Aviation heritage in the UK received a welcome boost in March 2020 with news that Airbus has announced its support for The People’s Mosquito.
Financial backing from the aerospace giant represents a significant step forward in delivering the first de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito to be manufactured in the UK for more than 70 years.
“Naturally, we’re excited and proud to be able to announce the link up with Airbus. The support of such a high-profile industry name provides a significant boost to our efforts to deliver an airworthy Mosquito FB.VI to the 5 million people who attend UK airshows every year,” said John Lilley, Managing Director of The People’s Mosquito.
“Airbus is a strong believer in preserving wider aviation heritage and we are proud to be supporting The People’s Mosquito in this endeavour. For us the Mosquito is more than a beautiful and iconic aircraft, Airbus has a direct relationship to it as more than 90 were built at our Broughton factory in Flintshire,” said Jeremy Greaves, Vice President Corporate Affairs and Strategy, Airbus UK. “That passion and dedication is reflected today in our skilled workforce whose talents are focused on building wings for the Airbus commercial aircraft fleet.”
The collaboration celebrates Airbus’ historic connection with the de Havilland Mosquito.
Production of the wooden wonder was transferred in 1948 to Hawarden, now Airbus’ Broughton site, where the last Mosquito ever built in the UK, an NF.Mk38 serial number VX916, rolled out of the facility in November 1950. Hawker Siddeley Aviation went on to acquire de Havilland in 1960, before it became a founding member of British Aerospace (BAe), subsequently BAE Systems which was a 20% shareholder in Airbus until 2006.
“We believe the Mosquito to be an exemplar of British aeronautical design excellence – an engineering pedigree that Airbus carries forward today,” added John Lilley.
“We continue to engage with Airbus, and we look forward to a fruitful and productive relationship as our restoration progresses. These are exciting times and we hope this won’t be the last link up with the UK’s engineering, aerospace and manufacturing sectors in 2020.”
If your business is interested in following in Airbus’ footsteps and supporting British heritage aviation and the engineering skills which underpin it, then we would be delighted to explore opportunities for collaboration.
Please contact The People’s Mosquito team via sponsor@peoplesmosquito.org.uk
The Airbus facility in Broughton has yet another couple of links to the Mosquito. When the prototype W4050 had finished her flying career (and surviving a few temporary storage locations) she was saved from the scrapyard by being secretly stored at the Broughton site until she was handed over to the de Havilland (Mosquito) Museum at Salisbury Hall where she is their prize possession.
Broughton was also the site where the last flying Mosquito in the UK (G-ASKH/RR299) was based and maintained. A Leavesden built T.mk3 she was a favourite at many European airshows until her sad loss in the summer of 1996.
As a retired employee of Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace/BAE Systems/Airbus at Broughton I am glad and proud that Airbus (as I do) is supporting this great project.
Many thanks Dave, as you say there are several connections between Broughton and Mossie, which is why we’re especially pleased that Airbus have come out in support of our work. Both organisations have a role to role in celebrating the best of British engineering and our skilled workforce – past, present and future.
Thanks also for the incredible support! Exciting times ahead!
The TPM Team
That is brilliant news.
I worked for Deutche Airbus in Toulouse, from Aug 2007 until Dec 2009, building the A380.
I am an Aircraft electrical Engineer and helped lay in the looms, test and complete rectifications of the first 32 aircraft. The first one off the line was the Singapore A380.
Airbus are a great company to work for they really looked after us even though we were contractors, if it had not been for the banking crisis I would have carried on untill I retired in 2016.
I am so glad they are on board and adding their name to the project perhaps that might make a few others join in.
Thank you all for what you are doing.
Best regards,