A short-form documentary I filmed and edited about Lewis Air Legends' de Havilland Mosquito, which won the WWII Grand Champion award during the 2019 EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh.
My father flew the Mosquito during the war. He flew the first Australian Mosquito attack on the Japanese. He's still alive at 100 years of age. Still sharp of mind. During his life he clocked up close to 27,000 flying hours including jets.
My English teacher at Cairns State High school in 1957 was a Pathfinder pilot ( R.A.A.F) but typically, never told his Senior students about his amazing war-time experiences. He flew the Mosquito....and so did the Australian cricketer Keith Miller who was once asked on TV about stress on the Cricket Field before a match . " Stress? You call that stress? Stress is having a Messerschmitt up your arse.... Les Griffiths
We Kiwis are often called flightless, but I am proud to know we can give other birds their wings back. I saw this bird fly here on its first public outing. Just pure awesome.
The Supermarine Spitfire has always been a global historical and aviation legend. It should make the British people quite proud that the world is finally acknowledging the Mosquito in very much the same way. As an American I'm honored and pleased that aviation collectors and enthusiasts (with ample resources) have chosen to create/restore/preserve another of the greatest aircraft ever devised by the RAF. She has a remarkable story and a courageous and significant role in the allied victory in WWII. Bravo and thanks to all at Lewis.
Thank you friend, for your true and honest compliment. Thanks to the combined efforts of our Canadian, American, Australian, and not least of course, the amazing skills and determination, of New Zealand---Together, we all produced the greatest aerial Armada in history, who's efforts, continues to this day.
Mossie did great work in the hands of the American military too, flying radio contact missions with the French Resistance. Funny thing was at first they try escorting them with P51's but as told in this video, the mossie could outrun anything. Until we got the Meteor, the mossie was the only thing that could catch a V1 in level flight.
@@wotnotvintage7762 Well said. within a few more weeks , the Gloster Meteor would have( correction, they did ) combat them too. In 1946, they broke the world speed record, reaching 600 mph.
Lovely to see Americans appreciating and enjoying a British, via New Zealand, aircraft legend, True enthusiasts don’t need to descend to the level of bickering over what is best, they just just enjoy things for what they are.
My mom assembled these beauties at fleet aircraft in London Ont. during the war i thought she was pulling my leg when she told us how they glued the wings like a big model, what a story .
Saw the Mossie at Shuttleworth, mid 80's. I had never seen her before, but the older fellas who knew their stuff, heard her coming, 'Mossie'!!! All rushed to the edge of the grass strip, to see her knife edge down the grass field, wing tip about twenty feet off the ground, at about 250 mph!!! That was me hooked!!!! Then the rest of the show was mesmerising!!! They departed with a full speed race down the flight line, really low, then up and away!!!!! Amazing machine. Amazing crew. Let's get this girl in the air again!!!
The nicest aspect about this video is not just seeing what I consider to be the best and most beautiful aircraft of WW2, but the admiration of this aircraft by the Americans. Please support The People's Mosquito fund in the UK .
Four Cannons, Four machine guns, Eight Rockets coming at ya. That’s a cruiser broadside plus. Thanks for the Love and Money spent on this Mossie one of my favourite planes. Respect from Uk.
i was lucky enough to see the first Mosquito rebuild in NZ take place (2011/12) and to see a couple of early flights. When she was firs t shown off to the general public at Ardmore (near Auckland) on 29th Sept 2012 a hushed awe fell over the crowd,
My Uncle was the flight engineer on the Lancaster 19 squadron I used to sit listening to all his stories from the age of 6. That's when I fell in love with the Merlin engine. Such a distinctive sound of the British built power house. Spitfire, Lancaster but my favorite was always the Mosquito. He always told me to remember one thing. we should never forget the contributions of the Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and the Polish to the RAF. They were the RAF. Loved the clip how graceful she looks flying and what skill it took to bring her to life. Well done and thank you to all for keeping "The Mozzie" Alive
Mosquito for me is the best all round aircraft of ww2 in my opinion nothing gets close,just look at the roles/missions it was involved in how it was built the aircraft performance. my favourite mission with only 6 aircraft involved was the day light bombing of Berlin as Herman Goring live on the radio spectacular.
Beautiful images of an insanely beautiful aircraft. I would have liked to see more and especially hear more of the engine sound. But that is because I really like this plane. I hope to see a flying Mosquito one day in my life.
A living breathing creature, she's made of wood...so she has DNA. Truly wonderful. Thanks to the guys who keep this link to the golden generation alive for future generations to appreciate.
My very first air fix kit as a boy yes I ended up with the spitfire, hurricane the mm109 and fw190 plus many many others all dangling from my bedroom ceiling but the DH Mosquito was the most beautiful and versatile aircraft of all for me (opinions vary) Great video 👍🍻
Simply beautiful. My grandfather was an airfield maintenance engineer at Leavesden when De Havilland were building Mossies there. I still live about a mile from Leavesden but it is now the site of Warners Harry Potter world. In the 70s I remember seeing a silver Mossie (from Strathallan?) performing a low, fast, knife edge pass over the airfield during an air show. What a sight, what a sound. We need one flying in the UK.
Then support '' The Peoples Mosquito'' project. The former deHavilland Museum model. I sent a good donation, and bought gifts from their online shop. Just Google, 'The Peoples Mosquito''.
Thi aircraft speaks to me the one word and that word is passion. It’s a love for all things beautiful and right. I’ve been in the aircraft business for thirty years, and it’s so good to see that the love is still there. Absolutely beautiful aircraft and one of my favorites.
