De Havilland Mosquito: The wooden fighter-bomber that could do it all
When Sir Geoffrey de Havilland first pitched his idea for a two-seater bomber made of wood with no armament, few people were willing to accept his design. But the de Havilland Mosquito went on to become one of the most successful and popular aircraft of the Second World War. The defence of this bomber would be its speed. Mosquitos were among the first multi-role combat aircraft: they could be turned to anything and excelled at everything they did. They were popular with pilots and were adapted into numerous different roles to great success. In this video, our Duxford expert Graham Rodgers tells us how this little wooden bomber came into action, and we hear from some of those who experienced its power first-hand.
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Is no one going to mention the presenter's impeccable delivery? His tone, cadence, volume... all spot on.
Ok---go on then
Graham is a superb guide at IWM Duxford. A true asset
You his missus?
He is absolutely brilliant. Encountered him when I visited the museum a long time ago, amazing narrator!
No, no one's going to mention it.
The fact it had the same bomb capacity of a b17, and faster than a spitfire is incredible.
It really did not. The full bomb load out for a b-17 was 8,000 pounds and not 4,000. The b-17 also had wing pods which could carry even more. The full truth is, for a b-17 to fly the same range as a Mosquito it could only carry half the bomb load of 4,00 pounds.
That's a bit misleading actually. At maximum range the B17 was capable of 4000lbs (but routinely overloaded) but for shorter missions it could carry over 16000 lbs.
That's actually not really true...they are sort of picking certain parameters and comparing a mission "to Berlin". On a mission less than 400 miles it is said a B-17 could carry around 8,200 pounds..and on a short mission could be loaded to almost 18,000...
And stealth!
That bit blew my mind. A true game changing design. The scramble to find more and more roles for it was inevitable at that point.
My dad was a night-fighter pilot, and flew the Mossie, as both Night-Fighter equipped with AI (Radar) and sometimes in "Intruder" roles. He loved the Mosquito - so much so that when he returned to Canada after WWII, he and his British navigator/AI-op tried to set up an airmail & fast-courier service between major cities in Canada, using surplus Mosquitos. Sadly, but not surprisingly, the Post Office wasn't interested and the venture ultimately failed. Before converting to the Mosquito, Dad flew Hurricanes (briefly) and Bristol Beaufighter night-fighters, equipped with very early AI sets (his logbook documents their unreliability). Dad had learned to fly as a private pilot just prior to WWII, and joined the RCAF at the earliest opportunity. He remained an RCAF officer, but flew in RAF Fighter Command for all but the final 2 months of the war, one of the many who served in "mixed Commonwealth" RAF Squadrons. After my dad's death (quite young) I learned a great deal from his navigator, who was still hale and hearty at 96. He called my dad a "magician," as far as flying and night-fighting skills, and I learned quite a bit about their wartime service. Amazingly, they managed to stay "paired up" for most of the war. My dad never talked about the specifics of his war service, but he praised the Mosquito often. He called it - in the vernacular of the day - "a 'wizard' aircraft that was a joy to fly." He did well over a thousand hours on Operations in the Mosquito, and it brought he and his Nav safely home time and again.
That is a remarkable history...thank you for sharing with us. (Regards from Steve, in Chile.)
Not surprised he loved the mosquitoes
RIP to your late Dad -- thank you too for his war service. Best wishes.
Thankyou to your Father...., God Bless Him.
You must be, quite rightly, very proud. Have you read Night Fighter by C F Rawnsley (Nav to Johnnie Johnson- later sir) and Robert Wright? I read it as a teenager (LONG time ago) and isa great account of the rapport between the pilot and nav, and also the development and use of the radar technology and night fighting
I am from the U.S. I have only been in airplanes 3 times, in my 71years. I am not an aviation nut. I have, however, studied a few war planes slightly, and the Mosquito, I have studied more than usual. I learned of it several years ago, from an Encyclopedia of WWII, a gift from my late wife. I have watched many videos about it since then. The heroic and surgical strikes that were successfully made with The Mosquito, and by its crews, are the most impressive, or should I say, inspiring, air actions, possibly of the whole war, in my opinion. It is my favorite plane, or any piece of equipment, really, of the war. Genius concept, design, and production, also.
My late mother worked in a furniture factory during the war and helped make the Mosquito. She was very proud of this and so am I.
Well done your Mum.
I heard they'd requisitioned furniture makers for the plane. The industrial might of the British and Americans in WW2 was astounding
God bless your mum, Jeff
@@arthas640 made them in high Wycombe
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People like Jeffery DeHavilland are true visionaries. Being smart enough to think of using wood instead of very scarce aluminium at a time when aluminium was the titanium of its day. Being able to bring a whole new army of skill workers into the war effort although there were thousands of skill woodworkers already building Hurricanes. No guns, just outrun the enemy. On paper it must have seemed ridiculous but when it was rejected he built it anyway and proved the naysayers wrong. That’s how visionaries think. Cheers Stuart 🇦🇺
'VISIONARIES'--ADD GENIUSES AND RISK TAKING PATRIOTS.
de Havilland
agree 100%
True, but that was not the reason, it was that De Havilland reasoned they could use a workforce not currently employed in war work and that wood gave a more streamlined finish.
