Rod Lewis' de Havilland Mosquito

Noted warbird collector Rod Lewis, EAA Lifetime 498155, brought his de Havilland Mosquito to Oshkosh for EAA AirVenture 2019. Rod’s example, one of what is believed to be only four airworthy examples of the type in the world, is an FB Mk.VI that was built in 1945. It entered service with the RAF in an operational training unit, and was then sold to the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The airplane ended up in California, and sat for decades until it went back to New Zealand when Avspecs began the four-year restoration in 2014.

[@peterjones958]

We need more of these people saving these fantastic war planes. Rod Lewis and Avspecs should be congratulated

[@MrDaiseymay]

They have been, at international levels, and quite rightly. Long may Avspecs prosper. I'm sure they will, their products are way too seductive. Come on you rich men, never mind yachts, look to the skies.

[@hoagy_ytfc]

“We’re not saving the world but we’re honouring the people that did”. I was already welling up, but this finished me off! Great work, great video.

[@MrDaiseymay]

What a wonderful compliment, and so apt.

[@samrodian919]

Me too

[@jdg9999]

@Alessandro Côrtes Indeed. Perhaps "the people who thought they were saving the world" would be more apt. I doubt most of them would have lifted a finger if they'd known what they were actually fighting for.

[@MrDaiseymay]

@A. Côrtes GET YOUR MEDICATION REVIEWED ---QUICKLY.

[@MrDaiseymay]

@@jdg9999 CHRIST !! THERE'S TWO OF 'EM. THE ONLY POSITIVE THING FROM THAT VERBAL DIARRHEOA OF YOURS, IS THAT YOU--AND YOUR TWIN, WOULDN'T BE HERE.

[@MattThornton87]

"We're not saving the world by doing it, but we're honouring the people that did".... Fantastic quote!! How wonderful to see her in the air after all that dedication & hardwork

[@arrowbflight5082]

The " Mossie " she were the finest MRCA of the period. Bar none. Well done gentlemen. Well done , indeed.

[@kumasenlac5504]

It was the best Schnellbomber ever... (o:

[@acengineer737]

I used to work in the factory with blokes that built them during the war. I used to love it when the company mosquito would park up in the flight test hangar.

[@Jbroker404]

When was this?

[@babaganoush6106]

Me too Hatfield 1979's and 80's

[@KathrynLiz1]

Perhaps you met my father then.....:)

[@liamarmstrong2142]

@@babaganoush6106 My friends Grandad built them at Hatfield during the war as well

[@Gruntol5]

Beyond incredible. Love these guys for making the enormous effort. A tribute to those that flew the Mosquito in wartime.

[@bfmcarparts]

Not all the Mosquito yellow birch came from Finland. If I have my information right, the Canadian-built Mossies were made from yellow birch harvested by the Hays Lumber Company, Kennisis Lake in Haliburton Ontario. The mill is gone but the land is now called Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve with a new mill as well as a popular camping, snowmobiling, and forest research center.

[@hannecatton2179]

Kudos to all who designed , built , flew and maintained the magnificent Mosquito back in the day and through to the present.

[@richardsmith9509]

My father Flt Allan Smith Jr flew Mossies in WW2 and I have learned so much since his passing. This video is a wonderful tribute to those brave aviators.... Incredible

[@xcorperpro725]

HOLY SMOKES !!! This is so totally amazing !!! I have been telling this story for 55 years never dreaming I WOULD EVER SEE THE PLANE AGAIN!!. When I saw it in the video I jumped up and said "THERES MY MOSQUITO!!!!!!!" My cousin and I use to play on that Plane at Whiteman in Pacoima 55 years ago when we were Kids!!! we rode our bikes there … The airport manager came up to us one day and said "if you kids love this thing so much , I will sell it to you for a hundred bucks, but you gotta get it out of here!!" . We got our paper route money and bought It.. my dad wouldn't let me take it home and put it in the back yard ,,lol.! About 6 months later, the airport guy gave us our money back . He told us he was going to cut it up!!! We were devastated !! But there was a B25 that we started playing on next !!! I never thought in a million years it was saved !!! A great ending to our experiences THANKS

[@MrDaiseymay]

You need to send your story to the new owner's, it's very interesting and relevant to the planes history.

[@Useaname]

That's a great story, and yes you should contact the new owners. It's a part of the history of the aircraft like the other commentator said.

[@xcorperpro725]

@@Useaname thanks I will !