The one statistic over all of the others that really sells this aeroplane's performance was the very low casualty rate among the pilots compared to other aircraft, especially the larger bombers. Another one is that it could pack the same payload as a long range B17 due to its low mass - simply astonishing !
You know I have marveled at the Mossie and advocated (hindsight-wise) that it should have replaced all but "specialist" 4 engined bombers for a long time but it never occured to me (duh!) that the Mossie's low mass was the key. Kudos to you, sir.
Not strictly true. A B17 could lift a much heavier load on short range missions. Compare its max takeoff weight with empty weight. In that respect the B17 was comparable to a Lancaster.
I've read so many Mosie stats over the years that they've merged into legend...I recall the Mosie used to drop twice the bomb-load of other bombers of the day i.e. 2 x bomb runs ( to target, home then back on target again) on the same sortie compared to the other conventional bombers' single run on the same target ?
now all we need to do is recover and restore Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 L1547, which is very special because its the first ever production hurricane made it currently lies 50 yards off shore from the old speke airport Liverpool uk, main runway, and has laid there since 10th October 1940
Such a brilliant construction ,multiple roles,2 merlins & 2 pilots & Kicked *rse !!! Probably the best wooden plane that ever flew & every crew has never complained. Wish list DH Tetse
@@jacksonhudd3681 Wilbur at soaringwheelchair popps up whenever he escapes the facility, and then his comments have to be retracted once they find him missing.
One of the most beautiful aircraft to come out of WWII. Thanks to both the people who built this magnificent machine, those who put up the money and everyone who devoted their passion to this project. Bravo!
Great that more are being brought back. I have greatly admired this little plane, since discovering it in my WWII Encyclopedia, 30 years ago, and reading and watching videos of how it was made, and what it did, and could do during The War. This video of this remade plane, made me kind of cloud up, and I am from the US.
@@hardcorehistory9165 The Mosquito also served as a fighter. With a top speed of 400mph, it’s was almost as fast as the P-38 (443mph). But like I said, the Mosquito was more versatile and made a greater impact than the P-38.
When I was a child in the 1950s, there were two - possibly three abandoned Mosquitos parked at Palmerston North NZ airfield - then called Milson. I would clamber up the horizontal stabiliser and walk atop the airframe up to the cockpit. I didn't make the connection at the time, but a friend of my uncle with whom I stayed had flown the Mosquito for RAF in WW2. His name was Hugh Kimpton and he was involved in a night time aircraft bailout while on a training flight. Both Hugh and his navigator parachuted to safety, although I believe Hugh suffered a broken arm. This was near the end of the war in Europe and I don't think Hugh was redeployed to the Far East once he had recovered from his injury. Brilliant strategy to use under underutilised woodworkers to use abundant wood supplies to build a great aircraft.
Another Mosquito has turned up in a barn at Mapua, near Nelson. The owner, John Reid, died last year and when his barn was opened up, it revealed an Aladdin's Cave of aviation treasures. He had a complete Mosquito, a P51, a famous RNZAF P40 from the Pacific War and a Harvard, as well as a lot of other stuff. The Mosquito has gone to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, outside Blenheim, where it will be restored to display condition. Being the New Zealand experts on Mosquitos, some of the AvSpecs guys came down to help the Omaka people dismantle and transport the aircraft. I'm going to next year's air show and I'm hoping that the public might be able to see the Mosquito. Last year, a Hudson bomber that Mr Smith also owned was taken to Omaka, where I saw it in a hangar during the Classic Fighters Omaka 2019 air show. It now features in the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre's "Dangerous Skies" exhibition ( www.omaka.org.nz ). The P51 has gone to Ohakea, where it will be restored to flying condition by Brendon Deere. The only ex-RNZAF P51 in flying condition is owned by Kermit Weeks and it is said that there is another in storage in Britain. I don't know what plans there are for the P40 and Harvard, but, no doubt, someone has something in mind.
The most versatile WWII aircraft and my favourite. It was not really wanted by the RAF until the saw the prototype fly. Basically built by De Havilland with their own money until it was put into production. Also love the towing tractor.
Everyone was thinking metal monocoq contruction, like the Spitfire, The Huricane remember, was mainly of wood and fabrique construction, and still being made---so, being asked to financially support an all-wooden Fighter BOMBER ? well, it took a bloody good demonstration, to change their minds----very quickly.
It still amazes me that something so beautiful, was such a fearsome weapon. I would say not just the best plane of WW2, but maybe of all-time. There wasn't anything it couldn't do, and do as good - if not better than what ever it was up against. It would be a privilege and an honour to have anything to do with the restoration and maintaining of such a beautiful plane. Even if I was the guy who had to clean the inside of the exhaust ports, I would do better than anything I'd ever done before and with a smile on my face the whole time.
It was certainly the best all round fighter bomber of WW2 on either side. German contenders were neither so fast or so versatile. We could have fought WW2 more economically with 3 planes: the Spit, the Mustang and the Mozzie. The Hurricane bore he brunt of the B of B, but the Spit was the better fighter. I wonder why Germans don't like the sound of a Merlin engine?
@Bernard Edwards all three great planes but as u mention that old hurricane did the bulk of the work for me it’s the little guy at the back plugging away always there doing his bit maybe not with as much panache but doing it netherless and it must have been a real bugbear of the Luftwaffe
@Bernard Edwards concur completely credit where credit is due the spit was a mag plane especially in its later mks more than a match for the 109s and 190s but hurricanes could still just hold there own against them like the plucky little underdog so we needed there help and they played there part in to make an orchestra u need all sorts of instruments some big and brash but u know to complete it u still have need for the humble triangle
As a kid in 1965, I was lucky enough to see a Mosquito fly in formation with a Spitfire and Hurricane over our house. In fact, it was Battle of Britain Day- the 25th Anniversary, and I think they were coming back from the Biggin Hill Airshow. That was the first and last time I saw a Mosquito in the air. This was an aeroplane that was a "Jack of All Trades" but a master of all of them, too- something that is probably not claimed by any other aircraft. An exceptional machine and revered for this very reason. It really was a wonder.
