Yesterday, Mosquito FB VI PZ474 performed its first post-restoration flight from Ardmore Airport in New Zealand.
As previously reported, the machine was originally constructed at Hatfield in 1945 and used for RAF training before moving on to New Zealand in 1948, where it was overhauled and delivered to 75 Squadron as NZ2384. In the early 1950s, the aircraft was acquired by new owners and registered as ZK-BCV before being transferred to the United States. There, the Mosquito was given civil registration N9909F and, from around 1955-66, was owned by the Insurance Finance Corp. of Studio City, CA. During this time it was believed that the machine was used by the CIA for intelligence gathering in South America.
In 1970, PZ474 was abandoned and began a period of decline. It wouldn’t be saved until 2014, when it was acquired by Rod Lewis of Lewis Air Legends in San Antonio, Texas.
Restoration soon began and, over a period exceeding 75,000 hrs, the Avspecs team built up the wooden framework while the Rolls Royce Merlin engines were restored in America. The aircraft is one of only four examples of “the Wooden Wonder” flying anywhere in the world.
Yesterday’s flight was conducted by Steve Hinton with Wal Denholm alongside. Check out video below.
First takeoff, with the Spitfire as the chase plane.
Posted by NZ Warbirds Association Inc on Saturday, January 12, 2019
So this Happened today!
Posted by Avspecs Ltd. on Saturday, January 12, 2019
(via Avspecs Ltd. and NZ Warbird Association Inc Top Image: Kaboldy from Wikimedia Commons Thanks, Pascal!)
