Mosquito Plans Found

[stona]

Okay, this might not exactly be Spitfires in crates, but it is still a remarkable and important find.

Discovery of lost WW2 Mosquito plans will allow 'Wooden Wonder' to fly again

Whether we get something built from these only time will tell. The drawings in themselves are important enough.

Cheers

Steve

 

[wuzak]

More to the point, they have actually been found!

 

[rochie]

Wow, what a find

 

[soulezoo]

That's fantastic! Hope they complete their project!

 

[Crimea_River]

A stunning discovery of great historical value. However the main challenge for the Peoples Mosquito remains funding rather than the absence of technical info as the three flying examples, built without the benefit of these recently found drawings, have proven.

 

[stona]

Yep, but it will be much easier, and presumably cheaper, with the plans.

I won't be holding my breath waiting for one to fly off the plans As you say, the funding will be the issue.

Cheers

Steve

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Amazing find. Crazy that they sat in a corner of a factory undiscovered for so long.

 

[Old Wizard]

 

[Airframes]

Great find.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Great find!

 

[pbehn]

I think they have over egged the "find" and the danger they were in, the plans were on microfilm in an ex war time de Havilland factory. Great that they were kept in circulation.

 

[stona]

I think they have over egged the "find" and the danger they were in, the plans were on microfilm in an ex war time de Havilland factory. Great that they were kept in circulation.

Someone must have recognised them for what they were, otherwise they would have ended up in a landfill or incinerator as countless thousands of such documents have.
Of course the press like to add a little spice to a story, but it is remarkable that so much has survived. It is also fortunate that the documents were transferred to film, which would not have been a cheap or quick process at the time.

I was tracing the history of a piece of silverware that came to me through the family. It was made in Birmingham, which is handy for me, and by a firm still in business. Turns out they moved in the 1970s and destroyed most of their records as there was no space for them in the new premises. It's an all too common story. The 'paperless office' wasn't even on 'Tommorow's World' at the time

Cheers

Steve

 

[Capt. Vick]

Great news!

 

[pbehn]

Someone must have recognised them for what they were, otherwise they would have ended up in a landfill or incinerator as countless thousands of such documents have.

In general I would agree, but there is still a de Havilland museum which has the only prototype to survive WW2 (they claim, is it true?). I suspect that someone from de Havilland contacted the factory or was contacted. It may be that it is still their property.

 

[stona]

I would guess these came from one of the buildings at what is now Haywarden Airport. De Havilland moved into the old Vickers factory sometime shortly after the war.
Like a lot of old airfields it has become something of a business park, although still retaining an active aviation role and the Airbus factory, and I wouldn't under estimate the chances of something like these documents being chucked in a skip by the demolition contractors. It has happened far too many times before. As I said, someone obviously recognised them as having some importance or value.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Crimea_River]

Over 8000 drawings of the Aussie versions are also available at HARS. Our society also has about 3800 scanned de Haviland drawings.

 

[stona]

Another 20,000 won't do any harm
Cheers
Steve

 

[Crimea_River]

For sure! Some of ours look like this:

 

[Crimea_River]