In accounts concerning the Bristol Blenheim a similar performance advance was seen until the officials insisted on installing defensive armament and drag inducing turrets on the craft. This reduced the speed so much that the Blenheims were vulnerable to enemy fighter interception. The defensive armament was more a hindrance than a help. Making a bomber a pure bomber, fast enough not to need guns, was pure genius.
My parents met at the De Havilland factory in Hatfield, on the Mosquito production line. Dad on engines, mum on radio equipment. I have made a few airfix models of this beauty as well over the years! Great video and I still visit Duxford every summer.
for how long were they together
Great Story.
@@oliviersavard8676,
I've never been to Duxford. But I'm not sure I could take all those aircraft sitting there _not_ flying. Something wrong about that
@@MostlyPennyCat If they all flew then they wouldn't be original anymore, most flying spits are replicas built only from a dataplate
My granddad was one of the people who worked making the mosquito in Canada. He was such a skilled woodworker and went on to quite literally build his own house that he and my dad's side of the family lived in for the rest of his life. This video meant a lot to me, so thank you IWM.
Hello again, you're here too aswell, my Grandad built these too, if I remember correctly I think he said he built them in burnt oak, in the UK of course, he said everyone used Yankee screwdrivers and if you slipped and scratched or splintered the wood you would have to redo it, it had to be perfect....he also described the smell of the "pitch" (I think he called it) that they painted over the material covering
When I was 12 (which was about 1967), my dad and I joined a target shooting club - Every saturday we would convene at their indoor range in an old building overlooking the Don Valley (home of the Don Valley Expressway now) to target shoot indoors with single shot .22s. My two instructors were cool. One was a huge jovial Pole, who had a bullet crease on the back of his head - he was part of the Polish forces resisting the German invasion in 1939 and was invalided out because of the wound. The second, Canadian, was dwarfed by the Pole, who worked at the Dehavilland factory in Downsview during WWII. His job was preparing the Mosquitoes coming off the line for their first test flights. One thing he mentioned was that for the first tests, given the aircraft weren't fully fuelled, let alone armed, they had to put about 500 pounds of weight in the tail to get the balance right. Hearing this later, my mom chimed in. At the time she was about 14, and she spent many hours riding her bicycle with a group of boys she knew from school. One of their favourite spots to stop was outside the fence at Downsview to watch what was going on. At the time the Mosquito wasn't publicly announced, and they saw the very first coming off the line for their test flights. My mom remembers that the boys she rode with were airplane mad, and knew all of the allied aircraft at the time. They had never seen these before, and were totally freaked out by the Mosquito "It can do things NO OTHER aircraft can do!". Interesting how somethings converged - she saw the aircraft tests just after my shooting instructor prepped them. They're all gone now. The target shooting building was demolished quite a while ago, and while Downsview airport's runways are still there, and Dehavilland build aircraft there until 2021, it was permanently closed in a plan to move all its manufacturing to Alberta. DeHavilland Canada built 1,134 Mosquitos, the last in 1951. This is about 1/6th the total Mosquito production by DeHavilland world wide. DeHavilland plans to restart Q400 (Dash-8) manufacturing in 2025. [I refer to Dehavilland specifically, but it's changed hands several times and its parent is currently Longview Aviation Capital Corp.]
My father Ft.Lt Allan Smith flew these in WW2....I am so proud of him and wish he had shared his personal history with me...An opportunity lost no doubt ....God speed Dad
Most combatants of WW1 & 2, were reluctant to talk about their personal experiences; quite understandable, but many people of today, now regret, not asking. I do.
🌹🌹🌹🌹🙏
We need some like your dad today. A salute from America for those brave men!
One of our family friends was a Lancaster Bombardier. He shared a little about his time but he was also very haunted by it. He was one of those on the Dresden run that resulted in massive civilian casualties and that kind of carnage was hard to carry on his conscience. He also ended up doing more that the normal amount of missions because towards the latter stages of the war, the decision was made to keep some personnel longer rather than bring in new crews. He was a very brave man but he would have been the last to believe that. He said he was mostly scared and fully expected that each mission was likely going to be his last. Part of him died over there and while he was proud that he did his part, it changed him too. Mental health struggles, alcoholism were his burdens. I have never forgotten how much he gave up. But he never had a cross word for me despite his demons and I miss him to this day. Just like you no doubt miss your Dad. Bless them all.
Sympathies - as a very wee boy there was an elderly man, old George, who was semi retired at my dad's then workplace. George was the classic gentle, wee old man, he and his wife doted on me as a little lad. Turned out George, in his youth, had been a Commando. I often wish I had been old enough to talk to him about it and record his memories for posterity, but then again, most of those lads never talked much about what they did, they just considered it their duty and doing their bit..God knows what that gentle old soul I knew as a kid did when he was a young man, but it was part of what shaped our world for us.
Dear Imperial War Museum, my father (from Sweden as me) attended the de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School pre war. One of the friends he made there was John "Cat Eyes" Cunningham. They stayed friends for a very long time with careers in aviation. Just some month ago I found some notes from my father, 1960th I think. He had a problem and needed to discuss with someone knowledgeable. He was at Farnborough and then he bumps into John Cunningham who had all the answers. Somewhere in the house I know I have a lot of Christmas cards from him. Greetings from Sweden.
