PDA

View Full Version : Bob Jens Mosquito Restoration Update



Bomber_12th
September 12th, 2012, 08:26
While so much attention has recently been on Jerry Yagen's Mosquito, nearing its first flight (still planned for September 29) at Avspecs in New Zealand, the airworthy restoration of Bob Jens' Mosquito, located in British Columbia, Canada, is also continuing to progress ever closer to its first flight. In the latest update, recent as of August, the aircraft is being prepared for paint (much like Jerry Yagen's Mosquito, only last month).

One of the cool aspects is that while Jerry Yagen's Mosquito is a fighter variant, Bob Jens' is a bomber variant. Hopefully the two will get together at some point in the future - would make for some incredible air-to-air photos!

http://vicair.net/projects/mosquito/august-2012


The latest photo I have seen of Jerry Yagen's Mosquito is posted to this page: http://rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Airshows&action=display&thread=16707&page=18

I believe the guys at Avspecs are working nearly around the clock, full weeks, to make sure the aircraft is ready for its September 29th debut and planned flight.

ThinkingManNeil
September 13th, 2012, 07:28
Not certain about this but I think I read somewhere a couple years ago that the paint scheme they have in mind for this particular Mossie (CF-HML) are the colours she carried during her days with Spartan Air Services as a post war photo-mapping bird. Overall silver with bright red spinners and trim and some day-glo orange, too, in some pics I've seen. Not an unattractive scheme and a nice change from the stock military ones.

N.

PRB
September 13th, 2012, 07:38
I gotta hear what that sounds like. Two syncronized Merlins flying over? Oh dear...

Bomber_12th
September 13th, 2012, 08:38
I was unfortunately reminded last night that Bob Jens' Mosquito might only fly once following the completion of the work, along with Bob Jens' Spitfire (which hasn't flown in years), and then they will be parked once again (that is the rumor). If so, it really seems like a lot of work for just that one flight! Of course private owners are only custodians, and with the aircraft in flight worthy condition, who knows what the eventual future for it may be.

ThinkingManNeil
September 13th, 2012, 11:28
I was lucky enough to see Kermit Weeks' B.35 Mossie fly at a couple of the CWH airshows back in the late 80's and early 90's. I vividly remember standing there transfixed as an airplane, that I had previously never expected to see "in the flesh", taxi right past me in all its glory. I was dumbstruck. I guess that's one of the things about warbird airshows, finally getting to see airplanes you've read about for years up close. It was the same way when I saw the CAF's B-29 "FiFi" for the first time at one of the shows; it's size, power, and sophistication were remarkable.

We had Kermit's Mossie back for the 1990 show to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. It joined the CWH's Lancaster and Hurricane, and I think the Cliff Robertson/Jerry Billings Spitfire MK.IX took part in a four-ship formation (eight Merlins, no waiting!). I think Howard Pardue was supposed be part of the formation in the CAF's MK.IX Spit, a BoB tribute flypast, but he clipped the Spit's wooden prop tips on a taxiway light and had to ground her. Boy was he MAD!

The CWH lost the Hurricane and the CAF Spit when one of the old, wooden, wartime hangars caught fire the following winter and was destroyed. The Spit was still grounded at Hamilton awaiting replacement prop blades from Hoffman's in Germany when the fire hit. A TBM Avenger, Stinson 10, an Auster, and the museum president's Turbo Commander were also lost to the fire. Fortunately, there was a substantial firewall between the main fire site and where the Lanc was being hangared and it was pulled out in time with no damage.

N.

Bomber_12th
September 13th, 2012, 12:00
Great stuff, Neil! Having been on static display since 1991, Kermit Weeks has been stating (as of the last two years) that he wants to retrieve the aircraft from the EAA Museum, where it has been on loan, and set about doing what is needed to get the aircraft back up to airworthy condition again so that it can be flown. There has been some word of concern over the wood, however, given that it remains the same wood and laminates since original manufacture.

When it rains, it pours...

Besides Jerry Yagen's Mosquito and Bob Jens', Glyn Powell also has a project being restored/built to fly that is looking quite complete (though quite a ways to go), and Avspecs has another Mosquito project (complete aircraft) waiting to begin a ground-up restoration to fly once Jerry Yagen's aircraft is completed (owned by the Flying Heritage Collection).

And...the restoration of Tony Agar's Mosquito, in the UK, has recently been coming to completion over the summer. Not airworthy, but I believe the aircraft will have engine runs and will be able to be taxied.

Videos of Mr. Agar's Mosquito can be seen here:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7ytUXW4tAU
Part 2 (really great stuff past the 4:31 mark): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjywGfEH0do

ThinkingManNeil
September 13th, 2012, 16:52
Great stuff, Neil! Having been on static display since 1991, Kermit Weeks has been stating (as of the last two years) that he wants to retrieve the aircraft from the EAA Museum, where it has been on loan, and set about doing what is needed to get the aircraft back up to airworthy condition again so that it can be flown. There has been some word of concern over the wood, however, given that it remains the same wood and laminates since original manufacture.

When it rains, it pours...

Besides Jerry Yagen's Mosquito and Bob Jens', Glyn Powell also has a project being restored/built to fly that is looking quite complete (though quite a ways to go), and Avspecs has another Mosquito project (complete aircraft) waiting to begin a ground-up restoration to fly once Jerry Yagen's aircraft is completed (owned by the Flying Heritage Collection).

And...the restoration of Tony Agar's Mosquito, in the UK, has recently been coming to completion over the summer. Not airworthy, but I believe the aircraft will have engine runs and will be able to be taxied.

Videos of Mr. Agar's Mosquito can be seen here:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7ytUXW4tAU
Part 2 (really great stuff past the 4:31 mark): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjywGfEH0do

Great info. If I'm not mistaken the other Glynn Powell Mossie project may be the one slated for the Windsor Mosquito Bomber Group (http://www.mossie.org/windsor/windsor.htm) in southwestern Ontario across from Detroit, but I could be wrong. I know the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum sorely want one, and even half jokingly thought of stealing Kermit's when she landed in Hamilton following her initial ferry flight from Scotland and were even more tempted to do so following another B.35 having landed there a few years before on its ferry flight from the UK to the USAF Museum at Wright_Patterson AFB the Weeks' Mosquito where it sits painted as a USAAF PR.XVI. The CWH would probably want am FB.26 as that's the type that was produced in the greatest numbers - some 300 - at De Havilland Canada in Downsview during the war.

N.

SPman
September 13th, 2012, 17:43
Glyn Powell's other Mossie is his own - an ex Aussie built example.He would like to fly it back to Aussie when he's finished it, but,....he's not getting any younger and the financial aspect ...........he's not a wealthy individual - except in knowledge and skill........and, although the main structure is done, all those little pieces take an enormous amount of money to bring up to scratch.
If I could only win lotto, his project would be another one to finance to completion......

Bomber_12th
September 13th, 2012, 18:32
SPman, those are my sentiments too - if I had anywhere near the resources, I would love to contribute to help see that aircraft through to completion. It would be amazing, and very highly respected amongst the warbird community, if one of the more well-to-do warbird owners were to come along and help sponsor that aircraft's restoration so that it could be completed in a shorter span of time.