[@gazzarazza22]

A beautiful comment “We’re not saving the world but we’re honouring the people that did” The Mozzie and the Hunter have the most beautiful lines.

[@ianmackay6547]

Thanks for the video,My Dad was involved with the making the wooden frames for the first prototype,Very proud

[@diegobert4033]

They don’t make ‘em like they used to. Mossie is a beaut.

[@spikespa5208]

A deadly efficient machine wrapped in an absolutely beautiful package. IMO the most elegant looking fighting aircraft of WWII. Signed: a hopeless Anglophile in CA.

[@MrDaiseymay]

@Hammerschlägen M Thanks, thats generous of you, but quite true, friend, Sadly, it seems that those in charge today, wish us ill, and besmirch our brave men and their achievements.

[@MrDaiseymay]

@nuff said TRUE---BUT, it makes me BLOODY ANGRY, to see what those here-today-gone tomorrow, gutless politicians have done to the freedoms, that TRUE HEROES, fought for.

[@zenw1464]

A family friend is a Mosquito fighter ace named Russell Bannock...he just turned 100...Man, he would probably love to fly in this model for one last hurrah! Russell lives in Toronto but visits his son in California frequently...

[@markcorboy8528]

Went to the first mosquito spectacular at Ardmore airfield and still watch the video I made of it occasionally. I followed it’s rebuild at Ardmore over a year and a half and wasn’t unwelcome. An awesome team at Avspec.

[@bensmith7536]

people wax lyrical over the spitfire and mustang.... if i had the resources, i'd have a new build one of these in a heartbeat. just so beautiful an aircraft.

[@claydayton1897]

The Mosquito has twice as much Merlin-love and enough room for the crew to have plenty of coffee and sammiches. Maybe even enough room to have a proper in-flight dump if need be.

[@MrDaiseymay]

@@claydayton1897 that last remark sort of dimmed the glow somewhat

[@claydayton1897]

@@MrDaiseymay You're welcome.

[@MaxCruise73]

@Ben SMITH, totally agree. If those lottery officials would do their job right and pick my numbers, I would be in the market for a Mosquito to be produced for my usage. Such a gorgeous aircraft.

[@ivorbiggun710]

@@claydayton1897 That would have been a very tight squeeze, if you'll excuse the expression.

[@jimmyhillschin9987]

Massive love and respect to the AvSpecs guys in New Zealand for doing what they've done, restoring Mosquitos. It's a shame that we haven't had one flying here in Britain for many years. In America, they generally fly slowly in straight lines with the announcer shouting how amazing it is. Still, they have been financing it, so much love to them too - and thanks for the great videos from Rod Lewis Inc so us people can enjoy a little bit of it.

[@keithshackleton3173]

Stunning, absolutely totally stunning and deadly. What a tribute to those who flew them. My uncle flew them. He always said there was nothing to touch them. Like the Beaufighter a real tank buster as well as the many other roles successfully undertaken. A truly great aircraft.

[@MrHistorian123]

Many planes can lay claim to be the best plane of their time, but only one is totally unchallenged: the Mosquito. Unarmed bomber, reconnaissance, fighter bomber, night fighter, ground attack, maritime patrol: unrivalled versatility.

[@JustAnotherDayToday]

As weird as this sounds-she looks happy in the air.

[@bf945]

Not so weird. Flying is it's purpose.

[@FirstDagger]

Planes are made to fly, they are clumsy on the ground by comparison.

[@MrDaiseymay]

PERHAPS LIKE A CAGED BIRD, SUDDENLY FREED?

[@MrDaiseymay]

@Hammerschlägen M I like shouting--NORMALLY

[@TheSafetySmith]

That is the aircraft, one of them anyways, that my uncle flew in WWII: fighter, fighter bomber, and radar jammer variants. He did not fly the anti shipping version. Flew the B25D bomber as well for the RCAF

[@lornethompson2346]

A truly great tribute to the many who fought and died for the freedom that permits projects like this to be completed.

[@paulstandeven8572]

Did you know that the Mosquito was the plane which gave its crew the best chance of survival?

[@blank557]

If I just had a billion dollars, I would love to own one like that. A labor of love to restore a beautiful aircraft.

[@timmytom]

Magnificent. I was moved not just by watching the building and flying of this aircraft but also those words honouring the aircrew that flew these beautiful machines in such horrifying circumstances.

[@MrDaiseymay]

Utterly beautiful. De Havilland, created shapes that belong nowhere else, but up in the clouds , but with deadly intent.

[@tomthompson7400]

one of the finest aircraft ever made , and stunningly beautiful too.

