De Havilland DH. The 98 Mosquito was a British twin-engine multirole fighter made during World War II. Unusually, its frame is mainly made of wood, and it is nicknamed "Miracle of Wood", or "Mossie". The Minister of Aircraft Production, Lord Beaverbrook, nicknamed it "Freeman's Folly", alluding to Air Marshal Sir Wilfried Freeman, who defended Jeffrey Havilland and his design philosophy against the order to cancel the project. In 1941, it was one of the fastest operating aircraft in the world.
A prototype of de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito, E0234, outside the assembly building, November 19, 1940. (BAE Systems, Inc.)
Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, the Mosquito's use evolved into a variety of roles during the war, including low- and medium-altitude blank sky tactical bombers, high-altitude night bombers, pathfinders, day and night fighters, fighter-bombers, invaders, sea strikes, and photographic reconnaissance aircraft. British Overseas Airways also uses it as a fast transport to transport small, high-value cargo to and from neutral countries through enemy-controlled airspace. Two pilots, pilot and navigator, sat side by side. If necessary, one passenger can take the bomb bay of the aircraft.
Mosquito FB Mk. VI often flew in special attacks, such as Operation Jericho (an attack on the Amiens prison in early 1944), as well as precision attacks on military intelligence, security and police facilities such as the Gestapo headquarters. On January 30, 1943, on the 10th anniversary of Hitler's rise as chancellor and in power, an early morning mosquito attack destroyed Berlin's main radio station, while Hermann Göring was giving a speech that could only be paused.
The Mosquito flew alongside the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other air forces on battlefields in Europe, the Mediterranean and Italy. During the Pacific War, the Mosquito fighter was also used by the RAF in the Southeast Asian theater and by the Royal Australian Air Force stationed in Hamaheras and Borneo. In the 1950s, the RAF replaced the Mosquito with jet-powered British Canberra aircraft.
By the early to mid-2030s, de Havilland was well known for innovative high-speed aircraft with the DH.88 Comet racer. Later, the DH.91 Albatross pioneered composite timber structures for mosquito aircraft. The albatross, which carries 22 passengers, can cruise at an altitude of 11,000 feet (3,400 meters) at 210 mph (340 km/h), faster than the Handley Page HP42 and the other biplanes it replaces. The wooden monocoque construction not only reduced weight and compensated for the low power of the de Havilland Gipsy Twelve engine used in the aircraft, but also simplified production and reduced construction time.
B Mk IV nose close-up showing sights, clear nose, engine nacelle and landing gear
November 25, 1940: Jeffrey Raoul de Havilland Jr., chief test pilot of the de Havilland Aircraft Company, and engineer John Walker complete the maiden flight of the DH.98 Mosquito prototype E0234 in Hatefield, Hertfordshire, England. The prototype was designated W4050 by the Royal Air Force. This multirole fighter consists mainly of multiple layers of balsa wood, covered with multiple layers of birch, followed by a layer of doped cotton fabric. It is powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin V-12 engines. Building materials took advantage of the abundant supply of wood and also enabled workers outside the standard metal aircraft industry to participate. The prototype was launched on November 19, 1040 and was painted yellow throughout.
The prototype had a wingspan of 54 feet 2 inches (16.510 m) and a total weight of 19,670 pounds (8,922 kg). Powered by two liquid-cooled, supercharged, 1,648.96 cubic inch (27.01 liter) Rolls-Royce Merlin Mk.21 single overhead camshaft (SOHC) 60° V-12 engines, the W4050 produces 1,460 horsepower feet (3028 m), 10,000 pounds (0.69 bar) of boost at 3,000 rpm at 10,000 rpm, and drives the three-bladed de Havilland through gear reduction Hydromatic propellers.
The construction concept pioneered in the DH.88 Comet was later used in the Mosquito.
The DH.98 is expected to be 20 mph (32 km/h) faster than the Supermarine Spitfire, but it's actually much faster. In testing, the prototype reached 392 mph (6,706 km/h) at 22,000 feet (6,706 m). Continuous improvements, coupled with a 2-stage supercharger, the W4050 reached a top speed of 437 mph (703 km/h). The DH.98 prototype has a service ceiling of 34,000 feet (10,363 meters) and a range of 2,180 miles (3,500 kilometers).
The production fighter Mosquito F. Mk.II measures 41 ft 2 in (12.548 m) long, has a wingspan of 54 ft 2 in (16.510 m) and a height of 15 ft 3 in (4.648 m) at 3 points. The wing has an angle of incidence of 11/2 °, a dihedral angle of about 21/2 °. Leading edge sweep back21/2°. The total wing area is 436.7 square feet (40.6 m2). The fighter has an empty weight of 13,356 pounds (6,058 kg) and a maximum takeoff weight of 18,649 pounds (8,459 kg). The Mk.II has a total fuel capacity of 553 gallons.
American F-8 mosquito nose; USAAF marking, PRU Blue finished at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
The Mk.II has a cruising speed of 265 miles (426 km/h) at 15,000 feet (4,572 m) and a top speed of 380 mph (6,523 m) at 21,400 feet (6,523 m).
The Mosquito bomber variant could carry four 500-pound bombs, or two 2,000-pound bombs, but no other weapons. The fighter was armed with four Hispano Mk.II 20-mm cannons and four Browning .303 caliber Mk.II machine guns in the nose.
The W4050 is undergoing restoration at the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Center near St. Albans
6,411 DH.98 Mosquitoes were built in the UK, 1,134 in Canada and 212 in Australia. It produced versions of bombers, fighters, night fighters, fighter-bombers and photographic reconnaissance aircraft.
On February 24, 1941, the W4050 (the Royal Air Force logo on the prototype) fuselage was damaged while taxiing down the Boscombe Down and had to be replaced with a second prototype, the W4051. It remained in de Havilland and was used to test different engines, weapons and versions. After a series of tests in December 1943, the Mosquito prototype was permanently grounded. It was used as a teaching airframe and was later stored.
W4050 undergoing restoration at the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Center near St. Albans, and in September 1958, the W4050 was handed over to the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre. Today, the restored prototype DH.98 Mosquito is on display in the museum in Kearney, London, Hertfordshire, England.
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