], based on ideas that were the complete opposite of the prevailing views on the bomber concept at that time. The Air Ministry in the years before the war organized the evolution of generations of bombers so that each subsequent type was heavier and better armed than the previous one. Whether the mission was for a light day bomber, a medium day bomber, or a heavy night bomber, the requirements for each included a larger bomb load, longer range, stronger defensive armament, and a resulting larger crew. This inevitably led to an increase in weight, and this, in turn, to an increase in the labor intensity of manufacturing the machine and the consumption of raw materials, especially light alloys, which in the late 30s. became the main material for aircraft construction.

1*

De Havilland "Mosquito" MkIV

Ceiling: 9150 m.

Flight range: 1786 km.

2 .

2 and 6.4 kg/cm 2 2

Notes:

DE HAVILLAND "MOSQUITO"

One of the outstanding aircraft of the Second World War is the Mosquito, based on ideas that were the complete opposite of the prevailing views on the bomber concept at that time. The Air Ministry in the years before the war organized the evolution of generations of bombers so that each subsequent type was heavier and better armed than the previous one. Whether the mission was for a light day bomber, a medium day bomber, or a heavy night bomber, the requirements for each included a larger bomb load, longer range, stronger defensive armament, and a resulting larger crew. This inevitably led to an increase in weight, and this, in turn, to an increase in the labor intensity of manufacturing the machine and the consumption of raw materials, especially light alloys, which in the late 30s. became the main material for aircraft construction.

Although the De Havilland company in the mid-30s. was not listed among the main suppliers of combat aircraft for the Air Force, its leading designers S. Walker, R. Bishop and J. De Havilland himself were certainly familiar with the trends in the re-equipment and expansion of military aviation. The company's specialty was light aircraft and passenger cars made of wood. The importance of high aerodynamic purity for obtaining good speed characteristics was well known to De Havilland employees, who had extensive experience in the participation of the company's aircraft in various races and flights. As a result, when in Hatfield on August 24, 1936 they received the assignment R. 13/36 (this document subsequently led to the production Manchester, Lancaster and Halifax), the De Havilland designers were somewhat irritated by its main provisions, since it required the creation of a heavily armed all-metal bomber.

This irritation did not prevent the Hatfield design bureau from carrying out preliminary design of several aircraft meeting the R. 13/36 specification, based on the twin-engine versions of the DH.91 Albatross or the armed DH.95 Flamingo. The latter was the company's first serious attempt at metal aircraft construction. By mid-1938, Hatfield's favorite project was a modification of the Albatross with two Merlin engines (the construction, of course, was all wood). The company believed that “additional wooden aircraft manufacturing capacity would not be superfluous in the event of the outbreak of war, when the need for aircraft would increase and the metalworking industry would be overloaded with orders. The wooden structure, in addition, made it possible to quickly build a prototype and speed up the preparation of subsequent modifications.

De Havilland was not alone in its concern for saving strategic materials. Since February 1938, J. Lloyd from Armstrong-Whitworth has been doing the same thing. At the end of this year, the Air Ministry issued at least one task, V. 18/38, for a medium bomber with minimal use of light alloys. As a result, Armstrong-Whitworth launched the Albermarle series made of steel and wood. The De Havilland project was far from simply replacing metal with wood. A small (crew - two people) bomber with high flight characteristics without any defensive weapons was proposed, since it was believed that high speed and high altitude would protect the aircraft from enemy fighters and anti-aircraft artillery. The deeper the ideas were developed, the more enthusiastic the designers at Hatfield became. The designed aircraft would be less labor-intensive and cheaper than any medium bomber of the time, it would not use strategic materials, and it could be produced using existing production facilities. Moreover, the two-man crew promised to reduce the cost of maintaining and training Air Force personnel. Given its higher speed, the new aircraft could deliver a larger bomb load to its target in a month than a large slow-moving aircraft.

These arguments seemed sound, but the concept of an unarmed bomber was too innovative for Air Ministry officials, who were closely involved with the creation of a new generation of heavy bombers with powerful weapons, which were in development in mid-1939. The De Havilland project would have been stuck if it had not found support from W. Freeman, who was responsible for advanced work at the ministry. From September until the end of 1939, he constantly supported the idea of ​​an unarmed two-seater, fighting off attempts to include in the De Havilland mission a requirement for the installation of turrets or remotely controlled machine guns to protect the aircraft from the rear and a third crew member.

