Mosquito plans and engineering drawings found

This is so cool. Days before a factory was set to be leveled someone went through it and found the only complete set of engineering drawings for the de Haviland Mosquito, as well as plans for previously unknown variants that never flew. The drawings have been turned over to a charity that are attempting to restore a crashed airframe to flight.

A newly-discovered hoard of secret Second World War aircraft technical drawings will be used by enthusiasts to rebuild and launch a Mosquito plane into the skies above Britain.

More than 20,000 wartime Mosquito engineering drawings and diagrams have been found in the corner of a wartime factory just days before bulldozers were due to flatten it.

The archive includes what are thought to be the world’s only complete set of engineering drawings for the plane, as well as details of variants that never made it off the drawing board.

www.telegraph.co.uk...

I follow 'the peoples mosquito' (the company behind the rebuild of a mosquito) on twitter and they attend UK airshow to gain support. Funny before I read the article I thought The People's Mosquito group would love to get their hands on these plans .. then I read the article lol

Would love to see one of these flying again can't remember the last time I saw one. May of been at RAF Waddington during the airshow a they use to put on many years ago

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker

There's one flying out of Paine Field now. They have a museum up there that just put it back together. I was hoping they'd make a surprise appearance at Fairchild, but no dice.

The Mosquito is one of my favourite planes. Not just good looking and elegant, but a real game changer.

It would be interesting to see what the other variants and designs would have looked like.

PS I am also a fan of the Bristol Beaufighter.

I have some glue!
And a hammer

a reply to: Zaphod58

Awesome find! Hopefully they scan them and put them into an online archive for everyone to access. I know we'd all love to look through them.

originally posted by: Caughtlurking
a reply to: Zaphod58

Awesome find! Hopefully they scan them and put them into an online archive for everyone to access. I know we'd all love to look through them.

There are more than 20,000 engineering drawings and documents. Would you like to donate a couple years of your life to scanning them?

Awesome news! Really really really fantastic news for a change. Great stuff!

a reply to: Zaphod58

Great news Zaph, I always enjoy reading your post. Keep 'em coming.

Damn. I think that the Mosquito was very much one of the most beautiful pieces of machinery ever designed.

I 'd have to agree with Montgomery Scott's comment, "I'd love to get my hands on HER ample nacelles..."

They were the set that was used to support Mosquito RR299 back in the 80,s 90,s.
There is a complete set in the DeHav archives at Duxford.The Smithsonian has a partial set as well and the Camden Museum in Australia has a fairly complete set as well.
Only late last year a complete set of CaC15 Kangaroo blueprints have been found here in Auss.

No photos?
Here you go.


However, the Germans thought of it first.
Arado Ar E.561

A heavy fighter that originates from 1937/1938 www.luft46.com...

And the other 3 jets?

March 1943 Focke-Wulf in Bremen initiated a series of design studies for single-seat, jet powered fighters. Entwurf 6, also known as Projekt VI, was approved for mock-up construction in February 1944.
www.luft46.com...

How’s this to blow your mind. From 1938, this VTOL (Vertical TakeOff and Landing) aircraft was the Weserflug P.1003/1

a reply to: Zaphod58

I used to work for Hawker de Havilland at Bankstown Aerodrome in Sydney.

Our year of apprentices restored a Mosquito that had been recovered in New Guinea and it is now hanging in the War Memorial down in Canberra.

We actually restored it to flying condition but it was never flown afterwards, which I thought was a shame. I think that the inspectors just didn't want to certify anything that old.

Those two Merlin engines were amazing to hear running up (though no props on at test, sigh).

A truly beautiful 'plane. Like a giant balsa wood model.

a reply to: Violater1

Great info Zaph, what a story!

Violater1

I have no idea what bearing 'Germany thought of it first' has on this post, or why you would want to post that...and your statement is plainly not true.

De Havilland were designing twin engine fast bombers in the mid thirties, Handley Page were doing similar work. Both companies went on to actually manufacture these aircraft and not just sketch them and build mock-ups.

The precursor to the vampire was the DH.100 which was designed before 1941...two years before the focke wulf.

British engineer L.E Baynes designed his VTOL Heliplane in 1937.

Seems like the British did it first and German spies did more for the focke wulf than their designers did.




Cheers

Robbie

a reply to: Blackfinger

Only late last year a complete set of CaC15 Kangaroo blueprints have been found here in Auss.

My god! When was this,...how,...who,.... what?? My head is about to explode! I thought those drawings had been lost. This means its possible to build a copy if they are good enough. I assume they are of the final iteration as opposed to the earlier radial concept? I have daydreamed about somebody being able to build a copy of a CAC15, this makes it now theoretically possible.

As for the Mossie drawings, equally nice news. Especially given they have found concept drawings that never flew. These will help the various restoration efforts currently going on.

a reply to: ThePeaceMaker
youtu.be...


It was a great performer once you got above 190 MPH...... lift off at 120 and if you lose an engine before 190 you will be quick, lucky, and alive or confused slow and dead.
youtu.be...

a reply to: thebozeian
Pm you mate

a reply to: Violater1

No... Those were napkinwaffe... Aka doodles germany didn't build or fly even in prototype form much less produce in huge numbers in idled furniture factories....

The brits did the mosquitos though and then commenced to bomb strafe sink destroy drive back and dive bomb the german war machine into submission with her thousands of furniture flyers...

You have... Napkins

P.s german jet engines sucked hilariously bad, tilt rotors like that weren't actually feasible to make 0practical versions of for decades after that stupid sketch and the mosquitoes went up as night fighters during the battle of britian and ripped the piss out of the luftwankers night after night!

Stop glorifying nazis especially since you suck at it