@@catey62 Especially when a hoard of them stormed Berlin in daylight, at roof-top height, during his Long, Nazi Party, Broad casted speech to the country. The sound of Explosions , machinegun fire, and roaring engines, drowned him out, which could be heard all over the country. The Broardcast was cancelled and he was forced to quit . AMAZINGLY---this was an afternoon repeat, of a similar raid ,that very Morning, when Mosquito's forced Goebbels to quit HIS speech also. What a script.
My brother, Tom, treated both of us to a flight from Detroit to Oshkosh aboard "Hairless Joe", a C-47 of the same era. Smooth flying but load. Enjoyed every moment. I spent a lot of time eyeballing this Mosquito, such a gorgeous bird. Everyone I spoke to chose her as the potential show winner. We were all grateful to have her to show what could be accomplished in wartime by our English allies.
In fact, I raced Formula race cars and dad always said that driving race cars must be like fighters. He flew night raids into Germany [flying Mosquitos] shooting out the searchlights in advance of the bomber raids. In all honesty, I think he was surprised to have survived such high risk and challenging raids: He then flew for Air Canada for 30+ years...... Captain Allan Smith was my personal hero
@@stanleybuchan4610 Stanley, I beg to differ....You are simply wrong: yes the parameters are somewhat different but the real pilots think they are incredibly similar
Great to see this beautiful plane. Because of the wood construction, they disappeared quickly after WWII, so while I saw Spitfires and Hurricanes during my childhood, I never saw a Mosquito. A big thank you to the collector who, instead of doing up an old Ferrari or whatever, spent I'm sure a considerable amount of money recreating this fine machine, and adding a tribute to the men who flew them.
Looks like a " Webbed Foot Warrior " . I am a Canadian and great Heroes of the air were built here at de Havilland Aircraft Co. ,Ontario . And to see these great Wooden Wonders being preserved . Thank to all involved in this projects to restore these magnificent aircraft .
I am so pleased to learn that Mossies are being restored. I saw what I think was the last UK flying Mossie at an Old Warden (Shuttleworth Collection) display which must have been in 1995 because I know it crashed the next year and that was in 1996. I say "display". In fact the display was called off very late because of a low cloud ceiling and then rain. My car was one of only about 5 spectator cars left when the Mossie arrived. Everyone else had gone. This was no sedate fly-by. With no spectators as such the pilot beat the airfield up below the cloud cover. Those of you who know Old Warden know it has two crossed grass runways and the spectator area goes into the "X" crossing point, allowing pilots to bank round the crowd. This pilot was almost over on his wingtip as he went through. It was an amazing display of the aircraft's speed and manoeuvrability in a tight display space, especially below the low cloud cover. I don't know who the pilot was, but he was fantastic and he really knew this aircraft. I am going to put seeing one of the US based Mossies fly on my "to-do" list, but I am sure no one will dare fly them like that day at Old Warden.
Thank you so much. My father was a WW2 Mosquito pilot in the Bomber Command Pathfinder Force. Were he alive today to see this he would be in tears. The really sad thing is that so many of them just rotted away after the war. It was the original "Multi-Role Combat Aircraft" which the Panavia Tornado in some way tried to emulate but didn't succeed.
These were built in Ontario Canada during WW2. The Lancaster as well @ Victory Aircraft. The RCAF flew these as well as the P-51D Mustang. Beautiful rebuild!
A legendary machine, as fast or faster than all of the fighter aircraft of its day. So agile it could skim the surface at 50 feet all the way to its target for precision bombing the likes of which had never been seen previously.
Oh my Gosh, what a wonderful Machine. When my Dad was an apprentice engineer, at the RNLI Maintenance Depot Borehamwood at the start of the war, the Military changed production to making Mosquito parts. The most potent Mozzy and Scary was the Tsetse. It had a six Pounder bloody massive canon on the front. HOLY BLOODY COW!! Take Care. 🇬🇧.
Yep---A ship and Sub buster. What amazed me, was that the shells they fired, were solid, reinforced steel; same as some Tank buster's. The shell would penitrate the hull below the water line, smash engines etc , and with Shrapnel flying around, kill crew member's. Sheee---it.
At last a flying Mosquito, one of the most beautiful war birds ever. Please bring her over to a uk air show. The thought of one flying alongside a Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane would be awe inspiring.
Great to hear, the more flying the better, living history of a deadly but beautiful plane. I was under the impression that there were no airworthy Mosquitos left due to the fragile materials they were made from, really happy to be proved wrong.
Superbly produced film and narrative , on a superbly rebuilt machine . An aircraft that Goring exclaimed , altered and changed the tide of the air war .
Wish someone would build a DH Hornet. Unbelievable beautiful, and many of the pilots who flew it, regarded it as the best prop driven aircraft ever made. Unbelievable that no examples were preserved! However, this Mosquito is stunning. Well done to all involved.
I work at Ardmore airfield where this Mozzie was restored. There is a hanger with a large collection of Hornet parts being slowly gathered together... Watch this space...
Walking to my primary school when I was six or seven, (1956). A flight of three flew overhead into Northolt aerodrome. It must have been their last flight. Nothing to beat the sound of those engines.
I was lucky enough to be working by an airfield when this one was putting on a show. 3 extra low level passes ( approx 100 ft ) directly over me. Awesome!
