For all of you who hate Top Gear....
20 July 2013, 01:52 AM
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For all of you who hate Top Gear....
A really interesting program tomorrow on the De Havilland Mosquito, the plane that saved Britain. C4, 8pm http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/ck...-saved-britain
"Paralympics presenter, former Royal Marines commando and pilot Arthur Williams presents this love letter to the Second World War aeroplane he believes history has unjustly forgotten. While the names Spitfire, Lancaster and Hurricane have passed into legend, the De Havilland Mosquito languishes in relative obscurity. But for Arthur, the `Wooden Wonder' is the plane that saved Britain. Here he meets the men who flew it, tells its extraordinary story and travels to Virginia Beach in the US to see if he can take to the skies in the world's only remaining flying Mosquito."
"Paralympics presenter, former Royal Marines commando and pilot Arthur Williams presents this love letter to the Second World War aeroplane he believes history has unjustly forgotten. While the names Spitfire, Lancaster and Hurricane have passed into legend, the De Havilland Mosquito languishes in relative obscurity. But for Arthur, the `Wooden Wonder' is the plane that saved Britain. Here he meets the men who flew it, tells its extraordinary story and travels to Virginia Beach in the US to see if he can take to the skies in the world's only remaining flying Mosquito."
20 July 2013, 07:56 AM
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That's bookmarked for a watch, Mosquito is a very interesting plane.
If you don't know why it was made of wood then........ you will need to watch this.
If you don't know why it was made of wood then........ you will need to watch this.
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20 July 2013, 11:36 AM
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20 July 2013, 12:18 PM
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No not really, more to do with the fact it could be built by englands vast array of furniture manufactures
And wood is a great material, light and strong when use correctly
And wood is a great material, light and strong when use correctly
20 July 2013, 03:03 PM
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Thanks for the heads up,I shall enjoy seeing that. In my case I don't object to TG, but Clarkson does tend to get on my **** a bit!
The Mossy is a very fine aircraft, it is very fast and it did a fine job of operations during WW2.
It was regarded as the twin piston version of the Canberra,or the other way around,I can never remember which.
The Canberra which I flew a great deal over the years was also an outstandingly versatile aircraft and it served operationally in the RAF for a very long time indeed.
Les
The Mossy is a very fine aircraft, it is very fast and it did a fine job of operations during WW2.
It was regarded as the twin piston version of the Canberra,or the other way around,I can never remember which.
The Canberra which I flew a great deal over the years was also an outstandingly versatile aircraft and it served operationally in the RAF for a very long time indeed.
Les
20 July 2013, 03:44 PM
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There is a Mosquito at Elvington where I read this funny quote
"In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft, but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy. The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that? There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops. After the war is over I'm going to buy a British radio set - then at least I'll own something that has always worked."
Hermann Göring
"In 1940 I could at least fly as far as Glasgow in most of my aircraft, but not now! It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy. The British, who can afford aluminium better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that? There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops. After the war is over I'm going to buy a British radio set - then at least I'll own something that has always worked."
Hermann Göring
21 July 2013, 04:11 PM
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When I was doing my flying instructor course at RAF Little Rissington (we used to call it Little Grislington! just for the hell of it! 
) there was a Mossie parked in a hangar. It looked as good as new and the instructors used to fly it around. I never got the chance unfortunately.
I wonder what happened to it.
Les
) there was a Mossie parked in a hangar. It looked as good as new and the instructors used to fly it around. I never got the chance unfortunately.I wonder what happened to it.
Les
23 July 2013, 03:36 PM
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Mosquitos were used most successfully as PathFinder squadrons in the night bombing raids to drop incendiary flares for the big planes (lancs etc) to follow....
Turned the night bombing missions from complete failures (i.e mile or so off target - on a good night!) to (marginally) successful... depending on your view of heavy bombardment of civilian/industrial areas. The Mosquito's saved Bomber Harris's career.