[@interman7715]

Superb workmanship, thankyou Kiwis.

[@MrDaiseymay]

only the best

[@garyalgier4811]

As a little boy I climbed all over this plane at Whiteman Airport we had a Stearman and my father said This Plane wood never fly again because it was rotted wood. call that 1967. Great to see it went to some good hands and back in the air instead of a static Museum peace.

[@xcorperpro725]

Hi , me too ! I lived by Osborne and Woodman. Check my post earlier ! Al . Never knew what happened to it. Now I do !

[@BrianWMay]

Utterly magnificent. So thank you all involved and for posting this. It's very stirring.

[@VonSutho]

Just fantastic, that plane looks like a model it is so clean

[@Veni_Vidi_Vortice]

My Grandad was a navigator in one of those flying low level strikes for RAF 613 Squadron during 1944 - 1945. Beautiful aircraft, but terrifying missions. It's really good to see one flying again.

[@HankD13]

One of the most amazing, versatile aircraft of WW2. Probably my personal favourite - and how fantastic it is to see this. A real, honest to god, flying Mossie. Absolutely brilliant.

[@terryneale8663]

A beautiful sight to behold. I've always thought this aircraft should be in the "Battle of Britain" squadron. While it wasn't in the actual battle of Britain, but nor was the Lancaster.

[@johnmclean6498]

Another stunning Mossie from New Zealand. I like the updates like this - but much more satisfying would be a detailed interview/build movie with Avspec people as to how they achieve such results. There are so many questions like metal hardware - how much left and how was it restored, paint process - why was it chosen and how applied. Cockpit detail - surely most of it was missing...etc. Here's hoping.

[@raincoast2396]

The best multi-role aircraft of WW II. Consider the "Tsetse" Mosquito which mounted a 50mm auto load cannon, which extended back into the bomb bay and ended many a U-boats day.

[@oodlesofnoodles4660]

I believe it was a 57mm Molins gun. From other videos I've watched, the pilots said they never had any problems with this gun cracking it's mounting despite the massive recoil, nor any other major mechanical problems. Amazing engineering.

[@mebsrea]

Oodles of Noodles They even fitted one Mosquito with the massive 32-pounder antitank gun (by way of comparison, the Molins gun was only a 6-pr) and it apparently functioned perfectly well.

[@MrDaiseymay]

@@mebsrea jeeeeeeeeez I never heard of that one.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

Rain Coast The B25H carried a 75MM Tank gun in the air !!! Way larger than the mossies 50MM !!!!!

[@superancientmariner1394]

@@wilburfinnigan2142 And the B25 was larger than the Mossie and, unlike the Mossie, it's gun had to be hand loaded so the pilot had to wait for the crewman (usually the redundant bomb aimer) to load and give the OK.. It could only fire about 4 times on a given rune ,as it was a low level weapon that had to be flown straight and level, which put it at risk from ground fire. And for a plane of it's size, it could only carry about 25 rounds.

[@garynew9637]

Honoring the people that did. Wipes tears from eyes.

[@phuzz00]

She looks so perfect, she looks like a model! You've done an amazing job :)

[@tedliddiment5448]

Fantastic dedication! Great job,! Thanks for posting! Cheers!

[@ivanstrydom8417]

Powerful stuff. May engineers like these be eternally blessed. We need more epic people like these,for we need more legendary machines like the Mosquito in the air.

[@kudubya3342]

I read the plywood was made in Wisconsin using presses sourced from Germany! I'm glad that people can work on these types of things. Thanks for sharing.

[@RWBHere]

The Timber Terror, or Wooden Wonder has been my favourite aeroplane, for almost 60 years, since I saw one as a child. Very happy to see some being restored. There is a man, not many miles away from here, who has built one from scratch, using original parts from all around the world. It was being taxied along with a Lancaster which is being restored to airworthy condition, earlier his year. It would be really something to see both of them flying again. Thanks to all of the people who have rebuilt this example to airworthy condition, and of course, thanks to the men who first flew them, about 80 years ago.

[@ojofelixnm3608]

A beautiful flying machine gentlemen. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.Just look what you gave this generation and future generations to enjoy seeing a part of history.

[@mmouseav8r402]

I was in Auckland a few months ago and stopped in at Avspecs, they have good group of passionate guys.

[@A14b19]

My favourite plane . Thank for making them . They are a beauty....

[@joecalobeer6396]

The engineering is AMAZING! A lot of the ideas created back then are still in use today!

