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de Havilland Mosquito
Royal Air Force official photographer : Forward (Fg Off) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

de Havilland Mosquito

Fighter aircraft

Country of origin United Kingdom
Manufacturerde Havilland Aircraft Company
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British twin-engined, multi-role combat aircraft, introduced during the Second World War. Unusual in that its airframe was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or "Mossie". In 1941, it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world.
Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, the Mosquito's use evolved during the war into many 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 also used by the British Overseas Airways Corporation as a fast transport to carry small, high-value cargo to and from neutral countries through enemy-controlled airspace. The crew of two, pilot and navigator, sat side by side. A single passenger could ride in the aircraft's bomb bay when necessary.
The Mosquito FB Mk. VI was often flown in special raids, such as Operation Jericho (an attack on Amiens Prison in early 1944), and precision attacks against military intelligence, security, and police facilities (such as Gestapo headquarters). On 30 January 1943, the 10th anniversary...

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Specifications

Length
13.6 m
Height
5.30 m
Wingspan
16.5 m
Range
2,400 km
Number built
7,781
Introduced
1940
First flight
1940
Entered service
1941
Retired
1953

Countries that use it (4)

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Model data: Wikidata (CC0) and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Figures can differ between versions of the same weapon. · Q221344