Mosquito Pathfinder Trust to Return Wooden Wonder to UK Skies by 2020

The Mosquito Pathfinder Trust has announced “a commercial understanding with the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARC)” to “provide the suite of Engineering and Design Services” for a de Havilland Mosquito airframe that will be brought to airworthy condition before being transferred to the UK.

The machine in question has been under construction by Glyn Powell and is currently said to be 50% complete. The project is based on the remains of NZ2308, which was originally constructed at Bankstown near Sydney as an early model FB.40. It was initially allocated RAAF serial A52-20 before being converted to a T.43 dual control trainer and given the serial A52-1054. In 1947, the machine was acquired by the Royal New Zealand Air Force with less than 20 hrs of service time. Now identified as NZ2308, the Mosquito entered service with 75 Squadron at Ohakea and performed “numerous exercises and aerial demonstrations all over New Zealand.”

The aircraft was declared surplus in 1955 and sold to a private owner. Over the following years it languished outdoors until it was recovered by Powell, who spent the next 20 years working on the project, which included the scratch-built construction of an entirely new wooden airframe.

The airframe is now said to be complete and in the “fitting-out stage.” Subject to completion of funding and the conclusion of an agreement between all parties, the remaining work, which includes the installation of flying controls, undercarriage, engines and propellers, will be carried out by Avspecs in New Zealand, with Design Authority Oversight being provided by Aircraft Restoration Company (ARC) based at Duxford, UK. ARC will also reportedly provide “flight test and validation program services before bringing the aircraft back to the UK” and will “continue to be responsible for flying standards and pilot services when the aircraft is operational.”

The Trust expects the machine to be complete within 24 months and is “confident a Mosquito will return to the skies over Britain in 2020.” They hope to base it at Duxford, providing public access when it is not displaying at airshows.

The Trust is seeking support to meet their goal. Those wishing to support the effort can do so here.

 
(via Mosquito Pathfinder Trust)