Very cool memories!
I knew John very well as a young man 10 years before he died...the man was a legend and I loved having a pint with him....John got me into flying I became a BA Captain retiring on the 777...He was a real hero
@@johnburke1479 I do envy you. I was old enough to have a pint.. Now that dad is gone, I realize all the the people I would have liked to have met. That he met or knew. John passed away less then a year before my dad. One from the "knew list" is Hanna Reitsch, two from the "had meeting with list" are Prof Messerschmitt and Hans-Ulrich Rudel. Ok, for the two latter I was to young.
De Havilland is a terrible company.
@@laurencethornblade8357 omg. -= Insert critical race theory here -=
One of the most beautiful and lethal aeroplanes ever, thank you De Havilland
As an American, I nonetheless adore everything about the Mosquito. What an aircraft!
Against all odds you managed to overcome this handicap “As American” good on you mate.
@@ezeeusb that is one of the most respectful mickey takes I have ever come across 😁
*TrEaSoN*
I am too an American, this was in my opinion the most underrated plain in ww2.
No need to be ashamed---we all do. but I have to pretend not to when the wifes about
Speaking as a "nerd" who is capable of finding fault in any video about this aircraft, I can only say this is flawless. One like - not enough.
Totally agree. Perfect presentation.
Totally agree, makes my effort look rubbish!
11m53s, since I have to be that guy to point out the single flaw.
I found a few... for instance, aircraft's are not invented, they are developed.
@@matsv201 Thankyou The Wright Brothers for inventing the Mosquito. That wasn't totally meant as a quip, I have often said - to whoever was listening - "No one designed a Jumbo Jet", with that same logic in mind.
My favourite all time Aircraft, a Jack of all Trades and a Master of All.
Also the first real stealth bomber and fighter
Yeh an undersung hero of ww2 could b described (with the big cannon ) as the first warthog not as powerful ( obviously) but better looking for me
Love the wordplay and the aircraft!
@@rayb241 Not true. Stealth was an unknown concept at the time.
Hadn't ever realised they were initially totally unarmed. Amazingly brave.
An engineering masterpiece, and one of the most beautiful machines that ever flew.
If something looks right, it usually is.
And just to be entirely clear, molded wood components were not *remotely* new, Lockheed started out doing this molded wood with concrete forms and building the component in half-shells exactly like this, much earlier. The Lockheed Vega, Sirius, Altair were all built like this. They were noted for their strength and for the speed, since they were very well-streamlined and needed no bracing (unlike most airplanes at the time).
My Great Grandfather worked for DeHavilland before migrating with his family to Australia. He was a welder, but worked in the experimental department after the War, being on early flights of the Comet etc. I believe worked on the shop floor during the War building Mosquitoes, and I have a wall clock that originally had a porcelain face - during an air raid it fell off the wall and smashed, so my Great Grandfather made a new face out of an off cut of the wood Mosquitoes were made from - it’s still ticking away happy now in my living room today. Last time I visited the UK, I went to Hatfield and saw where my Great Grandparents lived and my Granddad grew up. It was a very special day for me!
Awesome story!!!
G'day!! Great story. Thanks for sharing.
12:25 over 1,000 were built in Canada during the war. Yellow birch was used extensively in their construction. Many stands of this tree species were heavily harvested to produce these aircraft with the effects lasting for several decades. This was all necessary of course and foresters have done some good work to bring these stands back.
And half or more of a balsa forest in Ecuador was downed too during the war fir a mosquito production. Birch ply, spruce spars and stringers and balsa sandwich filler (end grain oriented)
Great comment, I was going to comment on the Canadian effort that people forget about both world wars. Most Americans think the war was done before they entered it. Great job Canada 🇨🇦 🍁
Many people thought it a backward step to make a plane from wood, one of the few failures of the wood I believe was in Canada. The Mosquito had been stored on the edge of the runway near some trees. I don't know how long for, but when they later went to move it. The bits of the tail started to off. They found that some termites had made a nest and been eating the wood. I heard about this from my late grandfather was an expert on glue and wood veneer his job was to inspect any damaged Mosquitos to check it was not a failure of the glue.
@@batman1169 Absolutely! And India too, which included Pakistan and Bangladesh in those days.
@@computertechnician4896 Would you store a grand piano near some trees, outdoors??
What a beauty! And her jet-propelled follow up, the Canberra, another classic looker. Glad the Brits are our allies.
It is mutual, friend.
@Raymond Cyst It is, NASA still use 2 of them I think
@@asriellian3058 I believe NASA/CIA have 3.
@Raymond Cyst They most certainly are. NASA uses them for high altitude experiments and observation, most recently using them to chase down the 2019 North American eclipse to facilitate a airborne telescope study of the Sun's Corona.
Don't forget the DeHavilla ARROW. A jet that blew the pants off anything in the world. The Amrican, military, industrial complex saw to it that the entire rpogram was shut down. Canada had some 6 flying, and they were all cut up for scrap. Britian desperately tried to buy one or two,, to no avail. The US of A was the new superpower and with nukes, who was going to argue. And so, with the same bad actors selling us off to China in the last 2 decades, we are toast.