In 🇮🇳India, we all hate mosquitoes 🦟, But, but I love 💘 this AMAZING 👏machine. At least this mosquito dosen't cause malaria....... Thank you Sir de havilland for inventing this masterpiece........ Excellent 🤏 presentation.
ELWOOD BLUES---I ABSOLUTELY AGREE, AND, MOST USEFUL, AND MOST BEAUTIFUL, IT HAD NO EQUAL , IT SET A STANDARD, THAT FOR POST WAR DESIGNER'S, AND STRATEGISTS ,TO CREATE THE MULTIPURPOSE ALL WEATHER JET PLANES , WE KNOW TODAY.
WOW, congratulations, I just can’t imagine the amount of work, effort, and heartbreak that went into this beauty. Very well done. Greetings from Cornwall.
Gorgeous aircraft. Sadly the only one I have ever actually seen crashed at Barton Air Show with the loss of her two crew. I attended a number of fatal crashes at Barton as a fire officer at Irlam but that has to rank as a real tragedy. It happened after my retirement but my son and my former colleagues attended. Very, very sad day.
I worked at BAe Hatfield in the eighties. We had a mos, one of the very few at that time, come in for some tech work. I remember walking round it for half an hour taking it all in. The size of those props, the sound of those engines.
Bradley - absolutely fantastic cinematography! You did that beautiful plane justice with those air to air shots! (and lots of the shots on the ground were spectacular also)
My father flew the Mosquito during the war. He flew the first Australian Mosquito attack on the Japanese. He's still alive at 100 years of age. Still sharp of mind. During his life he clocked up close to 27,000 flying hours including jets.
MARVELOUS !
That’s very impressive hope he’s doing well 👏🏻
That’s awesome 👌🏽
What a guy!
Bless him and thank him for his service.
My English teacher at Cairns State High school in 1957 was a Pathfinder pilot ( R.A.A.F) but typically, never told his Senior students about his amazing war-time experiences. He flew the Mosquito....and so did the Australian cricketer Keith Miller who was once asked on TV about stress on the Cricket Field before a match .
" Stress? You call that stress? Stress is having a Messerschmitt up your arse....
Les Griffiths
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
We Kiwis are often called flightless, but I am proud to know we can give other birds their wings back. I saw this bird fly here on its first public outing. Just pure awesome.
This Canadian Vet is in awe of the work you Kiwis do keeping our heritage alive. Well done just doesn't seem to cut it...Allies Always.
@@weejimsdad Brothers always! 🤝
The Supermarine Spitfire has always been a global historical and aviation legend. It should make the British people quite proud that the world is finally acknowledging the Mosquito in very much the same way. As an American I'm honored and pleased that aviation collectors and enthusiasts (with ample resources) have chosen to create/restore/preserve another of the greatest aircraft ever devised by the RAF. She has a remarkable story and a courageous and significant role in the allied victory in WWII. Bravo and thanks to all at Lewis.
Thank you friend, for your true and honest compliment. Thanks to the combined efforts of our Canadian, American, Australian, and not least of course, the amazing skills and determination, of New Zealand---Together, we all produced the greatest aerial Armada in history, who's efforts, continues to this day.
Mossie did great work in the hands of the American military too, flying radio contact missions with the French Resistance. Funny thing was at first they try escorting them with P51's but as told in this video, the mossie could outrun anything. Until we got the Meteor, the mossie was the only thing that could catch a V1 in level flight.
@@DieyoungDiefast The Hawker Tempest could catch a V1 and shot more of them down than any other allied aircraft.
@@wotnotvintage7762 Well said. within a few more weeks , the Gloster Meteor would have( correction, they did ) combat them too. In 1946, they broke the world speed record, reaching 600 mph.
"world (American)"
Lovely to see Americans appreciating and enjoying a British, via New Zealand, aircraft legend, True enthusiasts don’t need to descend to the level of bickering over what is best, they just just enjoy things for what they are.
I'm 70 and my Dad flew these for the RCAF in WW2....I am so very proud....to tears even!!!
Quite right too.
God Bless !!
My mom assembled these beauties at fleet aircraft in London Ont. during the war i thought she was pulling my leg when she told us how they glued the wings like a big model, what a story .
@@recceeboy1237 Your Mom is of a generation that when they tell you
something , you can take it to the bank. Cheers.
Richard Smith If i may, was your Dad in the Intruder role with No.418 ?
Saw the Mossie at Shuttleworth, mid 80's. I had never seen her before, but the older fellas who knew their stuff, heard her coming, 'Mossie'!!! All rushed to the edge of the grass strip, to see her knife edge down the grass field, wing tip about twenty feet off the ground, at about 250 mph!!! That was me hooked!!!! Then the rest of the show was mesmerising!!! They departed with a full speed race down the flight line, really low, then up and away!!!!! Amazing machine. Amazing crew. Let's get this girl in the air again!!!
The most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Actually makes me quite emotional. A stunning thing brought back to life with love and dedication.
VERY WELL PUT. AND , GIVEN HER UNEQUALLED PART IN WAR, NO OTHER COULD MATCH HER.
The nicest aspect about this video is not just seeing what I consider to be the best and most beautiful aircraft of WW2, but the admiration of this aircraft by the Americans.
Please support The People's Mosquito fund in the UK .
Four Cannons, Four machine guns, Eight Rockets coming at ya. That’s a cruiser broadside plus. Thanks for the Love and Money spent on this Mossie one of my favourite planes. Respect from Uk.
i was lucky enough to see the first Mosquito rebuild in NZ take place (2011/12) and to see a couple of early flights. When she was firs t shown off to the general public at Ardmore (near Auckland) on 29th Sept 2012 a hushed awe fell over the crowd,
Now that would have been a moment to see
Just magnificent, love it
What an incredible plane! Just awesome!
