The People’s Mosquito

Discussions regarding historic aircraft, restoration and preservation etc
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GertrudetheMerciless
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by GertrudetheMerciless »

Brevet Cable wrote:As I posted previously, their website is all flash and no substance.


Remember when TPM was very little more than a "donate here" paypal button on a similar (slightly less glossy) website? I don't think they even had an inkling of an airframe before the buckets came out.

It took quite some time for credibility, and professional personnel bringing such, to appear in their plans.

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Brevet Cable
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by Brevet Cable »

And look at peoples reaction at the tme.
They did have an 'airframe', though, the same one as they have now -- you may recall that it was generally referred to by forum members as being several carrier-bags full of rusty bits dug up from the fire dump.
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cg_341
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by cg_341 »

Urgent need to find £750k in 2017, with a public launch in September of that year?

Two fundraising events alluded to on their website, no actual dates or locations (TBC!), so not sure how well they'll do...

Another case of a charity going in half-cocked when it comes to communications

vulcan558
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by vulcan558 »

cg_341 wrote:Urgent need to find £750k in 2017, with a public launch in September of that year?

Two fundraising events alluded to on their website, no actual dates or locations (TBC!), so not sure how well they'll do...

Another case of a charity going in half-cocked when it comes to communications

750k, sounds like the VTTS wage bill, sure they have nothing to do with this project.

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Brevet Cable
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by Brevet Cable »

cg_341 wrote:Urgent need to find £750k in 2017

Was that off the website or elsewhere ?
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cg_341
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by cg_341 »

Their Facebook page, BC: https://www.facebook.com/thewoodenwonde ... =3&theater

Looking at their website, it all seems to link to the contact page!

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Brevet Cable
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by Brevet Cable »

:up:
Thought I may have actually missed something newsworthy on their website which, as you say, is full of redirects to the contacts page.
Edited to add....and I see that the facebook link you posted has more information about 2 of their trustees than the website does.
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BillRamsey
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by BillRamsey »

Hi Folks, thanks for your interest in TPM. What I'm looking for is your help. Sometimes I get a bit dizzy on here swapping between the two threads you know I have an interest in! For those who have been here a while, I offered Dan (OH) an interview some while back - might have been on a V-Bomber thread. I think he said yes. If you know where he lives, please let him know that offer remains open. If I have learnt one thing along this road, it's best to talk direct to make sure the facts are out there. I'm off on hols tomorrow for a bit, but in October, I'll be ready to chat.

Bill

BillRamsey
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Peoples Mosquito

Post by BillRamsey »

Interesting day for John and me speaking at RAF100/Lincolnshire Business and Tourism Conference held at RAF Cranwell. Looks like a good year in 2018 for aviation enthusiasts in the county. Nice to meet Maggie Appleton, CEO RAF Museum, a fellow speaker. Thanks to everyone who has supported TPM in our efforts this season.

Bill

Shortfinals
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by Shortfinals »

Thanks to you and John for taking on the speaking role for The People's Mosquito at the Conference at Royal Air Force College, Cranwell. I know it must have seemed like a normal day driving in to work for you, Bill, but I am sure that the pair of you made some amazing contacts and have placed the project firmly in the public eye. I must say that working with everyone from the team during the 2017 season was a real pleasure.

Oh, and for those Mossie fans who may have missed it, we have commissioned a limited edition 2018 Calendar using some of the Mosquito drawings, as well as a set of very striking Christmas cards with special artwork. See link below.

https://www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk/store/

Many thanks
Director, Engineering & Airframe Compliance, The People's Mosquito Ltd
Principal, Air Show Consultants

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sdad
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by sdad »

Shortfinals
If you are an official part of the TPM team (using the word "we"), it would help everyone if you formulated an explanatory signature for your posts.

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Pringles
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by Pringles »

sdad wrote:Shortfinals
If you are an official part of the TPM team (using the word "we"), it would help everyone if you formulated an explanatory signature for your posts.

I believe he's explained before, but he's Ross Sharp -
Director of Engineering and Airframe Compliance :up:
If life gives you melons then you're probably dyslexic

BillRamsey
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by BillRamsey »

Yep Quite right. As you say Ross has signed off in his own name earlier on this thread. For those who don't know him, he currently lives in the USA from where he tirelessly pushes our project on that continent in particularly but also globally. His engineering and aviation history is way too long to list but his Mosquito engineering and historical knowledge puts him right up with the top handful of experts worldwide. Period. He was also an organiser for (at least) the Wroughton, the late-lamented Finningley and Farnborough airshows. As well as his day job, Ross is the man single-handedly scrutinising, listing and assessing the 22000 technical drawings. Currently up to around 40% complete. It is without doubt the single most important task we are doing just now. I don't know when he sleeps!

Anyway nothing sinister in his ShortFinals tag.

Bill (Ramsey) (to avoid confusion,) :smile:

Shortfinals
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by Shortfinals »

Thanks, Bill, for those very kind words (the cheque's in the post)

Update on the drawings; as of 2am (Eastern Time Zone, US) we had hit 9,620 drawing assessments. That is 43.13% of the total.