The bomber version could fly to Berlin and back twice in one night, with a change of crews. But the thing that blows my mind is it having no guns of any kind, and the lowest loss rate of any RAF bomber. Simply amazing!
Many had 4 .303 machine guns and 4 20mm cannon in the nose
Depends on the variant. Variants for different roles we armed accordingly.
On the American side of the pond, this masterpiece is underrated and oft forgotten. We know the Spitfire, the Hurricane, and the Lancaster, but the Mosquito needs more recognition.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 are you saying, we are bloody liar's ? choose your weapons.
I belive there were mosquito in usaf service, poss photo recon units.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 Hollywood has rewritten history
@@MrDaiseymay Hey Philip, by chance in any video's on "mossies", do you recall reading anything about i think it was U.S GEN. "Hap" Arnold, he did not permit the P-38's from going on "ops" with Mosquito's ? ( for some reasoning ) I've read this in a couple of threads, are you able to link me up or any ref ? If so, greatly appreciated.
@@davidbarrass5210 Correct, there were scores of them in use by the USAAF, especially as the allies were heading accross Germany
My favourite propellor aircraft. What a thrill to hear the voice of a test pilot. I once knew a Mosquito pilot, still with the RAF moustache, who'd flown one in the war. He didn't speak about it much but the few times he did the stories were very humbling. He made the point that it was like a modern video game simulator, except that every time you stabbed that red button on the yoke someone really died. He said you tried not to think about that, even if they were the enemy.
The Mosquito has had a place in my heart since I can remember. My parents met in the De Havilland plant at Downsview Airfield in Downsview, Ontario. So, if not for the Mossie, I & my sister would never have been born. 😎❤️🦟
Fascinating. My late father was in bomber command in Liberators over Burma. He had a friend called Frank in his squadron who was a test pilot for the Mosquito. He said it was the best plane he ever flew. A glorious piece of British engineering of which we should be proud, always remember and always be grateful to the young men who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
As 12-13 kid in Narromine N.S.W. Australia I and my friends used to play in the remains of a P.R. version a 100 yards away from my home. Ex 618 Sqn. based at Narromine and modified to carry 2 smaller versions of the Barnes Wallis bouncing bomb to be used against the Japanese fleet, but weren't used owing to our naval victory at the battle of the Coral Sea. Bill Cheal
The presentation on these videos is perfect. It's prepared but not too strongly scripted. The various angles of the presenter are exactly what you'd experience following one tour guide from exhibit to exhibit. The little supporting clips are made so much better by the preceding context. I'll probably never get to visit your museum, so thank you for bringing such an authentic history experience to us all.
Well said....my thoughts exactly.
When visiting my sister, who lived in Cambridge, we often visited this air museum; but sadly ,before this beauty was on show.
"It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. I turn green and yellow with envy. The British, who can afford aluminum better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building, and they give it a speed which they have now increased yet again. What do you make of that? There is nothing the British do not have. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops. After the war is over I’m going to buy a British radio set - then at least I’ll own something that has always worked." Hermann Goering
😂 👍
Ouch, that's pretty harsh on his own lads, shows his admiration for the Gestapo thrasher though !!
He only had himself to blame. To impress Hitler, he wanted large numbers of planes for show, so they cranked out cheap, quick to produce craft that were inadequate against a modern airforce.
If he could see BMW and Mercedes now....plus they OWN Rolls Royce...for shame gentlemen, shame.
the me 109 had a more advanced power unit than the spitfire
Maybe the most gorgeous plane of the war, if you ask me.... Just love it...
Not maybe, , , DEFINITELY! absolutely beautiful!
Is there REALLY any doubt ?
Completely agree... many WW2 birds look good, but this plane is something else altogether... it's stunning...
Not remotely close
@@FDSixtyNine Don't say the P38, that is not remotely close to a Mossie!
My wife’s uncle - an Aussie pilot, flew mosquitos in WWII. I have a great book about the Mosquitos called The Gestapo Hunters. An amazing aircraft. I miss the stories my wife’s Uncle Roy used to tell us.
My uncle served in the erstwhile Royal Indian Air Force as a technician. He helped service and repair Mosquitoes and every other RAF machine that was sent to India. Many Indian tech's were sent into other theatres of the war and served alongside men from all over the world. They were all so overworked that they dispensed with long walks to and from barracks and usually snatched 40 winks on cold hangar floors. I have watched many of these videos but find no mention of groundstaff. They deserve to be remembered with as much respect as the men and machines that did the actual fighting.
On holiday in Jersey the late 1990's, I met a lovely gentleman that had worked on the Mosquito. He was clearly very proud to have worked on that great aircraft. He was a gent, meaning very gentlemanly. And a wonderful representative for the people of that era. He spoke with a very broad fenland dialect.
The ingenuity of WWII engineers never ceases to amaze.