Great to hear the Kiwis get the credit they so richly deserve for making it possible. Well done sir.
GREAT job, that bird is DAMN sexy.
ABSOLUTELY--AT LEAST, THIS KIWI CAN FLY.
My Uncle was the flight engineer on the Lancaster 19 squadron I used to sit listening to all his stories from the age of 6. That's when I fell in love with the Merlin engine. Such a distinctive sound of the British built power house. Spitfire, Lancaster but my favorite was always the Mosquito. He always told me to remember one thing. we should never forget the contributions of the Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and the Polish to the RAF. They were the RAF. Loved the clip how graceful she looks flying and what skill it took to bring her to life. Well done and thank you to all for keeping "The Mozzie" Alive
Mosquito for me is the best all round aircraft of ww2 in my opinion nothing gets close,just look at the roles/missions it was involved in how it was built the aircraft performance.
my favourite mission with only 6 aircraft involved was the day light bombing of Berlin as Herman Goring live on the radio spectacular.
Absolutely gorgeous! In my uneducated opinion, it was the best aircraft of WW2, Almost no mission it couldn't fulfil! LEGEND!!
AND, almost never made, because of dullards without vision
That is without a doubt the most beautiful warbird I've ever seen.
that was deliberate--so as to distract the Nazis into thinking it was friendly---instead of a serious enemy
I read somewhere a quoate saying '' If it looks right , it is right ''
@@MrTarmonbarry never challenged I think.
Definitely! I love the Mosquito! Such a cool design, and great stories behind it!
@@MrSmith7726 And a damned fine job you lads did, too 👍The Wooden Wonder, powered by the Mighty Merlin. Exceptional!
The Mosquito: Designed by geniuses, built by craftsman and flown by heroes.
Beautiful images of an insanely beautiful aircraft.
I would have liked to see more and especially hear more of the engine sound. But that is because I really like this plane. I hope to see a flying Mosquito one day in my life.
hear hear to that.
Splendid presentation; absolutely splendid stuff. Thanks for putting this on here.
The History, the technical difference, the relevance, the looks, the sound. Was, is, and will always be one of my favourite warbirds of all time.
What a beautiful aeroplane. Great reconstruction!
Check out the story about the Mosquito here ua-cam.com/video/-DFHEOGWYEY/v-deo.html
A living breathing creature, she's made of wood...so she has DNA. Truly wonderful. Thanks to the guys who keep this link to the golden generation alive for future generations to appreciate.
Absolutely beautiful aircraft. Great video too. The guys that kept this bird alive deserve sainthood.
IMO The most aesthetically beautiful aircraft of WWII. Even with the rocket racks.
My very first air fix kit as a boy yes I ended up with the spitfire, hurricane the mm109 and fw190 plus many many others all dangling from my bedroom ceiling but the DH Mosquito was the most beautiful and versatile aircraft of all for me (opinions vary) Great video 👍🍻
Such a beautiful, graceful, and elegant airplane. A legend among WW2 planes. The pilot that flies the Mosquito is indeed a very fortunate pilot.
Simply beautiful. My grandfather was an airfield maintenance engineer at Leavesden when De Havilland were building Mossies there. I still live about a mile from Leavesden but it is now the site of Warners Harry Potter world. In the 70s I remember seeing a silver Mossie (from Strathallan?) performing a low, fast, knife edge pass over the airfield during an air show. What a sight, what a sound. We need one flying in the UK.
Then support '' The Peoples Mosquito'' project. The former deHavilland Museum model. I sent a good donation, and bought gifts from their online shop. Just Google, 'The Peoples Mosquito''.
@@MrDaiseymay Done and doing that.
@@Spizzoid excellent, now spread the word eh?
Thi aircraft speaks to me the one word and that word is passion. It’s a love for all things beautiful and right. I’ve been in the aircraft business for thirty years, and it’s so good to see that the love is still there. Absolutely beautiful aircraft and one of my favorites.
You rung a Bell there Brian
The one statistic over all of the others that really sells this aeroplane's performance was the very low casualty rate among the pilots compared to other aircraft, especially the larger bombers. Another one is that it could pack the same payload as a long range B17 due to its low mass - simply astonishing !
You know I have marveled at the Mossie and advocated (hindsight-wise) that it should have replaced all but "specialist" 4 engined bombers for a long time but it never occured to me (duh!) that the Mossie's low mass was the key. Kudos to you, sir.
@@socialjusticeisgay753 if that was directed at me, then thank you !
Not strictly true. A B17 could lift a much heavier load on short range missions. Compare its max takeoff weight with empty weight. In that respect the B17 was comparable to a Lancaster.
I've read so many Mosie stats over the years that they've merged into legend...I recall the Mosie used to drop twice the bomb-load of other bombers of the day i.e. 2 x bomb runs ( to target, home then back on target again) on the same sortie compared to the other conventional bombers' single run on the same target ?
Imagine if the USAAF had 2000 of them for a daylight raid.....
What sounds better than Spitfire's Rolls Royce Merlin engine?...A Mosquito with TWO Rolls Royce Merlins!
A Lancaster with 4
@Blind Spott Still to slow to catch a Mozzy...
DB 605 with that palpable turbo whine and thundering exhaust growl for me.
now all we need to do is recover and restore Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 L1547, which is very special because its the first ever production hurricane made it currently lies 50 yards off shore from the old speke airport Liverpool uk, main runway, and has laid there since 10th October 1940
@@anthonymcdonnell6615 You still expect it to be there.. ?
