The People’s Mosquito announces targeted fundraising to launch UK build

(c) Neil Hutchinson

The People’s Mosquito Ltd, invites you to support the most exciting aviation restoration project in the world today.

 

After close consultation with Retrotec Ltd, the People’s Mosquito now has an achievable, structured five-year engineering plan in place to return RL249 to UK skies. We need to fundraise £499,000 over the next 12 months to deliver the successful front-end engineering, tooling and design and fabrication of the Mosquito FB.VI fuselage mould in the UK.

To ensure full compliance with UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations and aid a regular inspection regime throughout our restoration, The People’s Mosquito in conjunction with Retrotec, believe a UK-built airframe is essential to the project’s success.

With an estimated 40% of our total project cost dedicated towards ensuring we are fully compliant with strict UK CAA requirements, the first 12 months of the build will be essential to not only delivering an airworthy Mosquito, but also controlling project cost.

Fundraising through JustGiving

A dedicated JustGiving fundraising portal has now been established for our Year One campaign, which acts as a focal point for all fundraising activities over the next 12 months. It means donating has become even easier for both individual supporters, organisations and businesses. Intrepid supporters seeking a personal challenge can also launch their own fundraising initiatives in support of The People’s Mosquito’s overall goal.

 

As a trusted and widely used charitable platform, JustGiving allows supporters to monitor fundraising progress. It also makes the reclaiming of Gift Aid on all donations far simpler and streamlines our activities, enabling the team to focus on building our support base.

What will successful funding mean?

Our Year One fundraising campaign has been carefully costed to enable this vital phase of work to be completed. Successful funding will enable Retrotec’s engineers to analyse our entire technical library and develop exact computer aided design (CAD) models for the airframe. Thanks to our unique historical record of more than 22,000 original de Havilland technical drawings – which constitutes the largest single collection of Mosquito technical data anywhere in the world – Retrotec’s CAD draftsmen can reference a unique OEM resource. Funding will also support crucial UK CAA due diligence from the outset of the project and allow Retrotec’s workshops to be reconfigured to accommodate the build.

Equally important is the fact that successful fundraising will also enable Retrotec to fabricate the Mosquito’s unique fuselage mould, so critical to the design’s success. The Mosquito’s innovative lightweight design, involving a plywood/balsa/plywood composite laid over a mahogany or concrete mould to construct the fuselage, gave the aircraft its incredible strength and versatility. By reconstituting a mould here in the UK, we will be reinstating a manufacturing capability not seen on these shores for more than 75 years.

Every £ spent on front end engineering will save £s later in the build. Detailed design and engineering is the key phase in which a project’s costs are defined and set.

Why support The People’s Mosquito?

This is a warbird restoration unlike any other. With public support, we aim to operate The People’s Mosquito as a publicly-owned tribute to the Mosquito’s incredible engineering legacy. By building the aircraft here in the UK, members of the public will be given opportunities to see the Mosquito take shape during the restoration and enjoy unparalleled access to this wonderful warbird once operational.

The People’s Mosquito will serve as a memorial to the passion, commitment and bravery of the men and women who helped to design, build and operate this ground-breaking aircraft during World War Two and the post-war years.

We have the aircraft identity, RL249 – registered as (G-FBVI); we have the engineering plan, skills and expertise; we have a committed board and army of volunteers in place; we enjoy overwhelming public support.

Now we need your help to secure the essential funding to deliver a Mosquito FB.VI, which once complete, will delight crowds across Europe for the next 50+ years.

13 thoughts on “The People’s Mosquito announces targeted fundraising to launch UK build”

  1. Hi, are you knowledge sharing with Avspecs ltd in New Zealand? They succeeded in returning one to the sky and would have thought would save you a lot of work from what they learned.

    1. People's Mosquito

      Hi Simon, as you rightly point Avspecs, who we know well, have successfully delivered three stunning Mosquitos in recent years. On top of that there’s the experience of Glyn Powell, who made Mosquito restorations possible. However, all three have been built for the US market. UK CAA regulations are far stricter, with increased scrutiny post-Shoreham. There are many benefits to a UK-build (our supporters will be able to see RL249 take shape for example), which will also benefit from considerable New Zealand expertise as well as the vast experience of restoration work under UK CAA oversight completed by Retrotec, who were specifically chosen for that very reason.

      You can find a wealth of information on our engineering plans and why we’ve chosen to build here in the UK by clicking here.

  2. Since the project is funded by public donations, will the resulting plans be published in some kind of open source/ copyright free manner?

    1. People's Mosquito

      Hi Dave,

      Apologies for the delay in replying. Ultimately, yes, that will be part of our plan. We’ve already invested a considerable sum (£5,000) in having the drawings digitised for future posterity, which ultimately will make easier to share. For the time being, we’re focused on harnessing them for our own engineering plans, working closely with Retrotec to collate GA drawings and develop phased work packs in support of the build.

      The TPM Team

  3. Great to see and learn of this fantastic initiative. I agree its about time this beautiful and innovative aircraft was back in the UK skies and on the Warbird circuit. Well done and good luck.

    1. People's Mosquito

      Cheers Mark,

      The Mosquito certainly deserves its place alongside more widely known warbirds in the UK. We had an incredible weekend at RIAT and Duxford Flying Legends this year – the support, from all over the world, is truly humbling and inspiring.

      Lots of exciting things on the horizon. Keep watching and spread the word!

      Thanks,
      The TPM Team

      1. Chris Packard

        The Mosquito was the world’s first multi role aircraft and should be proudly presented to the public around as big a circuit as is reasonably possible – I hope the support that you are gathering continues to grow.

        I am watching and spreading the word!

        1. People's Mosquito

          Many thanks Chris, great to hear more wonderful support coming in. Rest assured, when RL249 is built and flying, she’ll be working hard to honour all those behind the Mosquito’s story and repay the support of the thousands of people now backing the project.

          The TPM Team

  4. I really cannot wait for the day I see this magnificent aircraft back where she belongs….in the air! Keep up the great work you’re doing and good luck

    1. People's Mosquito

      Many thanks for the words of support David,

      We’ve just wrapped up our most successful fundraising weekend yet so we’re incredibly excited about the progress we’re making. Keep watching this space…

      Best,
      The TPM Team

  5. Keep up the good work, cannot wait to hear of the next instalment showing what progress is being made. Good luck.

  6. Christopher Packard

    I am so excited that this project is steadily taking shape. If we pull together WE will make this happen. Looking forward to the events as they happen to see its restoration.

    1. People's Mosquito

      Thanks for the wonderful support Christoper! As you say, if enough people pull together, the People’s Mosquito will be flying over our heads before you know it!

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