The plane of choice for my grandfather who worked for the brits in wartime Sweden
Absolutely one of the most beautiful aircraft of WW2. One of my favourites
Just to come up with the concept of a lightweight wooden bomber in the era of Spitfires and BF109s was visionary, to make it as good as it turned out to be was a work of genius
And it's looks, a work of art.
@@concise707 Oh, it was absolutely beautiful, a beautiful killer like a flying femme fatale.
Is a shame there r not a few still capable of being flown
Thank you for making this wonderful video. It was tragic that one of the most famous pilots of the second world war, Wing Commander Guy Gibson, V.C., (the leader of the Dam Busters raid which was carried out by Lancaster bombers) was killed in a Mosquito while returning from a raid on Bremen when he crashed in the Netherlands in late 1944. We owe an immeasurable debt to him and all the other brave men and women around the world who served and still serve so selflessly to protect our way of life.
It now appears that Gibson was shot down in error by an RAF plane.
@@Coltnz1 Considering Gibsons personal reputation i doubt anyone in the RAF lost any sleep over that one. Good combat leader but not someone you wanted to share a mess with!
Did he was as pathfinder during that mission?
makes me wonder what the lads would think of our governments barcoding everyone like cattle now? We've lost our way
LOVE IT yes thank you very much!
I have to say, I never knew much about this airplane until watching this video. This is hands down my new favorite aircraft of WW2.
I'm american. my grandfather, a Canadian, lived in America at the start of the war. he joined the Canadian RAF at age 16 because he wanted to serve so badly. He became a navigator on a mosquito fighter bomber. Rest in Peace.
Thank you.
It's the Royal Canadian Air force. Aka RCAF.
My father (recently passed) was a 16 year old rivet boy at de Havilland Toronto in 1944. I was raised loving this aircraft. Great video. Thank you.
My favorite aircraft of all time!
My late mother worked in a furniture factory during the war and helped make the Mosquito. My favourite aircraft obviously.
I used to work in then Hawker Siddeley Chester in the early 70's, In the same Hanger that housed HTE. One of the last air worthy Mosquitoes. It was a fantastic aircraft and was invited into the cockpit many times by the Chief Engineer Harry Robbins, ex RAF. What a character !. Unfortunately it crashed in an air display in Barton Aerodrome in the 80's. Fond memories of such a fantastic aircraft. !
When I was a kid in the late 60’s I built a lot of airplane models. My favorite was the Mosquito. I didn’t know anything of it capabilities or uses in the war, but as a child it simply looked elegant and fast and I loved it. When I was a bit older and in the USAF I felt the same way about the F-4 Phantom, but that’s another story. 😊
PHANTOM--my favourite JET design
My father was in the Royal Engineers but as a skilled Sheet Metalworker he was seconded to De Havilland at Leavesden to work on the ailerons on the Mosquito which were made of aluminium alloy. In the evenings he returned to his flat in Kensal Rise to work as an ARP warden.
Probably one of the most amazing aircraft ever built!! Also the main inspiration for the A-10 Warthog!! Sir Geoffrey was a total genius and, along with the ill fated Comet, this was possibly the best design he ever produced!!! (The Comet’s demise was due entirely to the lack of understanding of the impact of metal fatigue at that time. His team did everything they could with the technology available then).
good thing mister De Havilland had a few bob to spend and went around the people making decisions at the time. great story well told.
What a great piece of aviation history. How innovative of De Havilland to produce something so far ahead of it's time.
These pieces are exceptionally produced. A perfect balance of history, narration, historical recordings, and best of all no loud over-produced musical sound track. Thanks for showing everyone else how this should be done.
My all-time favourite WW2 aircraft. Sleek, deadly , 2x Merlins & Göering's nemesis. A bit "off subject" I agree but Target tug: I remember a story told by the pilot of one. He was flying one for Naval gunnery practice, however a couple of shells burst uncomfortably close to the tug instead of the drogue. Signal from pilot: *"I'm PULLING the bloody thing".*
Had the pleasure of meeting and talking to several Brits in my lifetime. Wonderful warm-hearted people. Could not have wanted a better allie during ww2
The other signal from hard pressed target tug pilots was " We aim to please, You aim too please! "
Thanks so much for the video.My late Dad was part of the original Team in England making the prototype patterns for the first Mosquito,I am very proud RIP
As an American, well-read in all WWII literature, and with a father and 3 uncles who survived WWII, let me say this: The British are one of the most courageous people I have ever come to know, both in spirit and in physical deeds. We stand with you, always.
A favourite among the Airfix and Revell models of my youth.
Brilliant. The Mosquito’s record speaks for itself. ✈️👍
injubitably !
Wow - really impressive. I am awed by the men and women who designed, built and flew this amazing plane. Thanks to all and the Imperial War Museum for this lovely video!! My father was a WWII US Marine, paratrooper and jump instructor towards the end of the war. He got his private pilot's license, was a furniture designer/builder (among other things) and started building an all wood airplane in our garage in the early 60's. For 15+ years I was around wood, glue, gussets, etc. and he eventually won several awards. I'm sure he was inspired by the Mosquito as he knew his aircraft well.
Im a bit of a World War II aviation buff and although I was familiar with the Haviland mosquito, I didnt know its history or just how flexible the platform was. Turns out it was a much more capable and significant aircraft then I was aware. Thanks for educating me on this impressive aircraft.