Liverpool you say.. ? 😂
Such a brilliant construction ,multiple roles,2 merlins & 2 pilots & Kicked *rse !!! Probably the best wooden plane that ever flew & every crew has never complained. Wish list DH Tetse
Absolutely the greatest aircraft of WWII. Genius design, beautiful plane.
Very deceptive---a beautiful Killer. and CONGRATULATIONS to BRADLEY WENTZEL, for his excellent filming & editing, a real pro.
Yep on all counts.
Philip Croft Thank you, Philip! It’s been an amazing experience documenting it.
@soaringtractor it was so good even you yanks used them!!!
@@jacksonhudd3681 Wilbur at soaringwheelchair popps up whenever he escapes the facility, and then his comments have to be retracted once they find him missing.
One of the most beautiful aircraft to come out of WWII. Thanks to both the people who built this magnificent machine, those who put up the money and everyone who devoted their passion to this project. Bravo!
Thank you guys for taking such very good care of one of our most beloved warbirds.
Great that more are being brought back. I have greatly admired this little plane, since discovering it in my WWII Encyclopedia, 30 years ago, and reading and watching videos of how it was made, and what it did, and could do during The War. This video of this remade plane, made me kind of cloud up, and I am from the US.
Absolutely beautiful. Pound-for-pound it’s the best versatile Strike-Bomber ever built.
@@hardcorehistory9165 The Mosquito also served as a fighter. With a top speed of 400mph, it’s was almost as fast as the P-38 (443mph). But like I said, the Mosquito was more versatile and made a greater impact than the P-38.
Probably the most graceful old warbird of them all
When I was a child in the 1950s, there were two - possibly three abandoned Mosquitos parked at Palmerston North NZ airfield - then called Milson. I would clamber up the horizontal stabiliser and walk atop the airframe up to the cockpit. I didn't make the connection at the time, but a friend of my uncle with whom I stayed had flown the Mosquito for RAF in WW2. His name was Hugh Kimpton and he was involved in a night time aircraft bailout while on a training flight. Both Hugh and his navigator parachuted to safety, although I believe Hugh suffered a broken arm. This was near the end of the war in Europe and I don't think Hugh was redeployed to the Far East once he had recovered from his injury.
Brilliant strategy to use under underutilised woodworkers to use abundant wood supplies to build a great aircraft.
They were originally based at Ohakea during the war.
Another Mosquito has turned up in a barn at Mapua, near Nelson. The owner, John Reid, died last year and when his barn was opened up, it revealed an Aladdin's Cave of aviation treasures. He had a complete Mosquito, a P51, a famous RNZAF P40 from the Pacific War and a Harvard, as well as a lot of other stuff.
The Mosquito has gone to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, outside Blenheim, where it will be restored to display condition. Being the New Zealand experts on Mosquitos, some of the AvSpecs guys came down to help the Omaka people dismantle and transport the aircraft. I'm going to next year's air show and I'm hoping that the public might be able to see the Mosquito.
Last year, a Hudson bomber that Mr Smith also owned was taken to Omaka, where I saw it in a hangar during the Classic Fighters Omaka 2019 air show. It now features in the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre's "Dangerous Skies" exhibition ( www.omaka.org.nz ).
The P51 has gone to Ohakea, where it will be restored to flying condition by Brendon Deere. The only ex-RNZAF P51 in flying condition is owned by Kermit Weeks and it is said that there is another in storage in Britain.
I don't know what plans there are for the P40 and Harvard, but, no doubt, someone has something in mind.
Nice video of the Moquito in flight.
Thank you and season's greetings.
Very proud Kiwi here today, it's so good to see a Mossie in the skies again.
The most versatile WWII aircraft and my favourite. It was not really wanted by the RAF until the saw the prototype fly. Basically built by De Havilland with their own money until it was put into production. Also love the towing tractor.
Everyone was thinking metal monocoq contruction, like the Spitfire, The Huricane remember, was mainly of wood and fabrique construction, and still being made---so, being asked to financially support an all-wooden Fighter BOMBER ? well, it took a bloody good demonstration, to change their minds----very quickly.
Stunning
Beautiful bird, thank you for bringing hrr back to life.
the most beautiful piece of cabinet making ........and the fastest Ive ever seen
It still amazes me that something so beautiful, was such a fearsome weapon.
I would say not just the best plane of WW2, but maybe of all-time.
There wasn't anything it couldn't do, and do as good - if not better than what ever it was up against.
It would be a privilege and an honour to have anything to do with the restoration and maintaining of such a beautiful plane.
Even if I was the guy who had to clean the inside of the exhaust ports, I would do better than anything I'd ever done before and with a smile on my face the whole time.
DEVOTION INDEED.
It was certainly the best all round fighter bomber of WW2 on either side. German contenders were neither so fast or so versatile. We could have fought WW2 more economically with 3 planes: the Spit, the Mustang and the Mozzie. The Hurricane bore he brunt of the B of B, but the Spit was the better fighter. I wonder why Germans don't like the sound of a Merlin engine?
@Bernard Edwards all three great planes but as u mention that old hurricane did the bulk of the work for me it’s the little guy at the back plugging away always there doing his bit maybe not with as much panache but doing it netherless and it must have been a real bugbear of the Luftwaffe
@@kendodd8734 The Spit takes too much of the glory. Yes, it was the better fighter, but the Hurri should get more praise and recognition than it does.
@Bernard Edwards concur completely credit where credit is due the spit was a mag plane especially in its later mks more than a match for the 109s and 190s but hurricanes could still just hold there own against them like the plucky little underdog so we needed there help and they played there part in to make an orchestra u need all sorts of instruments some big and brash but u know to complete it u still have need for the humble triangle
i've met a Canadian WW2 mossy pilot in Kettleby, north of Toronto a few times. He's passed now but said he'd seen a lot of Europe...from 25,000 feet!
