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DUXFORD - MOSQUITO ROLLED OUT


MOSSIE UNVEILED

One of Fighter Control’s resident Photography Team, Mick Freer, recently visited Duxford airfield, to witness the culmination of an exciting project on an aircraft, which he has a personal involvement with.
Mosquito TT.35, serial number TA719 was unveiled to the Press at 1100 hours on Wednesday, February 9th 2005. In attendance for this historic occasion were several ex Mosquito aircrew. The aircraft is resplendent in its original target towing markings worn when it flew with 3 Civilian Anti Aircraft Co-operation Unit at Exeter airport. Twelve months of restoration has gone into this project and the result is truly breath taking - a credit to all concerned.

 The Mosquito will be exhibited in the new £24 million Air Space Museum (the large hangar at the M11 end of Duxford airfield) and will be suspended from the roof. This new addition to the Duxford complex will herald the achievements and milestones of British aviation.


Mosquito TA719 was built at De-Haviland Hatfield as a B.35 in June 1945 but did not see any wartime service. It was later converted to a TT.35 target towing aircraft for pilot and gunnery training and served with the fore mentioned 3 CAACU.

Following retirement from this role, TA719 was acquired by the Skyfame Museum at Staverton Airport, Gloucester. It was here that I became personally involved with this aircraft, as I was Vice Chairman of the Skyfame Supporters Society. The civil registration G-ASKC was allocated and some film work made TA719 a star. 		 

The aircraft was loaned to Film Aviation Services at Elstree and appeared in the film ‘633 Squadron’ as ‘HJ898/HT-G’



Unfortunately, on 27.07.64 TA719 crashed landed at Staverton Airport and was badly damaged. This however, did not stop it appearing in another movie, namely ‘Mosquito Squadron’, where it appeared in a crash scene.
 



The Imperial War Museum acquired the aircraft in 1978. When the Air Space Museum is complete, TA719 will certainly be one of the most striking exhibits.