What an amazing generation were those men and women born in the early 1920's! Just as impressive were the older designers and owners of companies, like DeHavilland, etc. They literally invented new technologies and others fought bravely and selflessly for principles...a stark contrast to much of what we are seeing today, (with notable exceptions, of course). What an enjoyable series of videos!
In one way, it was ahead of its time. Commercial aircraft are now being built with composite materials instead of metal. It definitely played a huge part in the war. Many thanks to all those brave pilots and factory workers that made it a success. Your contribution will never be forgotten.
jeremy ~ The Mosquito was made of composite materials instead of metal - plywood and epoxy resins.
JUST THE ONE ?????
I remember talking to someone who was in the RAF shortly after the war who knew a bit about the Mosquito. Apparently, when the German Luftwaffe first encountered it, they were baffled and didn't know what strange technology it had to be able to fly so fast and evade them. When reports came back it was made of wood, they didn't believe it.
Neither did Goering
The Germans also began using wooden construction in aircraft but progress was hampered by the R.A.F. bombing of a key glue factory (still in business today) and the substitute glues were unsafe to use.
I didn’t fancy the Mossie at first going off looks, preferring the single engine monoplanes, but reading up on it, the history, the innovation, the plethora of roles it filled excellently, it has grown on me and I love it now.
I'm lucky enough to live right next-door to an airport where they restored a mosquito. They tested it for several days and made quite a few passes right over the house. Music to the ears and a sight to behold.🇨🇦👍
I grew up in rural Ontario. Around there pretty much every town had a furniture factory back in the mid-1900s (most cases by the early 2000s). And every one produced Mosquito parts. The Canadian government really touted it's contribution to the Mosquito, both the construction of many of them as well as supplying a good portion of the wood that the Brits used to build them.
An outstanding machine.
My grandfather was in the RAF and he worked on Mosquitoes as ground crew. He used to re-arm them and calibrate the gun sights. We have a small picture frame he made from some windshield plastic from one of them. He told me they would run out at night and run their hands over the wing. If the guns had been fired the material over the wing would have holes in it.
the Mosquito has long been my fave aircraft of ww2, not just for its success but because i find it a quite beautiful aeroplane.
You Have wonderful taste
A truly amazing aircraft, as a kid I can remember watching the one they had near Broughton north wales flying over now and again. It looked good and sounded awesome. You can see why they were nick named the 'wooden wonder'. Thanks for posting this and best wishes from NZ.
And thank YOU New Zealand, for being responsible for all the wonderful Mosquito's, you have restored and / or rebuilt, these last few years. A masterpiece ALL.
The Merlin's have an amazing and very distinctive sound :-)
@@diceman199 YEAH---it's called WHATCH-OUT !!
My Grandfather serviced theses brilliant aircraft throughout ww11 and I keep his tools with respect and love for a great man who put everything to keep these brilliant planes flying into action. Regards Glen .
Ah yes world war eleven
@@Prokerboss roman numerals
My grandfather was a manager at the Mosquito plant in Ontario, Canada, during the war. An amazing aircraft. It'll always be my favourite WW2 plane.
Good on Mr. De Havilland , a man not afraid to back his vision with money & action! Once again the experts were proved WRONG!
My mother met one of the De Havilland family members, can never remember her name but she always says how wonderful they were, how clever and how much energy they had, she said that she really, really wanted my mother to come work with her as an engineer as she liked my mum but my mum could never do the maths so she had to decline, but she was still very kind and joyful. Very interesting history and great people!
My hat is off to the British for such a magnificent aircraft !! It thrilled me to hear the many accolades from the men that knew them best. And to imagine the thrill that they must have felt ( most likely after a pint or two ) as they roared into battle in their untouchable steeds. A tremendous airplane for sure !!
My Grandmother helped build these too, she was always very proud of her efforts and contribution. My Dad brought up in London until he was eventually evacuated sat on the pub roof where he lived spotting for the RAF and to the day he died was able to spot almost any wartime aircraft from a good distance. However, the end of the TV show 'Dad's Army' always had to be turned off as he could not bare the sound of the air raid siren. He was blown out of four homes before leaving London. He was also friends with the family that housed him, in particular a boy his own age for life. Unfortunately only one of them could attend the funeral of the other. Both of them supporters and firm believers in a united Europe and the EU, they'd seen and experienced the opposite.
My father was a navigator on Lancasters in WW2. He told us how he once got to go up in a Mosquito that was being tested after some maintenance repairs. He had a big smile on his face when he said "boy oh boy that plane was so fast!"
Excellent commentary from the IWM. A brilliant design concept that took advantage of the needs and supplies of the era and accelerated aircraft production. Even suitable wood and skilled craftsmen were in short supply in the UK. If it were not for the reticence of the RAF High Command and the disbelief of the Americans much larger numbers could have been produced in North America where suitable wood and 'joiners' were probably more available. As well as being produced by 'furniture factories' with minimal metal components the design had a huge production efficiency advantage over other aircraft of the period. The fuselage was made in two halves with all the mechanical and electrical cables installed before the two halves were joined. Much more efficient than fitters crawling through the fuselage. I have heard/read elsewhere that the best pilots and navigators were assigned to Mosquito Squadrons. Apparently the Mosquitoes were often 'Pathfinders', dropping flares over the target and hanging around to observe the main attack and drop further flares as necessary.
