Aviation News. 05.2018

People’s Mosquito Moves Forward

The People’s Mosquito Ltd, a UK aviation

restoration charity established with the aim

of returning a de Havilland Mosquito FB.VI

to UK skies, has announced an agreement

with Retrotec Ltd to build and test  y an

example in southern England. Under the

expert guidance of Guy Black, East Sussex-

based Retrotec has established a reputation

for delivering some of the most authentic

aircraft restorations in the world over the past

30-plus years. The business, which is fully

accredited by the UK Civil Aviation Authority,

offers various services including design,

parts manufacture and reconstruction of

complete aircraft, all delivered by highly

experienced engineers.

A statement from the People’s Mosquito

said the agreement will see Retrotec’s

engineers given full access to its unique

collection of more than 22,300 original de

Havilland technical drawings to assist in

their work. The announcement went on to

say that this “...means the British-designed

and built aircraft can once again be built in

the UK, harnessing Retrotec’s restoration

expertise, complemented by experienced

engineering consultants from New Zealand.”

Concluding the statement were some

words from Guy Black: “I am delighted that

Retrotec Ltd has been chosen to carry out

this exciting challenge and I wish TPM the

very best of luck in raising the necessary

funds to enable this to happen.”

The Canadian Warplane Heritage’s airworthy

Avro Lancaster Mk.X C-GVRA has gained

Dambusters markings on its port side for the

2018 airshow season. The Hamilton-based

warbird now has the codes ‘AJ-G’ and the

serial number ED932, the markings of Wg

Cdr Guy Gibson’s aircraft from the famous

raid. C-GVRA retains its original ‘VR-A’

codes on the starboard side. (See page 34

for more on ED932 G-for-George.)

Avro Lancaster X C-GVRA in its Dambusters markings on March 30. Al Mickeloff

Lancaster’s Dambusters Markings

Panavia Tornado GR4 ZA469/029 was

delivered by road to the Imperial War

Museum Duxford from RAF Marham, Norfolk,

on March 27. It is being reassembled in the

AirSpace building and will be displayed in

Hangar 4. This is the second example of

the Tornado ‘bomber’ on show here – Gulf

War veteran GR1B ZA465 is resident in the

AirSpace hangar.

PRESERVATION

14 Aviation News incorporating Jets May 2018

Second Tornado for Duxford

Tornado GR4 ZA469/029 at

Duxford on April 1. Justin Ward

Liberator Tribute

Opens at Idaho

Museum

A new Consolidated B-24 Liberator exhibit

was unveiled at the Warhawk Air Museum in

Nampa, Idaho, on February 3. It comprises

an original B-24 nose turret and a main

cockpit section taken from Consolidated

PB4Y-2 Privateer 59759, an aircraft derived

from the Liberator. More detailing will be

added to the cockpit as the project moves

forward.

It is being restored to resemble a late-

production San Diego-built Liberator used by

the US Army Air Force. The team behind the

display is continuing to look for parts to  t out

the cockpit – its members would particularly

like to acquire the external armour plating that

was unique to Eighth Air Force B-24s. http://www.

warhawkairmuseum.org Frederick Johnsen

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