Mosquito Fighter Bomber Flies Again

[Markvetnz]

I've just spent a fantastic day at an airshow to celebrate the restoration of a fully functional De Havilland Mosquito fighter bomber. It is the only one of its kind in the world. The New Zealand Warbirds Society has spent countless hours over the last eight years putting this fantastic plane together. Powered by 2 massive Rolls Royce Merlin engines, the Mosquito constructed basically out of wood, thundered overhead to the delight of a massive crowd. Today was truly a historic day for vintage aviation enthusiasts. These are the first modern day pictures of a flying Mosquito Bomber posted on the net. I hope you enjoy them and I hope I did them justice.

See the whole lot on my website
http://www.photofinishnz.com/















Wikipedia link for more info - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_bomber

New Zealand Warbirds - http://www.nzwarbirds.org.nz/

[dubaiphil]

Looks beautiful, sounds epic!

My father knew the guy that rebuilt and the last "only flying Mosquito" and I saw it and sat in it just before completion in the late '80s. With 2 Spits (Mk V and IX) in the hangar as well, is was a teenager's dream!

We were in corporate hospitality a couple of years later at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK. The Americans present had a giggle when the commentator said it was made of plywood, until they heard that it could carry the same bomb load to Berlin as a B-17 and then fly home while outrunning the German fighters.

Great British engineering :-)

Unfortunately the Mosquito crashed a few years later at a show

[glenng]

WOW I would love to see one flying here in England just beautiful.

[JPS]

Hi mark,
what a fantastic set of pictures, well done.

[Donald]

Superb photography, Mark. Have members of the Warbirds Society seen them yet?

[Mike Buckley]

You did justice to such an historic day. My favorites are #1, #3 and #6. Absolutely fabulous!

By the way, not knowing anything about aviation, the title of your thread made me think I was going to see images of an airplane dropping stuff to kill mosquitoes. Seriously!

[Markvetnz]

As a follow up, my son informs me that there are a few Mosquitos still flying in the UK. This aircraft is the only "fighter variant" flying today. It is characterised by the flat bullet proof glass of the front wind shield and the four machine guns in the nose.

Thanks for the comments.

Donald I have sent an email to the Society and offered to donate a large canvas. We'll see what happens.

[Bootsy]

all fantastic

[dubaiphil]

As a follow up, my son informs me that there are a few Mosquitos still flying in the UK. This aircraft is the only "fighter variant" flying today. It is characterised by the flat bullet proof glass of the front wind shield and the four machine guns in the nose.

Thanks for the comments.

Donald I have sent an email to the Society and offered to donate a large canvas. We'll see what happens.

I don't think so, Mark:

http://www.historynet.com/mosquito-to-buzz-again.htm

[Donald]

Mark - One question

How did you go about getting yourself into position so that you were above the plane in some of the shots? I assume you were in another plane?

[Markvetnz]

I don't think so, Mark:

http://www.historynet.com/mosquito-to-buzz-again.htm

Thanks for the heads up. My son is now doing suitable penance (making tea for the next 6 months) for giving me the wrong info. I didn't want to be leading anybody up the garden path.
He now tells me that the flying version is a 3/4 scale replica - kids.... go figure?
Here I am telling him that I have just become a part of aviation photographic history and he takes the wind out my sails. Little blighter! Actually he has just turned 18 and got his pilot licence 2 months ago, so I thought he was up with the play when it comes to planes.

[Markvetnz]

Mark - One question

How did you go about getting yourself into position so that you were above the plane in some of the shots? I assume you were in another plane?

Donald. I was not in another plane. I was on the ground with the aircraft doing fly bys at about 100 feet. It did left and right banked turns, coming in on a looped flight path. The images were mostly shot with a Canon 400mm f2.8L IS and a 1.4 teleconverter. The images where it looks like I'm above the plane are purely an illusion. I also made the comment to my wife that a few of the images look like they were taken from another aircraft. The Mosquito flew in formation with a Spitfire, Kittyhawk and a P51 Mustang and later flew in formation with a De Havilland Vampire. It was quite something to see and hear the twin Merlins of the Mosquito and the high pitched whine of the Vampire jet engine.

Check this link - http://www.photofinishnz.com/mosquito-and-vampire

[dubaiphil]

I'm insanely jealous!

[darknight]

Mark, some lovely shots of her flying, i know the sound of these well, my dad used to make these in the war, and i used to live in hertfordshire, where we had the mosquito museum, i helped there for a while re wiring one that was nearly ready to fly.
She was all running but had wiring problems, i moved then to devon so never really new if she did fly or not.
lovely images, brigs a tear to my eye really, seeing these and knowing my dad made them, specially as hes not here now.

[jprzybyla]

Wonderful images Mark, they make me wish I had been there to have witnessed what your images capture. Thank you for sharing.