[@remi1au]

She is magnificent .. well done to the restorers.

[@Paiadakine]

What a project. Congratulations to all involved.

[@projekt6_official]

Awesome! Loved seeing this at Airventure 2019.

[@dsslimone]

Stunning job, brilliant work and restoration project, no wonder you feel privileged. Quality!!

[@syberawa7429]

Great job of recontructing this magnificiently designed aircraft that defies time. The airframe match with the Merlin engine was an absolute success.

[@tonyfranklin8306]

Superb work, always loved the 'mossie' as a kid and was first introduced to it reading the victor comic which always had real life hero stories on the front page.

[@richardbolton5222]

What a stunning example of a truly beatuiful aircraft! Well done chaps!

[@gijoe1of3]

Wow, just wow. Thanks to the owner and all those who rebuild this plane. Wow.....

[@BertGrink]

I applaud these people who have the skill, passion, and not least financial backing to restore those old, iconic aircraft.

[@miguelslade]

Well done, a truly incredible restoration, worthy of honouring those heroes.

[@MrDaiseymay]

and the trophy's they won for their efforts.

[@MrTallpoppy58]

Sorry you are wrong, you are saving the world by doing it. Projects like yours are the heart beat of the human race.

[@johnwayneeverett6263]

Well done thank you cal. for taking care of it ...and you guys history comes alive.....

[@dale3852]

Our house was on the Hatfield flight path for de haviland. We saw /heard lots Very proud

[@tojiroh]

Beautiful bird. Thanks for sharing!

[@winniewotsit4452]

Absolutely great. Well done all involved.

[@kristov29]

Like so many British aircraft designs, the de Havilland Mosquito looks graceful in flight that it seems to be floating.

[@MrDaiseymay]

VERY TRUE--IT'S NATURAL HABITAT

[@alanjm1234]

Fantastic work, guys. You're doing a great thing.

[@johndoudna7055]

Thanks for a great summary, and for the work you are doing in preservation of real living history.

[@boptah7489]

My favourite Aircraft. Well done guys. Epic job.

[@opalprestonshirley1700]

Still as beautiful as ever.

[@robertmoulton2656]

I'm just an enthusiast but Thank all of you for doing such wonderful work. !

[@blackdog5354]

What a great story - you are very talented people, well done lads, my old auntie worked in a woodworking factory that made parts for the Mosquito in North East England. Geoffrey De Havilland was a genius

[@CriftinsCampers]

Thank you for doing this!

[@book3100]

Mossy is a beauty imo. And the Hurricane, Spitfire, p38 Lightning, p40Kittyhawk, and the p51Mustang. A few others too.

[@zak_7354]

What a beautiful machine

[@Boric78]

lovely - the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (I know it was later but so are the Spitfires which have Griffins) should have one of these built in NZ by this team. Good use of lottery money I reckon.

[@differentname8051]

100% agree

[@bangkokbill4035]

Also the Lancaster (part of the BBMF) was not around during the battle of Britain, so why not.

[@Boric78]

@@bangkokbill4035 Very good point.

[@madbadger85]

I agree as well, they give out millions to theatres down in London for all the toffs to go to, how about some lottery money for a mossi??? But they would rather spend it on shite!!!

[@MrDaiseymay]

Excellent idea, and seeing as we already have a ''Peoples Mosquito'' being restored right now, what better project, to direct the lottery people to, than this most popular project. I have donated already, am a member, and buy quality gifts from their online shop. I urge you all, to take a look, and donate a few quid. Then we will see our own beauty at our airshows again.

[@battz99]

We're not saving the world by doing it but we're honouring the people who did. The perfect way to describe why these aircraft must be saved and why those who flew them should never be forgotten. Those 19 and 20 year olds who routinely risked their lives whenever they took off and often never returned really were the greatest generation.

[@Chainyanker007]

Wow! What a great restoration job, best I’ve ever seen, incredible.

[@TombstoneHeart]

Every time I see something to do with Mosquitos, I'm reminded of a remark the late Australian cricket all-rounder Keith Miller made. In the process of paying out on young modern cricketers who moan about being under pressure, Miller, who flew Mosquitos in WW2, said, "Pressure is when you're almost out of fuel and you've got an M.E.109 up your arse. That's pressure, son!" I bet in times like that, Keith was glad he was in a Mosquito!

[@MrDaiseymay]

GREAT

[@rc-fannl7364]

Sad to see this plane was left to rot initially. Good thing it got restored.

[@paulgerald5808]

She is a Sweet Heart . Thank you .

