ALL N.Z. MOSQUITO AIRCRAFT GROUNDED

Chronicle (Levin), 9 January 1947, Page 7

ALL N.Z. MOSQUITO AIRCRAFT GROUNDED

-Press Associaiion

DilLAY IN DELLVBSY OF FvECENT P*D110HASES

By Telegraph—

AUCKLAND, -Jan. K •Tlic "•nmudiiig oi: all Mosquito aircraf'l tollowifig tlie discovery of corvosion in tlie meoliauisin of tke wing llaps of a mai'himi attacked to the .squadrou in Kurope will delay tlie deiivory iiight to New Zealand of tke lirst ten Alosquitos purckased recently by Ihe U.N.Z.A.F. ' Five of the aircraft Jiave reac.hed Singapore and five are at Drim Duni airport, Caleutta. They will not be* allovved to eontinue their flight to Oliakea until all kave been exaniined, and il" uny are found to be affected by eorrosion it will depend 011 the maintenance fai'ilities at Singapore and Cairutia air statious as to how soon they will be on their wav again. in tlie nieantinie no niore of the 70 ^Mosquitos remaining in Kngland to be J'erried lo New Zealand will leave before Feliruary. The grounding of the aireral't is not reganled either in Brit iii u or iu New Zealand as serious, parlicnlarlv as the severe weather in Englaud and India at present has been hampering the delivery flights. The Air Ministry order grounding the Mosquitos is n.erely a precautionary measure aud r; nnut be regarded as the discoveiv of a general defeet in this type of a'ircrafl. d'lte grounding of the Mosquitos ineaus nothing niore than a uiinor delay, said tlie Chiet oi' the Air F'.aiT, .V i r Vice Marshal Nevill.