dewoitine
SOH-CM-2026

The restoration of the de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI TE881 reached a decisive milestone on 9 October with its first engine tests in Ardmore, New Zealand. After several years of work, the Avspecs teams are now entering a crucial phase of the restoration. The engine start is a major step before flight tests and allows to check the behavior of the aircraft and to continue its recovery.

From June 1944, No. 23 Squadron was based at RAF Little Snoring in Norfolk and attached to No. 100 Group. His Mosquitos were notably engaged in missions intended to disrupt the operations of German night fighters and protect Allied bomber formations. Thanks to their performance and versatility, these devices were particularly suitable for night intrusion operations during which they tracked enemy hunters and disrupted their activities. The squadron continued from Little Snoring until the end of the war, before being disbanded on 25 September 1945.

The choice of this decoration also has a personal dimension, as it refers to the career of the Canadian pilot George Edward Stewart, who served in No. 23 Squadron during the war. Born in Hamilton, Ontario, in January 1924, he carried out about fifty operational missions on the Mosquito between July and November 1944, accompanied by his navigator Paul Beaudet. Their commitment led them to participate in day and night operations against the German air forces.

George Stewart’s qualities earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), a distinction rewarding his courage and dedication during his missions.
Following its initial engine tests, the Mosquito TE881 is now scheduled to complete its first test flight, expected in the coming weeks. Fly a Spitfire states in its press release that the future of the aircraft will be determined at the end of this first flight. Its possible transfer to the United Kingdom, and in particular its possible arrival at Biggin Hill within the fleet of Fly a Spitfire, therefore remain uncertain to this day.
Source : https://www.lecharpeblanche.fr/2026...it-une-etape-majeure-avant-son-retour-en-vol/