During this period, options were explored using Rolls-Royce Griffon, Napier Dagger and Napier E112 engines instead of Merlins, but the option with two Merlins won. In this form, the DH.98 (as the new bomber project was called in Hatfield) was supposed to have the following characteristics (according to a letter from J. De Havilland to W. Freeman dated September 20, 1939): maximum speed - 652 km/h, cruising speed - 515 km/h (both at an altitude of 6100 m); the aircraft will be able to carry a bomb load of 454 kg over a distance of 2414 km.

As a bomber, the DH.98 was not intended to carry defensive weapons, but instead of bombs, the aircraft could be equipped with offensive small arms for use as a potential long-range escort fighter. Speed ​​and range also made it a very promising photo reconnaissance aircraft. By November 1939, the bomber, fighter and reconnaissance versions of the basic project had already been developed. From this point on, the design reserved space under the cabin floor for the installation of four 20 mm cannons. By the end of the year, despite the fact that some of the performance estimates made by De Hevilland were considered overestimated by the Ministry, official interest was growing and was finally expressed in the order of the DH.98 prototype. The specialization of the vehicle was not precisely defined, but the order was formed by task B. 1/40 (for a bomber). The possibility of reconnaissance was also envisaged there, but the ministry showed no interest in the fighter.

1* In connection with the publication of a monograph on the Mosquito, the story about this bomber is given in an abbreviated version

The first experimental bomber "Mosquito" November 1940




Two views of the 23rd Mosquito IV from the first series of 50 vehicles. The aircraft has shortened engine nacelle fairings.

In fact, the fighter variants of the DH.98, for which De Havilland proposed the name "Mosquito" and subsequently adopted by the Air Ministry, became more numerous and more important than the bomber variants, but they are beyond the scope of this article. However, the complex history of the Mosquito's origins will apply to both fighter and bomber variants.

By the time the order for the DH.98 prototype was signed, they had already decided to purchase a batch of 50 aircraft in accordance with the assignment of B. 1/40 for a reconnaissance bomber. This order was received at Hatfield on March 1, 1940. The aircraft, as planned from the very beginning, was to be made entirely of wood. The monoblock wing was supposed to accommodate 10 fuel tanks. The fuselage was assembled from two halves, connected along the longitudinal axis, which facilitated the installation of equipment and wiring of lines before they were fastened. The sheathing was mostly birch plywood. Both the wing and the fuselage had internal and external skins, separated in the wing by longitudinal (spanwise) slats, and in the fuselage by balsa filler. At first, casein glue was used to connect the parts, which was later replaced by a more suitable formaldehyde glue.

Construction of the DH.98 prototype was carried out in a hangar erected opposite Salisbury Hall, a manor house five miles from Hatfield, where the De Havilland Design Bureau was evacuated. This work took most of 1940, while Hatfield prepared equipment and accumulated materials for the series. In the spring and summer of 1940, following the appointment of Lord Beaverbrook as First Minister of Aviation Industry, emphasis was placed on expanding the production of five types of aircraft, which could quickly and effectively strengthen the British Air Force. For some time, the future of Mosquito seemed doubtful. However, the orders remained, and the general director of De Havilland reported to the Minister of Aviation Industry that the 50 copies ordered could be ready by the end of 1941. This promise was made four months before the first flight and was valid only because of the simplicity of the wooden structure." Mosquito."

In July 1940, a prototype fighter version of the DH.98 was ordered (contracted in November), and one of the production aircraft was allocated for this purpose. The rest of the party was still reconnaissance bombers. In January 1941 the order was changed again: a third reconnaissance prototype was included, and the rest of the series now consisted of 19 reconnaissance aircraft, 28 fighters and not a single bomber! From that moment on, the situation with orders became more and more complicated. New orders were superimposed on additions to old ones. In fact, the first series of 50 aircraft consisted of three prototypes (all with different functions), 10 bombers, 28 fighters and 9 reconnaissance aircraft. They were the first of a total of 6,411 Mosquitoes built in England (until 1950), 1,134 in Canada and 212 in Australia.

