The People's Mosquito

[Vodka]

Simple answer. NO!

[UK Airshow Review]

We wonder what the likes of Bill Ramsey make of the fact that the project leader appears so media-shy and is openly snubbing media invitations, press scrutiny and missing opportunities to spread the message.

An appearance on the current #1 download in the iTunes aviation chart, and the 8th most-downloaded hobbies podcast globally would be an embarrassing amount of audience to miss out on.

Perhaps the rest of TPM team can see the damage Mr Lilley's silence is doing to their credibility.

[Dragon Rapide]

I am sure they can but that is their problem and repetitively monotonous for us to continue to carp. When and if new [i] announcements are made I am sure we will have a vigorous debate but until then what is there new to debate?

[Ben H]

and the 8th most-downloaded hobbies podcast globally would be an embarrassing amount of audience to miss out on.

Make that 7th - we're going up in the world!

[boff180]

Airshow stuff magazine apparently have a two page interview!

I haven't read it myself yet, just seen it tweeted by the People Mosquito Twitter account. Thought it may be of interest?

http://www.airshowstuff.com/

Andy

[DanO1978]

Airshow stuff magazine apparently have a two page interview!

I haven't read it myself yet, just seen it tweeted by the People Mosquito Twitter account. Thought it may be of interest?

http://www.airshowstuff.com/

Andy

See above in this thread Andy...

Not the inquisition that's badly required, but let's leave it there...

[AirshowStuff]

Airshow stuff magazine apparently have a two page interview!

I haven't read it myself yet, just seen it tweeted by the People Mosquito Twitter account. Thought it may be of interest?

http://www.airshowstuff.com/

Andy

Hi Andy,

Please take a look at our latest issue: http://read.airshowstuff.com/Index.aspx

Thanks!

[Ian G]

Just been having a browse on twitter and came across this link to TPM website, new Patron of the scheme.

[Meep]

Putting aside the whole interview debacle for a moment, there is 1 massive problem for the TPM

It is that a flying Mosquito is an aviation community project, not a public as a whole project.

By that I mean, if you want a sustainable, long term, restoration and subsquent display programme you need the public imagination to be captured. In the way that for example the Vulcan does. It is a project for an aircraft that was always iconic in the public imagination, therefore wherever it goes, will generate the cash from merchandise, and donations. It sits alongside the likes of the Spitfire, Lancaster and Harrier in terms of the every day man in the street wanting to see, a Mosquito just doesnt cause that level of excitement, and subsequent cash. It may be iconic in the aviation community, but not the wider public

A Mosquito project, therefore is far more reliant, on a far smaller community to raise money from. It therefore needs to maximise every opportunity, and therefore, will have to make the most of all opportunities, and if that means they have to accept that things werent handled as well as they could have been, then that will have to be so. Its a sign of maturity, and that their heart is in the aircraft, not their own egos. At the moment, its questionable.

It is compounded, by the fact we are in very tight economic times, and disposable cash is shrinking.

I hope it gets back to the project, not people's personal pride

[Jimbo27]

Interesting, Bill Ramsey has done a piece for GAR about the project.

http://www.globalaviationresource.com/r ... /index.php

[Dollar99]

Interesting, Bill Ramsey has done a piece for GAR about the project.

http://www.globalaviationresource.com/r ... /index.php

What a fascinating and informative piece. I await the response from the UKAR armchair experts who were so vehement in their criticism of the project

[Dragon Rapide]

Just read the piece. Very interesting from one who commands respect by virtue of his background and his attitude. Once they have the charitable status set up as well putting flesh on the outline descibed by Bill Ramsey they are well on the way to being in a position to justify donations. A helluva difficult time to start a complex and very expensive project but they might be lucky......

[Ian G]

Well I wish them every luck in the project but I'm not going to get overly excited about it. If only a museum could donate a mossie and then restore it rather than start from scratch and build what Bill Ramsey calls a "21 Century Mosquito". It's like having a headlamp from a Model T Ford and then saying "well, we're going to rebuild this as faithfully to the original but we need to make everything from scratch - including a more powerful engine - and because it's all brand new it'll be more reliable". Sorry, it just doesn't do it for me.

Yes, I know there are replica warbirds out there but for some reason this seems to be in a different league. I know it's not going to happen that way but when it flies, it wouldn't pull me to a display like the Vulcan could.

