de Havilland Mosquito Prototype (W4050) [@ de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre]
Nicknamed ‘The Wooden Wonder’, the Mosquito was a remarkable aircraft for its time; not only was it made largely of wood [de Havilland had noted that except in torsion, wood's strength for weight was as great as that of duralumin or steel] but it was designed as an unarmed bomber, depending on its superior speed [~ 370mph] to escape enemy fighters. Not surprisingly, de Havilland's proposal was unceremoniously rejected; the Air Ministry was simply not interested in an unarmed bomber concept. When it entered RAF service in 1941 it was (and remained to 1944) the fastest aircraft operated by the RAF. However work begun as a private venture and the first prototype, W4050, of Geoffrey de Havilland’s was completed in bomber configuration and flew for the first time in the manufacturer’s markings E-0234 on 25th November 1940 from Hatfield. The second prototype, W4052, was equipped as a night fighter and made its first flight on 15th May 1941. The third to be completed, W4051, as a photo-reconnaissance aircraft and flew on 10th June 1941. All three prototypes were powered by Merlin 21s and were fitted with de Havilland hydromatic propellers.
Built in 1940 at Salisbury Hall, London Colney, W4050 was transferred by road to nearby Hatfield airfield where it first flew in November 1940 in a yellow livery. It suffered fuselage damage from a number of heavy landings during extensive trails. In 1944 it was finally grounded and used for apprentice training. It was put into storage in June 1947 before being finally moved back to Salisbury Hall in 1959 for public display. W4050 is currently undergoing extensive restoration with both engines being restored by Rolls Royce.
de Havilland Mosquito B.35 (TJ138) [@ RAF Hendon]
The prototype Mosquito B.4 bomber, W4072, flew for the first time on 8th September 1941. The B.4 was unarmed and could carry one 1000lb bomb and two 500lb bombs internally for 1,200 miles at 380 mph. Later on it was modified to carry a 4000lb bomb (blockbuster or "cookie") with a bulged bomb-bay. It was powered by 2 Merlin 21s and later 23s. The first B.4s went to No 105 Squadron at RAF Marham, Norfolk, in May 1942, and made their first operational sortie on the 31st of the month. Five aircraft were sent in daylight to Cologne to photograph the damage caused by the previous night’s 1000-bomber raid and to drop a few bombs. One Mosquito was hit by flak and crashed in the North Sea. The first bombing of Berlin in daylight was made by B.4s on 30th January 1943. Total production of the B.4, which eventually equipped 12 squadrons, was 273 aircraft. The B.5 was a proposed development of the B.4 with underwing pylons for 2 x 500lb bombs or 2 x 50 gallon jettisonable wing tanks and Merlin 23 engines but none were built, while the B.7 was the Canadian version of the B.4 and was powered by Packard Merlin 31 engines driving standard Hamilton propellers. A total of 25 were built. The first high-altitude bomber version was the B.9 of which 54 were built and powered by Merlin 72s. Capacity for four 500lb bombs in the fuselage and two 500lb bombs on the wings or extra fuselage fuel tanks and 50 gallon jettisonable wing tanks. A few were converted to take one 4000lb bomb in the fuselage with two 50 gallon jettisonable wing tanks which were later in 1944 replaced by 100 gallon jettisonable wing tanks subject to a weight limitation of 25,200lb. A Pathfinder version was developed by the RAF.
Following on was the
B.16, a pressurized high-altitude bomber variant,
powered by Merlin 72s, 73s, 76s
[photograph - right] or 77s. By 1944 the armament was confined to one 4,000lb bomb or
six 500lb bombs in a bulged bomb bay in addition to two 100 gallon drop tanks. Four
hundred
were built and it remained in service for some time after 1946. Two hundred and
forty five B.20s, a Canadian version of the B.4,
were built and fitted with the Packard Merlin 31s or 33s.
To
make use of Packard Merlin 69 engines the
B.23 was an intended Canadian equivalent of the
B.9.
None were constructed
because sufficient supplies of Packard Merlin 225 engines became available.
However 400 B.25s, a Canadian variant of the B.20, were constructed with Packard Merlin 225 engines delivering 1,620 hp. The majority were delivered to the RAF. On 12th March 1945 the last bomber variant of the Mosquito, the B.35, made its first test flight. It was an improved B.16 and powered by the Merlin 114s and later 114A engines. 274 were built, mostly post-war, and it entered service in 1946 with 109 and 139 Squadrons. The war had ended before the B.35 variant could be used operationally but the type entered service with the post-war RAF and served as a bomber until the beginning of 1954.
de Havilland Mosquito B.35 (TJ138) [@ RAF Hendon]
The Mosquito NF.2 night fighter prototype was completed with Al Mk 4 radar in a ‘solid’ nose and a powerful armament of four 20mm (0.79in) cannon and four .303 machine guns in the nose. The first Mosquito night fighter squadron, No 157, was formed at Debden in Essex on 13th December 1941 and entered active service in January 1942. Seventeen squadrons were eventually armed with the NF.2, 466 of which were built and were all powered by Merlin 21s.
de Havilland Mosquito B.35 (TJ138) [@ RAF Hendon]
TJ138 at RAF Hendon was originally delivered to 27 MU at RAF Shawbury in August 1945. It then served with 98 Squadron at RAF Celle in Germany before joining No.5 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit at RAF LLanbedr. It also served with THUM (Temperature and Humidity) Flight at RAF Woodvale and its operational career ended on 29th July1959. TJ138 arrived at RAF Hendon in 1992. It is photographed in the post-war colours of 98 Squadron.
