The business end of KA114, which is due to become the world’s only air worthy Mosquito later this year.AT ARDMORE AERODROME, Auckland, New Zealand, the epic rebuild of de Havilland Mosquito FB.26 KA114 to fly with Avspecs Ltd reached a major milestone just before Christmas, when the aeroplane stood on its wheels for the first time in more than 60 years.

It has been under restoration for nearly eight years, and is destined for Jerry Yagen’s Military Aviation Museum at Virginia Beach, on the USA’s east coast (see Next to Fly, August 2011 Aeroplane, and Mosquito Reborn beginning on page 42 of this issue). The first flight is now expected during the third quarter of 2012.

Avspecs boss Warren Denholm says: “There are now more people working full-time on the Mosquito than there have ever been. We recently completed the overhaul of the main undercarriage retract rams, so were able to rig the main legs and safely lower them, pop the wheels on, and push KA114 out into the sunshine.

” After its brief outing the Mosquito was returned to the hangar, where engineer Paul Levitt got to work on retraction testing and rigging. The propellers have been overhauled and are ready to be fitted, the bomb bay doors are installed, and most of the piping and wiring is complete. Denholm adds: “We have eight of the ten fuel tanks complete and have installed the outer sets. Bryce Nicol is working on installing the engine coolant and oil plumbing, and great progress on the fabrication of the new radiators is being made by Replicore at Whangarei.

Andy Hosking is busy on the cockpit detailing, and Derek Smith is working on the cowling repairs. We do not have the lower engine cowlings, and are also on the lookout for spinner backing plates”. If anyone can help source these items, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or phone +64 9296 6909