As a kid in 1965, I was lucky enough to see a Mosquito fly in formation with a Spitfire and Hurricane over our house. In fact, it was Battle of Britain Day- the 25th Anniversary, and I think they were coming back from the Biggin Hill Airshow. That was the first and last time I saw a Mosquito in the air. This was an aeroplane that was a "Jack of All Trades" but a master of all of them, too- something that is probably not claimed by any other aircraft. An exceptional machine and revered for this very reason. It really was a wonder.
and Goering agreed with you
@@MrDaiseymay Yes, it was a fact that he lamented deeply.
@@catey62 Especially when a hoard of them stormed Berlin in daylight, at roof-top height, during his Long, Nazi Party, Broad casted speech to the country. The sound of Explosions , machinegun fire, and roaring engines, drowned him out, which could be heard all over the country. The Broardcast was cancelled and he was forced to quit . AMAZINGLY---this was an afternoon repeat, of a similar raid ,that very Morning, when Mosquito's forced Goebbels to quit HIS speech also. What a script.
A beautiful plane, with beautiful engines, that sound so iconic and mesmerising.
These aircraft should never be allowed to disappear, legends in their own time and such beauty should be preserved forever.
My brother, Tom, treated both of us to a flight from Detroit to Oshkosh aboard "Hairless Joe", a C-47 of the same era. Smooth flying but load. Enjoyed every moment. I spent a lot of time eyeballing this Mosquito, such a gorgeous bird. Everyone I spoke to chose her as the potential show winner. We were all grateful to have her to show what could be accomplished in wartime by our English allies.
In fact, I raced Formula race cars and dad always said that driving race cars must be like fighters. He flew night raids into Germany [flying Mosquitos] shooting out the searchlights in advance of the bomber raids. In all honesty, I think he was surprised to have survived such high risk and challenging raids: He then flew for Air Canada for 30+ years...... Captain Allan Smith was my personal hero
Flying fast aircraft is nothing like being a racing driver. Situational awareness is everything.
@@stanleybuchan4610 Stanley, I beg to differ....You are simply wrong: yes the parameters are somewhat different but the real pilots think they are incredibly similar
@@stanleybuchan4610 Ever drive a real racing car???
Oh my gosh! So beautiful. Words cannot describe...
Great to see this beautiful plane. Because of the wood construction, they disappeared quickly after WWII, so while I saw Spitfires and Hurricanes during my childhood, I never saw a Mosquito. A big thank you to the collector who, instead of doing up an old Ferrari or whatever, spent I'm sure a considerable amount of money recreating this fine machine, and adding a tribute to the men who flew them.
A wondrous design and manufacture of plywood and glue and two of the most powerful engines of WW2
What a beautiful aeroplane,I'm a 70 year old Brit and i use to make models of these when i was a kid,still love them.
many say that, it must have been a top seller.
Looks like a " Webbed Foot Warrior " . I am a Canadian and great Heroes of the air were built here at de Havilland Aircraft Co. ,Ontario . And to see these great Wooden Wonders being preserved . Thank to all involved in this projects to restore these magnificent aircraft .
I am so pleased to learn that Mossies are being restored. I saw what I think was the last UK flying Mossie at an Old Warden (Shuttleworth Collection) display which must have been in 1995 because I know it crashed the next year and that was in 1996. I say "display". In fact the display was called off very late because of a low cloud ceiling and then rain. My car was one of only about 5 spectator cars left when the Mossie arrived. Everyone else had gone. This was no sedate fly-by. With no spectators as such the pilot beat the airfield up below the cloud cover. Those of you who know Old Warden know it has two crossed grass runways and the spectator area goes into the "X" crossing point, allowing pilots to bank round the crowd. This pilot was almost over on his wingtip as he went through. It was an amazing display of the aircraft's speed and manoeuvrability in a tight display space, especially below the low cloud cover. I don't know who the pilot was, but he was fantastic and he really knew this aircraft. I am going to put seeing one of the US based Mossies fly on my "to-do" list, but I am sure no one will dare fly them like that day at Old Warden.
Good for you! Thanks so much for maintaining the continuum of our culture, so vulnerable now.
Thank you so much. My father was a WW2 Mosquito pilot in the Bomber Command Pathfinder Force. Were he alive today to see this he would be in tears.
The really sad thing is that so many of them just rotted away after the war.
It was the original "Multi-Role Combat Aircraft" which the Panavia Tornado in some way tried to emulate but didn't succeed.
I'm so happy to see at least one Mossy is still flying!
*ie
@@tank7275 THREE---possibly 4 by now.
@@MrDaiseymay wow that’s cool
These were built in Ontario Canada during WW2. The Lancaster as well @ Victory Aircraft. The RCAF flew these as well as the P-51D Mustang. Beautiful rebuild!
Didn't the Americans fly the Canadian built Mossy as recon aircraft ?
A legendary machine, as fast or faster than all of the fighter aircraft of its day. So agile it could skim the surface at 50 feet all the way to its target for precision bombing the likes of which had never been seen previously.
Absolutely wonderful to see one of these in the air again.
THis is the 4th--check em out, mostly restored and recreated, by the same geniuses in New Zealand, Avspecs.
Oh my Gosh, what a wonderful Machine. When my Dad was an apprentice engineer, at the RNLI Maintenance Depot Borehamwood at the start of the war, the Military changed production to making Mosquito parts. The most potent Mozzy and Scary was the Tsetse. It had a six Pounder bloody massive canon on the front. HOLY BLOODY COW!! Take Care. 🇬🇧.