The NF.10 was intended to be the NF.2 development variant with Merlin 61 engines but none were built. Ninety-seven NF.2s were later converted to NF.12 standard. DD715, which first flew August 1942, was the prototype NF.12. Powered by Merlin 21 or 23s but with the machine guns removed and an upgraded radar to the AI Mk 8 centimetric type. 270 NF.13s followed them and was the production counterpart of the NF.12. The NF.13 was similar to the NF.12 but with auxiliary under-wing tanks. The NF.14 was an intended development of the NF.13 with Merlin 67 engines. None were built but 5 NF.15s powered by Merlin 61 engines were built. The NF.15 was a specialised high-altitude conversion variant of the NF.13 and served with 85 Squadron during the war, operating at heights up to 44,600 ft. It featured extended wing tips, reduced fuel tankage and four .303in machine guns in a blister under the fuselage. The NF.17 was a NF.2 conversion fitted with centimetric AI Mk 10 radar in a more bulbous nose and approximately 100 NF.2 conversions were made. The NF.19 was similar to the NF.13 but powered by Merlin 25s and was able to take either British or American radar sets. Prototype DZ659 first flew in April 1944 and 220 were built; it entered service with 157 Squadron in May 1944. In 1948-49 45 were overhauled and fitted with four blade airscrews and supplied to the Royal Swedish Air Force who designated the aircraft the J.30.
de Havilland Mosquito NF.2 (HJ711) [@ RAF Elvington]
HJ711 was built at Hatfield in May 1943 and entered RAF service with 141 Squadron. While with 69 Squadron at Little Snoring in Norfolk HJ711 was credited with the Squadron's first victory when it downed a Bf 110 over Berlin while being flown by Squadron Leader J.A.H. Cooper. HJ711 was reported missing from a bomber support mission to Stuttgart on 16th March 1944. Restoration of HJ711 began on 29th April 1972 when the derelict cockpit section of HJ711 and other items including a rudder were obtained at the sale of the Reflectaire Museum collection at Blackpool. The wing came from a B.16, PF498, which had previously served with 627, 109 and 139 Squadrons and had been used by the Civil Defence for crash rescue training at Chorley in Lancashire. Additional wing parts came from a long-derelict Royal Navy T.3, VA878, which had crashed at St. David's airfield in South Wales through a boundary fence when an engine failed on takeoff. A pair of Merlin engines came from a NF.30, NT616, that had served with 29 Squadron and were recovered from a scrap yard at Cosford. The rear fuselage came from a B.35, RS715, that had served with both 3 and 4 CAACU (Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit) and was S.O.C (Struck Off Charge) on 18th September 1961. The part was obtained from the MGM Studio store at Borehamwood. The wing tips came from Scotland along with many other components from all over the UK. When the restoration project became too large for a domestic garage in 1986 it was moved to the museum. The aim of the Night Fighter Preservation Team is to return HJ711 to taxiing condition.
The last night fighter variant was the NF.30
and a development of the NF.19 but with two-stage Merlin 72 and later Merlin 76
and 113 engines. It was un-pressurised
and fitted with either AI Mk 8 or 10
radar. The prototype, MM686, first flew in March 1944 with a total of 530
eventually being constructed; the variant served for some years post-war.
The
NF.31 was an intended Packard Merlin 69 variant of
the NF.30 but none were constructed.
The NF.36
was similar to the NF.30 but with the Merlin 113 and US AI Mk 10 radar of which 236
were constructed. The engines were 9 in longer than the earlier Merlin's and to
compensate for the change in the centre of gravity extra weights were added to
the elevators. The NF.38
was similar to the NF.36 but with British AI Mk IX radar, a lengthened
cockpit enclosure and Merlin 114 and 114A engines. A total of 101 were built, of which most were sold to the
Yugoslav Air Force.
Flt Lt John Cunningham attained a legendary status that few have equalled. His wartime fame as an outstanding night-fighter ace was followed by a long career in test-flying during the exciting post-war period when the jet engine was developed to power both military and civil aircraft. As Chief Test Pilot for the de Havilland Aircraft Company he was at the leading edge of the quest for supersonic flight and in the development of the Comet - the World's first jet airliner. As 'Cat's-Eyes Cunningham' he became a household name during the bombing blitz of Britain. His feats actually owed less to the good night vision [attributed to eating carrots] ascribed to him than to the mosquito's excellent airborne interception radar (which the authorities were painfully anxious to keep a secret, hence the propaganda connection between carrots and good night vision). In partnership with Jimmy Rawnsley, his navigator, he was the first squadron pilot in the world to shoot down an enemy aircraft using radar.
