MOSQUITO

The de Havilland Mosquito is a historic British multirole combat aircraft that was introduced during World War II. It was a twin-engined, shoulder-winged plane with a mostly wooden frame, earning it nicknames such as the “Wooden Wonder” and “Mossie”. The project was nearly scrapped, but was saved by Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfrid Freeman, defended by Geoffrey de Havilland and given the design concept. The Mosquito was originally developed as an unarmed fast bomber, but its use evolved into various roles including low- to medium-altitude daytime tactical bomber, high-altitude night bomber, pathfinder, day or night fighter, fighter-bomber, intruder, maritime strike, and photo-reconnaissance aircraft. It was even used by British Overseas Airways Corporation as a fast transport to carry small, high-value cargo to and from neutral countries during the war. The aircraft’s crew consisted of a pilot and navigator who sat side-by-side, with the option for a single passenger in the bomb bay. The Mosquito was famously used in special raids, such as Operation Jericho and precision attacks against military intelligence and police facilities. It flew with the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces. The Mosquito was retired in 1963 and replaced with the jet-powered English Electric Canberra. The construction concepts used in the DH.88 Comet and DH.91 Albatross were later applied in the development of the Mosquito.