The first prototype DH.98, painted yellow on all sides and bearing experimental company number E0234, was transported along the highway from Salisbury Hall to Hatfield in early November 1940. There, on November 25, J. De Haviland (the eldest son of the company’s founder) took it on its first flight; J. Walker was in the right seat. Less than a year has passed since the start of design, and the results of the first flight immediately brought optimistic results. Of course, there were inevitable problems. Difficulties arose with cooling the engines; buffeting occurred, which was eliminated by lengthening the engine nacelle fairings to the trailing edge of the wing. On February 19, 1941, the prototype arrived at the AAEE test center. There, its handling both in the air and on the ground was considered excellent. The speed of the new aircraft was amazing, and ultimately made its future production program secret. One of the first obstacles was an accident on February 24, 1941, when the fuselage broke down. The prototype was temporarily returned to Hatfield for repairs. On 3 May 1941 the aircraft returned to Boscombe Down; the yellow top was now painted over with the standard green and brown camouflage and the number W4050 was listed on board. Weighing 7612 kg, the AAEE determined the Mosquito's speed to be 624 km/h at an altitude of 707 m. Significantly higher speeds on the same vehicle were obtained before the end of 1942 after the installation of Merlin 61 engines with a two-stage two-speed supercharger , and then Merlin 77, and increasing the wingspan. In this form, the W4050 actually reached 703 km/h in horizontal flight and climbed to a height of 11,521 m.

Performance characteristics

De Havilland "Mosquito" MkIV

Engines: two Rolls-Royce Merlin 21 with take-off power of 1280 hp.

Armament: 454 kg of bombs (for mod.473 - 1816 kg).

Maximum speed: 549 km/h at an altitude of 6100 m.

Cruising speed: 490-510 km/h.

Ceiling: 9150 m.

Flight range: 1786 km.

Weight: empty - 9894 kg, takeoff - 10160 kg.

Dimensions: wingspan - 16.51 m; length – 12.47 m; height (parked) – 4.65 m; wing area - 42.18 m 2 .

Release of bombers In September 1941, the eighth Mosquito was assembled as a bomber, originally laid down as a reconnaissance aircraft of the PR MkI type. This aircraft arrived at AAEE at Boscombe Down on 27 September. It was followed there on 18 October by the first of nine production bombers, the B MkIV Srs.l (also known as the “transitional reconnaissance bomber”, since they were originally ordered as reconnaissance aircraft and completed as bombers). The designation Srs.l (series 1) indicated that the aircraft had the original short nacelle fairings. All later aircraft had extended nacelles, introduced to counteract buffeting. The remaining B MkIVs were considered series 2 (Srs.2) and, in addition to elongated engine nacelles, had two underwing outboard smooth-fitting tanks of 227 liters each.

The initial Mosquito bomber variants were equipped with Merlin 21 and Merlin 23 engines, and could carry a bomb load of 908 kg on an internal sling: two 454 kg bombs or four 227 kg bombs. Before the end of 1941, a prototype bomber was used to test underwing pylons, which were initially designed to carry one 227 kg bomb under each wing. This variant in the series was supposed to be called B MkV, but there was no mass production, although a modified prototype was sometimes referred to under this brand.

A total of 300 Mosquito B.IV Srs 2 were produced. Their delivery began in April 1942. It should be noted that nine of them were assembled in other modifications, and 27 were later converted into reconnaissance aircraft. The 105th Squadron was chosen as the first unit to be re-equipped with Mosquito bombers. But the need to meet the needs of fighter and photo reconnaissance units led to the fact that the delivery of vehicles was initially very slow. From November 15, 1941 to mid-May 1942, only nine B MkIV Srs.l arrived, used for crew retraining and familiarization flights. The first Series 2 aircraft entered service with the squadron in mid-May when it was based at Horsham St Fens (now Norwich Airport). However, four Srs.l were used on the first combat missions. On May 31, the planes struck Cologne singly at intervals; this was just before the first "1000 Bombers" raid on this city. The first operations did not bring significant success - partly due to the "infantile diseases" of the first production aircraft, but to a greater extent due to the need to work out the best tactics for their use.