Still, all good wishes to the team as I want them to realise their dream and I do hope they succeed.

[Dragon Rapide]

Interesting, Bill Ramsey has done a piece for GAR about the project.

http://www.globalaviationresource.com/r ... /index.php

What a fascinating and informative piece. I await the response from the UKAR armchair experts who were so vehement in their criticism of the project

The original criticism was because they were asking for donations for a project which did not exist, other than in their minds. Bit by bit over the months a project is taking shape and strength has been added to the team and it would seem they are "getting their act together".

[Vodka]

I know people get hung up on restoration or replication. For me personally, it’s irrelevant. Yes it will include bits from an original, which may or may not make it a restoration. Indisputably, it will be mostly new. I don’t think of this as a replica though, but as a 21st Century Mosquito, constructed as faithfully as possible to the same spec as the original.

I personally think this is going to be the stumbling block. Corporates may sponsor this project but in the current environment? Well who knows. Getting Joe public; 'The Peoples' funding element in all this is going to be, I would suggest the sticking point.

For example, the P40 that was found in the Sahara recently. If you were to get that removed from the dessert and on a presentation stand at Legends next year and many other large public events. With a bloody great sign saying, "THE PEOPLES KITTYHAWK" please help us to get this baby flying again." it is a visual confidence boost from the start. It has substance, presence and reality for the wallets to see. From what I understand, imagine this scenario. A rusty bag of nuts and bolts on table with a sign saying The peoples blah blahblah. Is that enough to instil confidence for the public to open their wallets?

Perhaps they may perceive such a project to be more of a you pay for a new plane to be built /replica and we'll have a jolly time flying it for you.

Would it not be a better approach to have a joint partnership with a museum and that 'museum Mossie' back to flying status. Surely has greater substance. Pehaps this point has already been raised ?

[DanO1978]

If you were to get that removed from the dessert

A trifling issue, surely.

TPM appear to be heading in the right direction, certainly the idea now has more credibility than when Sharp and Lilley were making ham-fisted postings here like bulls in china shops (no pun intended). I'm prepared to put that down to over-eagerness, inexperience and trying to run before being able to walk.

The acid test now is to attract the "People" to support it. A Mosquito is no Vulcan, Spitfire or Concorde in the public conscience. Look how long it's taken/taking the Blenheim to get back in the air - and that was just a case of repair, not building a new airframe from scratch.

[Dragon Rapide]

Re your last paragraph - museums are as strapped for cash as anyone else, so I doubt that would necessarily be any better a solution.

[capercaillie]

If you were to get that removed from the dessert

A trifling issue, surely.

Ice cream at your humour!

[DanO1978]

If you were to get that removed from the dessert

A trifling issue, surely.

Ice cream at your humour!

One assumes the bits of RL249 are caked in mud.

[Vodka]

A trifling issue, surely.

The acid test now is to attract the "People" to support it. A Mosquito is no Vulcan, Spitfire or Concorde in the public conscience. Look how long it's taken/taking the Blenheim to get back in the air - and that was just a case of repair, not building a new airframe from scratch.

Obviously the Kittyhawk was an example of an actual airframe for Jo Public to see and flash the cash, as one would assume.

I wasn't suggesting the Museum pay for a return to flight status it was a joint partnership for Jo public to fund on an physical airframe rather than a 'bag of wishful thinking'

[Dragon Rapide]

If you were to get that removed from the dessert

A trifling issue, surely.

Ice cream at your humour!

One assumes the bits of RL249 are caked in mud.

I think I can speak for us all when I say that we all want our cake and to eat it!!

[Mr Flibble]

If you were to get that removed from the dessert

A trifling issue, surely.

Ice cream at your humour!

One assumes the bits of RL249 are caked in mud.

I think I can speak for us all when I say that we all want our cake and to eat it!!

Well I think it'll be a rocky road to completion.

It'll be like (rum and) raisin her from the dead.



No, come on, that was a good one!

[capercaillie]

I'm just glad the people behind TPM are not being meringued anymore!

[Ian G]

Vodka, you echo my sentiments exactly.

Dammit Dan, I was going to say they'll be in a trifle mess

[st24]

Shouldn't this now be retitled the People's Moussequito??