the plane that saved Britain

Darn, had I known I would have. Maybe it'll be on 4OD
 
I would imagine it'll be on there. It may even be repeated in the week.

Great documentary. Not quite sure what's going to happen to it as the guy that owns it and a whole big collection has decided to sell them all! I know so far that a b17g and an fw90 have been sold.
 
The "museuem" is just down the road from me, been a couple of times, sad little run down place, a great shame as it was obviously a magnificent plane and deserves better. Loved the comparison of a Spitfire "bullet" and the 57mm/6Lb projectile they got a Mozzy to fire at subs etc. Brilliant. It definitely was a wooden wonder.
 
You mean the museum he visited at the beginning in the UK?

Yes the 6lb gun was a monster! Took a look at one down at cosford last week and couldn't believe it was mounted underneath a mossie
 
jonathan_ed said:
You mean the museum he visited at the beginning in the UK?

Yes the 6lb gun was a monster! Took a look at one down at cosford last week and couldn't believe it was mounted underneath a mossie
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The one he said was in Hatfield yes, actually its just south of London Colney, which in itself is south of St Albans (just), just off the M25, Salisbury Hall.
Althoug he said a mozzie could drop 4,000lb of bombs I saw one that had been modified to drop a 1 ton (2,000lb nearly) single bomb, there wasnt much of the fueselage remaining after they chopped it enough to fit the oil-drum shaped thing into the belly. Apparently the plane rose a bit when the bomb was released, no big surprise.
 
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Recorded it on Sky...saw snippets and it looks really good..Well it will be cos it's got planes in it.:clap:
 
Superb programme. Caught it last night.
 
MatBin said:
The one he said was in Hatfield yes, actually its just south of London Colney, which in itself is south of St Albans (just), just off the M25, Salisbury Hall.
Althoug he said a mozzie could drop 4,000lb of bombs I saw one that had been modified to drop a 1 ton (2,000lb nearly) single bomb, there wasnt much of the fueselage remaining after they chopped it enough to fit the oil-drum shaped thing into the belly. Apparently the plane rose a bit when the bomb was released, no big surprise.
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That is a big single, especially as the fuselage is quite slim anyway!

I would love for the plane to end up over here. Wonder if the fighter collection would be in a position yo make the purchase??

I remember when the last one over here crashed at barton, i would have usually gone to it as a kid as i went to most of the others the had. Tragic shame
 
Great programme and never knew it was a difficult plane to get of the ground....and had carbs with conventional float chambers - that obviously could not cope with positive G forces - cut fuel to engines - and it dont glide..

You have to pay respect to those that flew the planes of WW2
 
Excellent documentary and it was great to hear from the pilots. Loved the bit where former Mossie pilot was talking about lobbing bombs into railway tunnels and the presenter asked if they were flying at 100 or 50 feet. The old chap simply said "Lower."

A remarkable aircraft flown by equally remarkable men.
 
You definitely do.

If you see the video of the baron crash it just falls out of the sky like a stone.

Can't quite remember if it was the mossie or its sea sister the sea hornet that had massive torque pull because both props span in the same direction.... Or if they alternated them to illuminate the torque.... Can't remember.
 
gm43uk said:
Excellent documentary and it was great to hear from the pilots. Loved the bit where former Mossie pilot was talking about lobbing bombs into railway tunnels and the presenter asked if they were flying at 100 or 50 feet. The old chap simply said "Lower."

A remarkable aircraft flown by equally remarkable men.
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Especially when as asked 'how do you train for that?'...

'you didn't, you just did it'

Unbelievable!
 
MatBin said:
The "museuem" is just down the road from me, been a couple of times, sad little run down place, a great shame as it was obviously a magnificent plane and deserves better.
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http://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk/

They have done quite a lot of work here over the last year, I would recommend anyone to go and have a look. Most of the civil aircraft are open to look inside, I found it very interesting and that was with 2 kids in tow. It's certainly no Duxford or Hendon but don't be put off.



David
 
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Watched it tonight on Sky+. Brilliant program and I didnt know a lot of the stuff about the Mossie, what a great aircraft. Great presenter too!

We MUST get one flying and doing the air shows in the UK.
 
I watched it and really enjoyed it. The passoin the presenter had for the aircraft raised the programme above the standard documentary. I would love to see one flying over here.
 
A repeat viewing of 633 Squadron all round then chaps! Tally ho!
 
cambsno said:
Watched it tonight on Sky+. Brilliant program and I didnt know a lot of the stuff about the Mossie, what a great aircraft. Great presenter too!

We MUST get one flying and doing the air shows in the UK.
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Well i was doing some reading trying to find it of anyone had bought the one on the documentary as its for sale with the rest of the collection, and i stumbled across 'thepeoplesmosquito.org' and they are trying to get one flying. apparently they have an mainframe but will need to make new wings and body etc. Think it says they ate are based at duxford.
 
jonathan_ed said:
Did anyone watch this documentary on the mosquito that was on channel 4 last night?

Fantastic and beautiful!
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Saw the part where a Mosquito actually landed on an aircraft carrier, and it was said it landed 5 times without problems.

Question....