[@stewartw.9151]

DeHavilland may well have used metal for construction of the Mossie but the Department of War would not allocate alloy for the prototype as it was in short supply. That is the primary reason for the adoption of wood and with their previous experience in this form of manufacture DH made one helluva job of it in short order. I have to congratulate these Kiwis though - having rebuilt two light aircraft, much smaller and simpler than a Mossie, I know the difficulties one can meet - these guys must be a very determined and talented bunch!

[@davidrendall2461]

I heard this from a WW2 Mossie pilot: An aircraft had been grounded a few times with very odd cockpit readings, the erks couldn't find anything wrong on the ground. He's at high altitude and it happens again, the dials are saying zero airspeed and descending fast even though he's visibly in a climb. He gets the erks to remove the pitot system and they find a family of wood boring larva happily munching their way through his aircraft. They were expanding with the reduced air pressure and blocking the tubes. After that all mossies in tropical places had to have little dowling rods inserted into gaps and holes while on the ground.

[@fullborev8906]

"We're not saving the world by doing it, but we're honoring the people that did" - You sir, your team, and everyone in the world who think and do the same, are real heroes too!

[@dalestephan6777]

Awesome restoration!

[@RufusCapstick]

My grandfather worked in the factory building these during the war. He got a commendation for a modification he made to the wing. I had a tool box made from off cuts of the ply, wish I had kept it, didn't realize how special it was at the time. Once he was on the roof of the factory making repairs after a raid and got shot at by another raid, he came down off the roof a bit quick.

[@bobi2582]

Next one a Bristol Beaufighter please! They are both my WW2 fave British fighter/bomber types. Awesome work guys. Never stop.

[@MrDaiseymay]

That would be great---built like the proverbial crap'ouse, the Bristol had the muscles, the Mossie , the elegance.

[@hirameberhardt8643]

A BEAUTIFUL PLANE & it worked beyond expectations.....2 thumbs up for RAF.

[@redtomcat1725]

Honoring the people who saved the the world is a grand gesture of worth !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[@davidwheatcroft2797]

Beautiful a/c. Well bloody done! Thanks. CAVU skies!

[@anthonyskellern5970]

What a great story, and a fantastic achievement

[@murraysissons1809]

Absolutely gorgeous!

[@haroldgodwinson832]

Just magic. Thanks for doing this.

[@romanoguttadauro9563]

Every RC Model makers dream to actually make a real one, looking at your video its "Magic Mate" what a story she's an absolute beauty Keep them coming Mate, "You're not just building an aero plane you're having an effect on peoples lives" never a truer word spoken my friend, it's a pity you can't do the same with the Avro Vulcan Cheers From Florida USA Ex Pat from the UK Romano

[@thomascolones1937]

Just marvelous .... thanks for sharing! TC

[@madbadger85]

People mostly think it was the spitfire and the Lancaster that won the war, no there all wrong, the mosquitoes did every role in the history of flying, fighter, bomber, reconnaissance and passenger (all be it two people in the bomb bay) but it’s role covered everything. The best airplane in WW2 in my eyes, I fly an rc mosquito and every time I fly it it puts a lump in my throat. I wish we could get one flying again in the UK as we tragically lost ours in a display crash years ago.

[@Peter-Oxley-Modelling-Lab]

Awesome...absolutely brilliant. 👍🏻👏🏻

[@SimonWallwork]

That last comment was spot on.

[@tomdoland6918]

They made it in Coastal Command variant. My favorite type.

[@None-zc5vg]

The last flying "Mosquito" in G.B. crashed at an airshow near me in 1996, while pulling out of a loop: the accident was said to have been caused by a power-loss (possibly a carburettor design-fault that hadn't been discovered until then (1996!) Let's hope that none of the flyable "Mosquito" restorations/new-builds gets wrecked when a pilot is tempted to do aerobatics.

[@martinbrew]

One Word--Beautiful

[@MrDaiseymay]

yep, but potentially--deadly.

[@angelbreath6539]

Great stuff. Thanks uploader

[@flashers.5212]

I can remember watching Spitfires & Hurricanes flying at RAF Bovingdon in Herefordshire during the filming of the Battle of Britain film in 1969 while staying with my aunt & she could clearly remember seeing Mosquitos at Bovingdon during the making of 633 squadron. I’ve been hooked ever since.

[@kolloduke3341]

WOW!!!! amazing effort ! thanks ..

[@michaeljdauben]

Fantastic and fascinating aircraft.