Yep---A ship and Sub buster. What amazed me, was that the shells they fired, were solid, reinforced steel; same as some Tank buster's. The shell would penitrate the hull below the water line, smash engines etc , and with Shrapnel flying around, kill crew member's. Sheee---it.
A very beautifully filmed (esp the air-to-air) production although frankly that plane would look stunning in the dark. A
At last a flying Mosquito, one of the most beautiful war birds ever. Please bring her over to a uk air show. The thought of one flying alongside a Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane would be awe inspiring.
There are 3 flying, and passibly another by now.
Great to hear, the more flying the better, living history of a deadly but beautiful plane. I was under the impression that there were no airworthy Mosquitos left due to the fragile materials they were made from, really happy to be proved wrong.
Unbeleavble, the mossy was one of the beautyfulest planes ever
I don't think are any superlatives that can describe the task of this recreation. Glorious is one!
This was a seriously, capable machine and very elegant to boot.
Great job, thanks from UK, good to see the machines flying and appreciated.
I wish my dad was still alive to see this, he would have loved it. He flew these beauties in 1944 and 1945.
Well done guys !!! Absolutely Fabulous !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There needs to be a high quality video of this beautiful legend flying with nothing but beautiful music, no narration.
There no other aircraft in looks or speed than can beat the Mossie . Thank you .
Superbly produced film and narrative , on a superbly rebuilt machine . An aircraft that Goring exclaimed , altered and changed the tide of the air war .
he was accreditted with many comments about the Mossie, my fav is '' Trust the British to build a beautiful plane, made by their Piano maker's.''
Stunningly beautiful aircraft and most fittingly decked out in a Coastal Command colour scheme.
those prop cones look bloody rude---who's been using the lipstick ?
And D Day markings.
A thing of great beauty. I had a tour of one when I was a boy, at Speke Airport, Liverpool. Sadly this crashed at Barton aerodrome, Manchester.
your fault ?
@@MrDaiseymay Can't think of a reasonable excuse, sir !
What a great job - thank you for keeping all these beautiful warbirds flying - love from the UK
Wish someone would build a DH Hornet. Unbelievable beautiful, and many of the pilots who flew it, regarded it as the best prop driven aircraft ever made. Unbelievable that no examples were preserved!
However, this Mosquito is stunning. Well done to all involved.
The Hornet could loop on one engine! Capt. Eric Brown rated it as the best piston engined aircraft ever! Bar none.
I work at Ardmore airfield where this Mozzie was restored. There is a hanger with a large collection of Hornet parts being slowly gathered together... Watch this space...
@@raymond7880 I think he reckoned it could be fully aerobatic on one engine. As he said, Mosquito sports version.
It is a great example of when engineering becomes art and art becomes engineering. Either way is just stunning.
Walking to my primary school when I was six or seven, (1956). A flight of three flew overhead into Northolt aerodrome. It must have been their last flight.
Nothing to beat the sound of those engines.
I was lucky enough to be working by an airfield when this one was putting on a show. 3 extra low level passes ( approx 100 ft ) directly over me. Awesome!
In 🇮🇳India, we all hate mosquitoes 🦟,
But, but I love 💘 this AMAZING 👏machine.
At least this mosquito dosen't cause malaria.......
Thank you Sir de havilland for inventing this masterpiece........
Excellent 🤏 presentation.
The most beautiful plane ever built. Period.
ELWOOD BLUES---I ABSOLUTELY AGREE, AND, MOST USEFUL, AND MOST BEAUTIFUL, IT HAD NO EQUAL , IT SET A STANDARD, THAT FOR POST WAR DESIGNER'S, AND STRATEGISTS ,TO CREATE THE MULTIPURPOSE ALL WEATHER JET PLANES , WE KNOW TODAY.
Stunning footage - thank you for this!
One of my favorite planes of WW2. Beautiful.
how very dare yoooo---who else has your affections?
Ever since watching the movie 633 squadron with Cliff Robertson. Plane was fast and light. Also liked the P-38 Lightning.
WOW, congratulations, I just can’t imagine the amount of work, effort, and heartbreak that went into this beauty. Very well done. Greetings from Cornwall.
Such a beautiful, beautiful bird. Well done on the restoration.
What a beautiful bird. Hope this young lady flies another 75 years.
Gorgeous aircraft. Sadly the only one I have ever actually seen crashed at Barton Air Show with the loss of her two crew. I attended a number of fatal crashes at Barton as a fire officer at Irlam but that has to rank as a real tragedy. It happened after my retirement but my son and my former colleagues attended. Very, very sad day.
Simply exquisite. Thank you.
Insanely beautiful.
I'm English, it's great to see this elegant lady in her natural environment, well done
well quite
My grandad and his brother worked on production of these in high Wycombe one of the main locations for
Manufacture.
I worked at BAe Hatfield in the eighties. We had a mos, one of the very few at that time, come in for some tech work. I remember walking round it for half an hour taking it all in. The size of those props, the sound of those engines.
14 feet across. The Props that is--
You, Sir, have produced one of the viewable videos about a fantastic aircraft. For start to end it is a sheer pleasure to watch. Thank you!!
Jorn41 Thank you, sir! I really appreciate it and thanks for taking the time to show some support.
Bradley - absolutely fantastic cinematography! You did that beautiful plane justice with those air to air shots! (and lots of the shots on the ground were spectacular also)
She carries the most sweetest song , those beautiful twin Merlin's . Thank you .
A living memorial to all those brave young men who flew them and the men and women that kept them flying and fighting.
HEAR ! HEAR !