These videos are such good promotions for the IWM, I need to go ASAP!
Also check out The Tank Museum. They are brilliant.
Graham, We met yesterday at Graveley and I mentioned my father was a Mosquito pilot, we had a little time to chat and you directed me to this video. Congratulations it is superb, and yes you did the Mossie proud....your enthusiasm for it comes across well, thank you. ps. I have now subscribed and will be viewing the other videos in the collection. Also, my father loved flying the Mustang so that is next on my viewing list.....
One of the best planes of World War 2. Doesn't get the recognition it deserves
THE best plane of WW2! if you were a German pilot, you were awarded 2 kills, for shooting one down, if you could catch it!
When I was a young boy I knew a Master Wheelright who had a Mossie prop suspended above his workbench. He had worked on producing this outstanding aircraft during the war. He was a very interesting character who had also cut glass for replacement stained windows in Coventry Cathedral after it was bombed during the war. His name was Alf Stock and he gave me a glass cutter that he had used when working on the windows. He also made wagon wheels for Pinewood film studios.
What a fantastic video! As a citizen of the “rebel colonies,” 😄 I have been very privileged to have on two separate occasions visited Duxford IWM. Truly one of the most amazing museums I’ve visited, and with an amazing collection of aircraft, land warfare exhibits, and then the restoration shops where you can see these magnificent machines being lovingly restored. The only shame is there is just too much to see - you cannot do it justice on one day! I shall definitely be subscribing and look forward to more wonderful content. Thanks to you Duxford!
Brad, I thought the same when we visited last year.. so we are going again this year.
Rebels can be and are still best of friends. :)
My woodwork teacher worked on making those .... one of the first things he taught us was how to laminate wood with "horse" glue and shape it in a vacuum mat.Techniques I imagine he used when building "Mozzies"....😊
How cool is it to learn from some that had such a part in history
6:25, I'd just like to point out in this clip for those who didn't notice, look at the left propeller, it's not spinning (and it's not the shutter-rotation speed thing) as a multi-engine aircraft it was banking at a high speed using only one of it's engines. Cool.
Thanks for that - I did a double take when I saw that.
I saw that, I figured they were testing its capabilities flying on only one engine, it looks like the prop is feathered.
Hmm, would they actually shut down an engine in a turn like that? I would have thought it would just be reduced to idle. Also - the prop looks feathered which would decrease the asymmetric thrust since it would decrease the drag on that engine side, I wonder why that is?
I'd just like to point out that it is "its engines" and not "it's engines" as the possessive pronoun its doesn't have an apostrophe, unlike the contraction it's, which does.
Good spot. And it's not until he points it out, that one realises how stonkingly big the props are...
It's criminal that we don't have a Mossi flying alongside the Lancaster and Spitfires such an important aircraft God bless all who flew in them
They weren’t used in the Battle of Britain. The Lancaster, Spitfire & Hurricane make up the Battle of Britain flight (BBMF).
@@peterking2651 Neither was the Lancaster Sir.
Here's a KZhead video of a Mosquito, Lancaster, Spitfire, and two Hurricanes flying in formation over Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 2013: kzhead.info/sun/e5WMaZSjfpiCi5E/bejne.html Nine Merlin engines in total. Enjoy!
The problem was the glue used in construction started to break down as the aeroplane aged. There was concern they would breakup in flight so were scrapped. Some are being or have been restored.
@@peterking2651 I heard a rumor that the TIII that crashed in the 90s was supposed to go to the BBMF
The wooden wonder! The music from 633 Squadron is still burned into my brain from watching it as a child with my dad.
Exactly the same with me!
this explains a lot - as a child I was making an airfix model of an FW190 - my Father was a mosquito pilot and took one look at it and said something about it being the only thing that could catch him
I worked with an ex RAF man One of his jobs, just after the war, was wax polishing the Mozy to give it a few more MPH air speed !
your father is legendary, never forget that
My great uncle James Earl Hack was a P47 pilot in Germany. God bless
My mum worked in Warring & Gillows Lancaster furniture factory, making gliders and dad used to fly in them,, well done girls, they were the days, very proud of you all.
I love the Mossie, even though I've never seen one personally, but while I've only flown a Cessna 152 a handful of times, I'd love to fly in the wooden wonder. One can dream. Thank you for this video.
Go and find videos of Mosquito KA114. There are some awesome in cockpit videos of her on take off and in flight . Remember to hook up to a decent sound system or headphones for the awesome Merlins...
@@paulluce2557 I've been privileged enough to see and hear one in flight. Twin Merlin's - what a sound. My dad knew what it was before he even saw it, just the sound alone told him it was Mossie - he served in the RAF after the war.
@@paulluce2557 ABSOLUTELY KA114 has the greatest sound of all. A real Beaut.
Utterly brilliant! Can you imagine a project like that taking place today? Salute to all involved!
