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MISCELLANEOUS AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION - MOSQUITO, MOSQUITO B, & GLASFLUGEL 304

1.  Aileron system. A Mosquito was flown for some time with aileron control response sufficiently sluggish to raise pilot comment but not such as to warrant investigation. Eventually it was found that a bolt had been left out of the aileron circuit, as shown in the diagram overleaf, which effectively let one aileron hang free, except for friction through the torque tube. How the bolt came to be left out is not known, but the problem could have been detected if a proper DI control hook-up check had been carried out (one person operating stick, one person holding control surfaces). 2. Nose release. A Mosquito released prematurely from aerotow. Although the event could not be reproduced, the release was removed and tested in accordance with AD 277. All was found to be OK. Further inspection of the aircraft revealed rub marks where the lever arm had been lightly contacting both the fuselage floor and the bottom of the seat. It is thought that this contact caused just enough friction to prevent the release going properly over-centre and thus causing premature release. Inspection of aircraft is recommended to check whether there are rub-marks visible. If so, adjust the mechanism to remove possibility of contact. Take care not to raise the mechanism too high, or contact with the seat bottom may occur when a heavy pilot is occupying the seat.