World War II Pilot is building a scale replica of Mosquito Bomber

[GoldenRivet]

http://www.ocala.com/article/2011042...NEWS?p=1&tc=pg

Russell F. Loomis Jr. needed steady hands and cool composure to pilot a Douglas A-20 Havoc fighter-bomber in risky missions over World War II-ravaged France, Belgium and Germany.

.art_main_pic { width: 250px; float: left; clear: left; } Sixty-seven years later at age 87, those steady hands are crafting a three-quarter-scale replica of another plane that helped the Allies pound Germany into submission during the war.
Loomis, a retired aeronautical engineer, can be found most days assembling a British Royal Air Force de Havilland Mosquito bomber in his west Marion workshop.

[AVGWarhawk]

I love some of the retired folks and the paths they take in retirement. I'm going to build a bomber from WW2. "That'll keep me busy!" Got to love it!

[Jimbuna]

87 years old!....he'd better be quick

[Oberon]

Damn, good on him. Beats a boat.

[August]

Why bother making it 3/4th's, why not just go full scale?

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by August

Why bother making it 3/4th's, why not just go full scale?

His garage is just so big. Plus, I'm guessing he wants to fly it alone or with one. No need to build full scale IMO. Not like he is carring any bombs either!

[Herr-Berbunch]

Vickers Armstrong built a Wellington in 24 hours, but that was a full production team working flat out on the one. I'd like to see the finished product.

[Fish In The Water]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

87 years old!....he'd better be quick

Hopefully he has time to finish it and then fly off into the sunset...

[MaddogK]

The 27-foot-long center fuselage is built in left and right half sections. Just the right half fuselage section and the rudder and fin, or rear tail, have taken about five years to finish. Loomis estimates he has hammered about 2,000 18-gauge nails into the fuselage so far and would “welcome some help.”

Nails ??

He's gonna die if he flies this thing.

[papa_smurf]

Thats one way to spend your retirement

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

Originally Posted by MaddogK

Nails ??

He's gonna die if he flies this thing.

Original Mosquito was basically wood & glue with some metal. Amount of nails used - 2000 - only to fuselage sounds quite high but I don't know what was case with original Mosquito.

What ever is the case there must be significant engineering adjustment to allow building down scale version.

[Jimbuna]

I wonder where he intends purchasing his three-quarter-scale Merlin 21 engines from?

[AVGWarhawk]

I suspect the engines will be piper cub type engines.

[AVGWarhawk]

What ever is the case there must be significant engineering adjustment to allow building down scale version.

He is a retired aeronautical engineer. He has the right stuff!

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

I wonder where he intends purchasing his three-quarter-scale Merlin 21 engines from?

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

I suspect the engines will be piper cub type engines.

Yeah...

a couple of Continental O-200 series engines ought to do the trick

unless this thing starts getting some weight behind it... then you could go up to a couple of Lycoming O-320 engines

I hope he gets the help he needs... it would be neat to see this thing in flight.