DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO COMING TO BIGGIN HILL
Peter Monk, Managing Director of flyaspitfire.com and the Spitfire Company announced that a restored de Havilland Mosquito will be based at and flying from Biggin Hill.
In a statement released on Monday, February 6, Peter Monk, Managing Director of flyaspitfire.com and the Spitfire Company (Biggin Hill) announced that AVSPECS NZ to commence the restoration of a Mosquito FB.VI and once completed the aircraft will join the fleet of 2-seat Spitfires and other WWII aircraft and will be available for flight experiences and airshows.
Once the Mosquito is airworthy it will perform a commemorative tour of New Zealand and Australia before being transported to the UK. The mosquito is likely to be operating from Bigging Hill from 2026.
de Havilland Mosquito B.XVI (serial ML963) in flight
First flown in 1942, the Mosquito FB Mk.VI fighter-bomber was intended for ‘intruder’ strike missions and became the most numerous and widely-used Mosquito variant. Based on the F Mk.II day fighter version without Air Interception radar, it retained the formidable armament of four Browning 0.303 in machine guns in the nose and four Hispano 20 mm canon in the belly. But it was also given a bomb bay behind the cannon, which enabled it to carry two 500 lb bombs internally (with fins cropped to fit) plus another two under the wings.
Since it operated primarily at low altitudes, the FB.VI was unpressurised and retained single-stage supercharged Merlin engines. Targets for 2TAF (Second Tactical Air Force) FB.VI Mosquitos included power stations, communications centres and V-weapon sites, but operations also included one-off special raids e.g. on Amiens jail and several Gestapo HQs. Coastal Command FB.VIs used eight underwing 60 lb RPs in anti-shipping strikes. Despite problems with wood and glue in tropical conditions, FB.VI Mosquitoes also operated in the Far East Royal Navy trials with an FB.VI in 1944 achieved the first landing of a British twin-engined aircraft on the deck of an aircraft carrier (HMS Indefatigable) and led to the navalised torpedo-reconnaissance Sea Mosquito TR Mk.33.
Airworthy de Havilland Mosquito FB.26 KA114 at Oshkosh 2022
Statement from Peter Monk, Managing Director of flyaspitfire.com and the Spitfire Company (Biggin Hill);
“Following previous announcements and patiently waiting for availability in a busy restoration programme we’re delighted to confirm that we’ve now commissioned the team at AVSPECS NZ to commence the restoration of a Mosquito FB.VI . Upon completion the aircraft will join our fleet of 2 seat Spitfires and other WWII aircraft that are available for flight experiences here at Biggin Hill.
The team at AVSPECS are leaders in the field of Mosquito restoration and this will be the 5th airframe that they have restored to an airworthy condition. Whilst there’s always an appetite for us to take on different restoration projects at our own ‘Spitfire Factory’ at Biggin Hill, the unique skill set and proven experience of the team at AVSPECS makes them an obvious choice for this special project.
The restoration is scheduled to take 3 years and once completed the aircraft will complete a commemorative tour of New Zealand, Australia and then on to the UK in honour of the Commonwealth pilots that flew Mosquitos in WWII.
The Mosquito has a special place in history and we’re still deciding which specific markings the aircraft will carry upon its completion. Recognition of the pilots and French resistance fighters that took part in ‘Operation Jericho’ on 18th February 1944 is a popular choice, however we’re still considering a number of options and will be releasing regular updates on the progress of the project on Facebook.
We believe this will be the only airworthy example of the Mosquito in Europe and we’re excited at the prospect of offering members of the public the chance to ‘Fly a Mosquito’ from Biggin Hill in 2026.”