Some of the details being revealed are fascinating. They include (in no particular order) - the complete wing fold mechanism for the naval Mosquitoes (Mks 33/37); outline conversion drawings for the B. MK 35 to the PR.35; complete drawings for the 100 gallon and 200 gallon drop tanks (including internal baffles); complete drawings for the dingy stowage box; installation and wiring for the SCR 720; G.A. drawing for the fitment of 'desert equipment' in the rear fuselage (pickets, water tank, signal mirror, rations, etc). The list is growing day by day. Sleep is a luxury item, as Bill said.

As to my signature 'block', it might be a touch long for some - suffice it to say that I managed to find myself employed at the SBAC Farnborough, Leicestershire Museum Service, EGNX, RAF Finningley, RAF Waddington, Science Museum Wroughton, and served on the Nat. Exec. Comm. BAPC, and the Technical and GA Committees, UK Airport Operators' Assoc., amongst other things. A long and happy life in aviation.

I simply cannot match, and very few could even come close to, Bill's magnificent record of 41 years service and sterling accomplishments, in the Royal Air Force. The man's a star!
Director, Engineering & Airframe Compliance, The People's Mosquito Ltd
Principal, Air Show Consultants

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sdad
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by sdad »

Not so much interested in your history, more like owning up to your current position!

BillRamsey
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by BillRamsey »

Thanks for your interest Mr/Mrs/Ms Sdad. What is your question please?

Bill

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sdad
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by sdad »

Bill,
The person posting as "shortfinals" seems to have an official position in TPM but does not state what it is. He has misunderstood my point and given his history rather than current involvement. I often find that people posting on here from a position of authority forget to state what that authority is and at best we are left guessing, at worst we are confused or cannot believe what we read.

cg_341
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by cg_341 »

BillRamsey wrote:As well as his day job, Ross is the man single-handedly scrutinising, listing and assessing the 22000 technical drawings. Currently up to around 40% complete. It is without doubt the single most important task we are doing just now.

There you go! If you want to give it a title, "head of scrutinising 22000 technical drawings" would be good I guess? :whistle:

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Dan O'Hagan
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by Dan O'Hagan »

sdad wrote:Bill,
The person posting as "shortfinals" seems to have an official position in TPM but does not state what it is. He has misunderstood my point and given his history rather than current involvement. I often find that people posting on here from a position of authority forget to state what that authority is and at best we are left guessing, at worst we are confused or cannot believe what we read.


What I would propose is that anyone purporting to be "official" from a group like TPM needs to say so in their username - or at least, as Bill does, post under his own name. Moderators can verify identities and usernames if necessary.

Look at the mess and damage done to VTTS' reputation on these forums due to no "official" presence for many years, just people from within posting from the shadows under noms-de-plume, often using their anonymity to troll the thread and shut down discussion. For God's sake, TPM, don't make the same mistakes as them.

BillRamsey
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by BillRamsey »

Thanks Dan, I get your point. Don’t know where Ross got ShortFinals from but he is Ross Sharp, our Engineering Director and a key figure in our project. He isn’t shy or retiring so I ‘ll let him know of the concern and I’m sure he will get back on this thread. Like you, I see no difficulty in people using their own names but it doesn’t seem to catch on!

Regards

Bill

Shortfinals
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by Shortfinals »

Good afternoon, Dan, and everyone else.

To make a definitive statement:

1) I am, and always have been, Ross Sharp. My history is known, and its out there - on the web - for all to see, if you wish.

2) I use the screen name 'Shortfinals' because my rather neglected Wordpress blog of the same name had been in existence long before I started participating on UKAR, or even before I was asked to join TPM, and I wanted to link to that blog. If you Google 'shortfinals', the blog will come up first (see https://shortfinals.wordpress.com/ ). It is rather neglected because I now write, almost exclusively, for the TPM Club online Journal, 'Mossie Bites' (free with Club membership, see bit.ly/TPMClub)

3) I COULD have used 'AirShowConsultants' as a screen name, an entity with a Massachusetts TIN, which I created over this side of the Pond, but I decided to keep it simple

4) I think most people have put two and two together by now. TPM is a great part of what I do, but I DO have other aviation interests (this is certainly true for many others with an active 'aviation life'). I am currently in consultation regarding a new fly-in in New England, for example - which will have a certain TPM flavour!

5) I am immensely pleased to be part of TPM, and will always acknowledge that fact.

There, I hope, as Bill said, that this has cleared things up
Director, Engineering & Airframe Compliance, The People's Mosquito Ltd
Principal, Air Show Consultants

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jalfrezi
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by jalfrezi »

If you're an 'official' from a group it might be worth considering adding a signature stating this fact. This can be easily done from the User Control Panel on the forum menu and would potentially clear up any confusion in future.

Shortfinals
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by Shortfinals »

Thank you. I have added both of my current Board-level positions.
Director, Engineering & Airframe Compliance, The People's Mosquito Ltd
Principal, Air Show Consultants

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jalfrezi
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by jalfrezi »

Thanks Ross, much appreciated. :up:

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sdad
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Re: The People’s Mosquito

Post by sdad »

Transparency was all we ever needed, not high-handedness. As I said, this is a problem across the board here - not just with TPM.

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