![]() ![]() The aircraft quickly earned itself the nickname ‘The Wooden Wonder’. On 29th December, the Minister of Aircraft Production Lord Beaverbrook watched an impressive display by W4050, and a further 150 aircraft were ordered forthwith. The first production Mosquito entered RAF service in July 1941. It handled very well and, propelled by twin Rolls Royce Merlin engines, was exceedingly fast. The aircraft, by now named the Mosquito, did not disappoint. In early November 1940, the prototype (E0234, later becoming W4050) was transported by road to Hatfield and first took to the air on 25th November. ![]() The Air Ministry, still not entirely sure that an unarmed bomber was a good idea, subsequently altered the DH.98 order to include a solid-nosed fighter version armed with machine guns and cannon. The prototype was designed and built at a secret location - Salisbury Hall, London Colney - rather than at de Havilland’s nearby Hatfield factory. He did however secure the backing of Air Vice Marshall Wilfrid Freeman, and gradually with Freeman’s support, the Air Ministry became more receptive to the idea.įinally, on 29th December 1939, a prototype for the new DH.98 aircraft was commissioned, followed on 1st March 1940 by an order for 50 aircraft. But he pressed on, essentially developing the concept as a private venture. This was indeed a radical concept, many officials were sceptical and de Havilland initially encountered a lot of disinterest in his proposal. In such circumstances, defensive armament would not be needed, saving further weight. de Havilland was convinced that a smooth surfaced, aerodynamically efficient bomber, made from wood and fitted with two very powerful engines could carry sufficient payload at a very high speed - indeed the aircraft would travel so fast that enemy fighters would struggle to catch it in a chase. Geoffrey de Havilland’s company, based at Hatfield in Hertfordshire, produced a series of successful biplanes for the civil market between the wars, but also developed the record-breaking DH 88 Comet Racer monoplane (for the 1934 England-Australia MacRobertsonAir Race) and the elegant DH.91 Albatross airliner.Īs well as being fast for the times, both of these aircraft were mainly constructed from wood. However, aviation pioneer Geoffrey de Havilland had other ideas… Indeed, this conceptual mindset ultimately led to the production of several well-known bomber types including the Avro Lancaster and the Handley Page Halifax. In the run-up to the Second World War, the British Air Ministry and the Royal Air Force were strongly wedded to the principle of developing a new breed of heavy bombers constructed mainly from metal and equipped with defensive machine guns mounted in several turrets. Discover which Haynes Manual is best for youĪs our series of features linked to the centenary of the Royal Air Force continues, we profile the ‘Wooden Wonder’ - the remarkable de Havilland Mosquito.NEW Fault Finder - Diagnose the problem.
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