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May 2015 FLYPAST 113

Founding Father

examples. Two time-expired

Merlin 25s were fitted and the

airframe was retained at Hatfield

for instructional purposes at the

de Havilland apprentice school.

The prototype ended its

career with de Havilland as

a promotional tool for the

marketing department, but by

1948 it was scheduled to be

scrapped. Thankfully, deputy

public relations manager Bill

Baird recognised its value and

spent several years ‘hiding’

W4050 around several company

sites, including Hawarden near

Chester. He finally secreted the

aircraft in a small stores building

in Fiddle Bridge Lane, Hatfield.

In 1958 Bill was contacted

by Walter Goldsmith, the new

owner of Salisbury Hall, and

W4050 was delivered back to

the site of its birth to become

the founder exhibit at what was

then to be the Mosquito Museum.

It was housed in a 1930s Robin

hangar – purchased using funds

raised by companies involved

in manufacturing Mosquitos –

and returned to a rather poor

representation of its all-yellow

colour scheme.

Resurrection

Owing to a slow deterioration in

the prototype’s condition over

the 70 years it was decided in

2010 that W4050 needed an

in-depth restoration. In January

2011 it was dismantled and the

parts relocated to the main

hangar at Salisbury Hall to join

the other two resident Mosquitos,

FB.VI TA122 and TT.35 TA634.

In line with best practice, the

plan was to restore W4050 to

a significant point in its history

while retaining the maximum

of original material. The

configuration chosen was how it

was in the first half of 1943

Mosquito W4050 was the fi rst of thousands of the type – and the fi rst

exhibit in a wonderful museum. Restoration team leader Bob Glasby

relates progress on a very special aircraft

Only at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum

can you see this sight! In the foreground is

prototype W4050, to the left TT.35 TA634 and,

right, FB.VI TA122.

112-116_Mossie_fpSBB.indd 113 16/03/2015 14:33