The de havilland museum at Salisbury hall is where they have the original prototype mosquito and wow it’s stunning, they’re some of the coolest planes ever
Magnificent, one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century and so well presented by an obviously enthusiastic narrator.
That comparison with the B17 has blown my mind ! Thank you very much for yet another great video. I look forward to visiting IWM Duxford again soon.
The B-17 was an older concept and built to a very different philosophy.
@@EricIrl And typically requiring much more room for fuel to fly long range strategic bombing missions
@@johnbeauchamp1743 the Lancaster carried 4 or 5 times the payload of the B17, and flew further too, so fuel was also required ... and with far fewer crew members to boot, yet its defences were comparative to the B17's
B-17's could carry more than 4000lb of bombs, so i don't know where they're getting that comparison from - the B-17G for carry 8000lb of bombs...
@@EricIrl True, as were Britains two engine Bomber's, as the man explained. The Germans made the same mistake, by not building 4 engine bomber's, but thousands of Two engines bomber's, because they had envisaged a short quick war, and ,not planned for a protracted long War of attrition.
Love it. Britain at its best 🇬🇧
The first fw190 or me109 to actually catch a mozzie with the hispanos and .303s would have had a rather big surprise. Thanks for the video, I could have listened for an easy hour!
My father was a young man during WWII and in his later life could be persuaded to speak a little bit of it. His position required him to sign the Official Secrets Act and he never did even tell my mother what he was up to until the war was well over....and not me until the 30 years were up. It was an amazing and terrifying time for everyone.
Now a couple of years ago the blueprints for the Mosquito were found in a filing cabinate at Airbus North Wales. I also discovered a [edit] YT video of a mosquito being made.(edit: it's a restoration) I'm not sure if they are using the blueprints from Wales but I am waiting to see a new British Mosquito take to the skies again.
link to the document? I'm gonna give this a shot.
That would be awesome.
@@brooxeyyy About 15 years ago? On a bike trip, my friends and I Spied a Dragon Rapide under an open barn like structure on a farm. Of course, we investigated. We found several aircraft, some in pieces, some functional. We found one guy tinkering with a homebuilt aircraft, and while chatting he mentioned "The Comet" that the owner of the barn was building. "Comet? You mean Comet racer?" Sure enough, he took us inside to look at a De Haviland Comet racer copy that was about 80% complete. When I say "Copy" it was exactly that, somehow this guy had either a copy of the plans, or had spent a long time viewing them. It was an actual copy, not a replica. I heard that since then the farm owner had died, and the collection sold off. I wonder what happened to it?
There are 2 planned for the UK and under construction. Look up " the peoples mosquito" and the pathfinder trust
I've been lucky enough to experience one of Graham's talks in person. Great stuff.
I was keen to find out more about the Mosquito since it's just been released for DCS. I must say, this is a brilliant example of British ingenuity and I'm very impressed and looking forward to flying it. Excellent show IWM. You have every right to be proud of it.
Mosquito has always been my favorite WW2 aircraft.... I learned a lot from this video. I never knew that, even at its peak production, they were only putting out one aircraft per day. Talk about a premium hand-built super-plane!
One aircraft per day but that the video said they had four sites so that is a total of just four per day.
4:05 I think he meant one aircraft per production line, per day? So four per day total.
Total production was around 7800 from " '40 to '50 " as per narrator, assuming twice as many were made during the war (?) would mean an average of about 1.78 per day, still an incredibly low number... too bad the Americans didn't get in on the action... especially given the feedback from the pilots, one has to wonder at the lack of support there (?)
But...they were also built in Canada. I think the narrator was talking abount one plant in the UK. Maybe?
@@sigma_six"....too bad the Americans didn't get in on the action... especially given the feedback from the pilots, one has to wonder at the lack of support there ." Why"wonder" ? The "Americans" (The ones from the U.S. I presume you mean.) would never acknowledge that Britain could actually build something better, for less $$$. Just not the "American Way"...... Is it?
The Mossie is a great aircraft and a very pretty bird it is too!
I've long had a love affair with the Mozzie, not just for its design brilliance and phenomenal performance, but also for its beautiful aesthetics. It looks like it's going like the clappers when it's just standing still - or hanging still, like the one in this museum. Gorgeous aircraft. And great video IWM, thank you so much for producing it!
I really enjoy these videos from Duxford and Graham Rodgers, I found them by accident but he explains the history of each aircraft so well, I'll definitely be along to the museum to visit next time I've got a day off and I'm near Cambridge.
this is why I spend hours on youtube and never turn on my tv anymore.absolutely loved that, just need to pull myself together before I get off to work.
Great post, IWM! Not only was the Mosquito aesthetically lovely, but its prowess in warfare exceeded all expectations.
As an WWII aircraft KZheadr, I’ll have to admit this is great content, keep up the awesome work!
A man with a passion for them. Very well presented.
Wow! Loved watching this video and saving it. "Necessity is the mother of invention", but this is true innovation, thinking outside the box and developing something truly outstanding. The Mosquito was well named if its annoyance of the Gestapo was anything to go by! Excellent Video IWM, and thank you. Thanks also to all those brave pilots who flew them.