we enjoy today.

May both aircraft fly for years to come as a tribute to those fallen and gallant crews. We have just Jane alive at East Kirby, what an incentive now to make a donation to assist her restoration to flight to see her rise into the air again. And who knows if they succeed, this really would be a perfect reason to see Vera return for a three ship UK tour. Vera and her crew deserve the accolades and rest after this momentous tour, thanks a million for making this dream happen.

THAT would be something to see!

Agreed. To see this, the Vacher Hurricane, Duxford Mk1 Spitfire above the Kent coast would be a fitting tribute, dreams can and do sometimes come true.

My first spitfire would be in the early 70’s, one of the RAF exhib flt Spits visited Newcastle-under-lyme, I remember sitting in it, also in the early 70’s sitting in Seafire FR47 VP441 at Blackpool airport. My first Spitfire flying was also at Blackpool in the mid 70’s, Neil Williams in MH434 (AC-S), closely followed at the same show by the BBMF’s Vb AB910.

Mine I recall would have been in the mid 60’s at Elstree. My father had landed there in his Proctor and got involved with an engineer on some protracted technical issue. As was fathers norm “I wont be long boys” wait here for me.
Well sitting in the Proctor was not something we fancied (but great when flying in it) an open hangar door nearby was worth a peek. Inside I recall a Spitfire in blue and I think white possibly G-AIDN? In those days not a soul around, I dared my twin to climb onto the wing for a look inside.