De Havilland Mosquito

The inside pilot's story of one of the most remarkable aircraft of the Second World War

This first of two volumes on de Havilland's "Wooden Wonder" covers the night-fighter and fighter-bomber variants of the deadly Mosquito. The development of the multirole Mosquito, from its original bomber and photoreconnaissance operational function to that of a night-fighter and fighter-bomber configuration, was initiated by the latent threat of a renewal of the 1940-41 "Blitz." Over the ensuing years of WWII, the Mosquito attacked the enemy with sorties across a 24-hour time span, challenging the German Nachtjagd with aerial interceptions, as well as attacks on Luftwaffe airfields. Pinpoint assaults on specialist targets was another aspect of Mosquito fighter-bomber operations, whose destructive effect on the Axis was constantly felt. Also covered are the Mosquito's operations with the Fleet Air Arm, as well as postwar use. Part of the Legends of Warfare series.

Nicknamed the ‘wooden wonder’ , the de Havilland Mosquito was one of the most versatile and successful combat aircraft of the Second World War. Offering insights into the design, construction and operational career of the iconic Mossie, this manual gets under the aircraft’s birch and balsa skin to examine its anatomy and describe the painstaking restoration to flight by Avspecs (New Zealand) of Jerry Yagen’s FB26 KA114 and of Victoria Air Maintenance’s B35 VR796 in British Columbia, Canada.

First entering service in 1941 the legendary 'all-wooden' Mosquito was one of the best twin-engined aircraft of its size to see action in World War II. The addition of radar turned the Mosquito into the RAF's premier night fighter, and it achieved great success in the defence of Britain, with some 600 raiders and 600 V1 rockets falling to its guns between 1942 and 1945. The design's superb performance, and ability to escape interception by enemy fighters also made the Mosquito the ideal choice for the RAF's photographic reconnaissance force. This wide range of roles across multiple theatres and air forces are all reflected in the variety of kits built and colour schemes shown throughout this book.

Previously unpublished accounts from the designers, builders and aircrew of the de Havilland MosquitoMany contemporary and previously unpublished photographsComprehensive details on the conversation of surviving aircraft De Havilland Mosquito: The Original Multirole Combat Aircraft covers the creation, design and development of this beloved aircraft. Built in Britain, Canada and Australia, the Mosquito saw extensive service in Britain, Europe and Asia throughout the Second World War. It was initially designed as a twin-Rolls-Royce Merlin-powered unarmed bomber (with a two-man crew), but the aircraft’s versatility allowed it to carry out many more functions. The additional roles of the Mosquito included path finding and photo reconnaissance; acting as a night fighter, an intruder, or a fighter bomber; electronic counter measures and naval operations; and high-speed courier missions. This book is essential for those seeking to study this iconic British aircraft, featuring the experiences of Mosquito designers, construction workers and aircrew. It also contains many original, contemporary and previously unpublished photographs, which cover the aircraft’s service with RAF squadrons and overseas air forces in its many varied roles. For reference, there are detailed appendices describing production, the specifications of each variant, the RAF and RN units equipped with the type, and details of Mosquitos that survive today.

This history of the US’s British aircraft acquisition “examin[es] the role [the USSAF] played in reconnaissance, special operations, and night fighting.” —Air & Space Power History On 20 April 1941, a group of distinguished Americans visited the de Havilland Aircraft Company’s airfield at Hatfield, England. The party was there ostensibly to gain an insight into how various US aircraft supplied to Britain were performing, as well as to observe some of the latest British products being put through their paces. The eighteen types on display included both US and British bombers and fighters. But the star of the day was undoubtedly the de Havilland Mosquito. Having first flown only a few months earlier, the aircraft was demonstrated by none other than Geoffrey de Havilland. Striving to impress the trans-Atlantic visitors, de Havilland provided an outstanding display of speed and manoeuvrability. It was a routine that left the Americans in no doubt as to the Mosquito’s abilities. Following America’s entry into WWII, formal requests for Mosquitoes began in earnest. A steady flow of the photographic reconnaissance version were provided to what would become the USAAF’s 25th Bomb Group at Watton, England. There they served with distinction in a variety of specialist roles. A number of these Mosquitoes served with the 492nd Bomb Group at Harrington and were involved in the so-called “Joan-Eleanor” project. Finally, in 1945, the USAAF received much-anticipated night fighter Mosquitoes which enjoyed combat success with the 416th Night Fighter Squadron in Italy. In this highly illustrated work, the author explores the full story of why the Americans wanted Mosquitoes, how they went about obtaining them, and their noted success and popularity with USAAF units.