If the Americans could buy or borrow the Mosquito for use in the Doolittle Raid instead of using the B-25 Mitchell, could they lauched from their aircraft carriers, bomb Tokyo, and actually try to return to their aircraft carriers to land, comparing to the original plan of having to fly the Mitchells to China becuase the bombers are too big and too heavy to land back on carriers, even if they could take off?

Well, of course, I assume not much chances since the Mosquite have a range of approx 780 miles while the Mitchell have approx 1300 miles, (the Mitchells took off while the carrier was still about 650 miles away from Japan) plus once the aircrafts launched, the carriers had to turn back.

I was just wondering cos I could not believe it when I saw this programme actually showing a Mosquito landing on a carrier.
 
Is that all they had, 780 range? Because i know when they bombed the gestapo head quarters in Norway they were nearly 1000 miles from home.
Not completely sure of they actually flew from the UK though on that mission, of of they could have been fitted with drop tanks
 
jonathan_ed said:
Is that all they had, 780 range? Because i know when they bombed the gestapo head quarters in Norway they were nearly 1000 miles from home.
Not completely sure of they actually flew from the UK though on that mission, of of they could have been fitted with drop tanks
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According to that great source of info, Wikipedia, the 1943 B mk IX could carry 4,000lb of bombs with a range of 2,450 nmi. :)
 
Program being repeated on 4seven on 27th at 7pm for anyone who's interested. :)
 
Just watched this on 4OD - fantastic tribute to a fantastic plane. Have been to the Mossie Museum near London Colney when I lived in Tottenham way back. We need a Mossie flying over here. One project I would chip in to.

I lefg the Scouts to join the Air Cadets in the early 70's. We were 50F squadron and our model area was full of Airfix Mosquitoes! So I wanted to make one too but was given the kit for a Boulton Paul Defiant.

The bit about the Mossie with the "6 pounder" triggered a memory of reading about the Luftwaffe flying a Junkers Ju88 with an 80mm anti aircraft gun fittted underneath the fuselage. Anyone heard of that variant?

Anyway the programme was great and a joy to see a Mosquito flying albeit in the US. Shows it can be done.

Steve
 
I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed the story of the airplane but not the hyperbole that the undergraduate-level programme makers had to employ! "The Plane that Saved Britain"?; if the Hurricane hadn't done the lion's share of the work in 1940/41, the Mosquito would never have entered service!

FWIW, my late uncle was a premium apprentice at De Havilland at the time, involved with the design of the Mossie - his own contribution was something to do with the rubber landing gear - and the first time I saw the plane at London Colney was with him, which made it doubly interesting.
 
Yves Geza said:
I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed the story of the airplane but not the hyperbole that the undergraduate-level programme makers had to employ! "The Plane that Saved Britain"?; if the Hurricane hadn't done the lion's share of the work in 1940/41, the Mosquito would never have entered service!

FWIW, my late uncle was a premium apprentice at De Havilland at the time, involved with the design of the Mossie - his own contribution was something to do with the rubber landing gear - and the first time I saw the plane at London Colney was with him, which made it doubly interesting.
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I see your point a little, but i think looking at the big picture there are quite a few aircraft that played pivotal parts in Britain's survival.

And yes your right the hurricane did take a lions share especially during the battle of Britain.

Rubber landing gear? Is that the actual uprights that supported the aircraft?
 
BTW, what did fascinate me was the throw-away fact of why the Mossie was out of service by the early 1950s - that "Cuprinol" protection or weatherproofing the wood [or in other cases rustproofing] just wasn't an important consideration when making WWII fighter aeroplanes as fast as possible, so that maintenance would have turned into unduly skilled and complicated expensive remanufacture!
 
Yes they did just rot away didn't they, that and the animal based glues they used broke down with time.

The mossie that is currently flying, would that need to be kept in a controlled atmosphere by any chance when not in use to preserve the timber?
 
jonathan_ed said:
Rubber landing gear? Is that the actual uprights that supported the aircraft?
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IIRC they had Moulton-esque struts and rubber springs

[Sorry, didn't see your reply when I was posting my previous]
 
they had a couple of heavy gun types with 75 mm and 88 mm fitted.

I particularly liked the Schräge Musik modification and the Mistel with a FW 190 on top

Hugh Jarse said:
The bit about the Mossie with the "6 pounder" triggered a memory of reading about the Luftwaffe flying a Junkers Ju88 with an 80mm anti aircraft gun fittted underneath the fuselage. Anyone heard of that variant?

Anyway the programme was great and a joy to see a Mosquito flying albeit in the US. Shows it can be done.

Steve
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POAH said:
they had a couple of heavy gun types with 75 mm and 88 mm fitted.

I particularly liked the Schräge Musik modification and the Mistel with a FW 190 on top
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I remember seeinv a photograph the Mistel FW190 atop a modded JU88.

The 88mm gun was tried on a HE 111 too. Must have been a massive shock wiyh its recoil. I think it was taken from an anti aircraft gun!.
 
jonathan_ed said:
88mm is a helluva shell to fire from a moving aircraft.
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The revoil would have certainly shakrn the aircrew and the airframe.

All of this ensures I wi be going bck to the IWM on my next trip to London. As a mid in London in the 60s it was a dhort walk to the IWM from where I lived bedide the Oval cricket ground. Visited ther the day after a fird broke out whicb caused damage to the dome.

Great place. Like Duxford!
 
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