Turned the night bombing missions from complete failures (i.e mile or so off target - on a good night!) to (marginally) successful... depending on your view of heavy bombardment of civilian/industrial areas. The Mosquito's saved Bomber Harris's career.
23 July 2013, 06:58 PM
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<anorak mode on>
Partly, but its main advantages were light weight and no external rivet heads.
Each rivet would cause drag and slow the plane down slightly.
A combination of light weight, aerodynamics and power made this plane incredibly fast. Did you notice that on the wartime versions the nacelles around the engines had no air intakes which could also cause drag? The air intakes are actually in the leading edge of the wings between the engines and the fuselage. They even put clever little fairings over the exhausts to smooth the airflow.
</anorak mode off>
Partly, but its main advantages were light weight and no external rivet heads.
Each rivet would cause drag and slow the plane down slightly.
A combination of light weight, aerodynamics and power made this plane incredibly fast. Did you notice that on the wartime versions the nacelles around the engines had no air intakes which could also cause drag? The air intakes are actually in the leading edge of the wings between the engines and the fuselage. They even put clever little fairings over the exhausts to smooth the airflow.
</anorak mode off>
23 July 2013, 07:11 PM
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The old chap on the programme said it added 30mph to the top speed not having external rivets if I heard him correctly.
24 July 2013, 09:40 AM
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There was an ex-Mosquito pilot at the flying club I used to frequent. Last time I saw him fly (PA28) he was beating up the runway and generally throwing the thing about as best he and the aeroplane could handle - no longer solo as unable to get a class 2.
Someone did once pass a comment about his 'low' flying, to which he laughed and said he used to fly the Mosquito lower to avoid being shot at. Low = 20-30ft. I recall that he used to fly around shooting up 'all' things German with no particular target in mind.
Someone did once pass a comment about his 'low' flying, to which he laughed and said he used to fly the Mosquito lower to avoid being shot at. Low = 20-30ft. I recall that he used to fly around shooting up 'all' things German with no particular target in mind.
25 July 2013, 05:32 PM
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There was an ex-Mosquito pilot at the flying club I used to frequent. Last time I saw him fly (PA28) he was beating up the runway and generally throwing the thing about as best he and the aeroplane could handle - no longer solo as unable to get a class 2.
Someone did once pass a comment about his 'low' flying, to which he laughed and said he used to fly the Mosquito lower to avoid being shot at. Low = 20-30ft. I recall that he used to fly around shooting up 'all' things German with no particular target in mind.
Someone did once pass a comment about his 'low' flying, to which he laughed and said he used to fly the Mosquito lower to avoid being shot at. Low = 20-30ft. I recall that he used to fly around shooting up 'all' things German with no particular target in mind.
Les
25 July 2013, 10:43 PM
#21
if you like the mosquito, you should watch the Martin Shaw documentary on Operation Jericho (the bombing of the jail at Amien)
short version is here..
One pilot said -- "We had to pull up to clear the prison walls...."
some original footage starts 8 mins in
short version is here..
One pilot said -- "We had to pull up to clear the prison walls...."
some original footage starts 8 mins in
Last edited by albob; 25 July 2013 at 10:47 PM.
26 July 2013, 08:16 AM
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I had forgotten about that vid, he did a similar one for the Dambuster route, those WW2 pilots were unbelievable.
There's another Mossie on the way..
http://vicair.net/projects/mosquito/august-2012
Hopefully not too far off..
http://www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk/
There's another Mossie on the way..
http://vicair.net/projects/mosquito/august-2012
Hopefully not too far off..
http://www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk/
26 July 2013, 05:06 PM
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if you like the mosquito, you should watch the Martin Shaw documentary on Operation Jericho (the bombing of the jail at Amien)
short version is here..
WW2: Operation Jericho 2 - YouTube
One pilot said -- "We had to pull up to clear the prison walls...."
some original footage starts 8 mins in
short version is here..
WW2: Operation Jericho 2 - YouTube
One pilot said -- "We had to pull up to clear the prison walls...."
some original footage starts 8 mins in
Les
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