During the first combat missions, the 105th Squadron tried to strike from high and low altitudes and from a shallow dive. For example, on September 19, 1942, a daytime high-altitude raid on Berlin was carried out - the first of the war. Six Mosquito were sent, only two reached Berlin and one of them went to the reserve target - Hamburg, since Berlin was covered by clouds. Although the Mosquito was the fastest aircraft used at the front, its speed superiority over the Fw190 was not so great as to avoid interception, in particular when flying at high altitude. Several aircraft of the 105th were shot down by German fighters. By the end of November 1942, No. 105 Squadron had lost 24 aircraft in 282 missions, a loss rate greater than Bomber Command's night operations.

The Mosquito's second bomber squadron, the 139th, became operational in November. Several months these #9632; the two squadrons that formed part of the 2nd Group specialized in precision strikes, especially from low altitudes at dawn or dusk. The targets were specially selected for them. These operations ended when the 2nd Group joined the 2nd Tactical Air Force on 1 June 1943.

Two Mosquito squadrons were transferred to 8 Group, which then became Bomber Command's Target Acquisition Force. By the end of May, 105 Squadron had flown 524 missions and lost 35 aircraft, while 139 had 202 and 13 respectively. As part of the Force, the two squadrons began to settle into their new roles from early June. They were then joined by 109 Squadron, which received the B MkIV in July-August 1942 and mastered the Oubou (Oboe) navigation system.

The improvement and production of Mosquito during this period, of course, did not stop. Production (of all modifications) in September 1942 reached 250 aircraft, in October - 346. To the main plant in Hatfield, enterprises in Lovesden (where only fighters were made) were added, belonging to the “shadow” association known as the Second Aviation Group, provided by various parts from subcontractors. By this time, a total of 2,384 Mosquitoes had been ordered from Hatfield and Lovesden; another 1,500 were going to be received from Canada and from Standard Motors, which was to become the third supplier of such aircraft in England. Later, Percival Aircraft joined the production of bombers; Additional assembly lines were built by Airspeed in Portsmouth and at the De Havilland plant in Chester.

The improvement of bombers proceeded mainly through increasing the bomb load and improving the power plant. As already mentioned, the first of the first 10 production bombers was used as a prototype with the installation of wing bomb racks instead of the standard 227 liter drop tanks found on the MkIV Srs2. This work led to the creation of a universal wing, under which it was necessary to suspend 454 liter tanks or two 227 kg bombs. The additional weight associated with such a load required increased engine power. The installation of Merlins with two-stage superchargers promised both an increase in power and, what is also important, an increase in the operating ceiling, which could protect the Mosquito from the ever-increasing German air defense. The original Mosquito prototype first flew with Merlin 61 on June 20, 1942. This was the first stepping stone to the introduction of the new Merlins. They needed an additional air intake located under the spinner of the propeller.

The prototype of the new modification of the bomber (without model designation) took off on August 8, 1942. It was the first to have a pressurized cabin, which allowed the Mosquito to climb to a height of 12,192 m. In October, the first prototype was replaced by Merlin 61 with Merlin 77. In At the end of the year, this machine reached 703 km/h, which is apparently the highest speed for the Mosquito and probably the highest speed achieved on a combat propeller-driven aircraft that took off before the end of 1942. A significant number of improvements were made in two stages . The first production bomber of this type was the B MkIX, which made its first flight on March 24, 1943. The Mosquito IX, also produced in a reconnaissance version (PR), featured a new universal wing and Merlin 72/73 engines. The maximum power of the latter was 1680 hp. at an altitude of 2590 m and 1460 hp. at 6400 m. Later, Merlin 76/77 appeared with a power of 1710 hp. at 3353 m and 1475 hp. at 7010 m. These engines had a drive for an air blower into the cabin, however, the pressurized cabin for the B MkIX was not developed in time. Its introduction was associated with modification B MkXVI, mentioned below. Only 54 units were produced in MkIX.

"Mosquito" - target designators With six bombs of 227 kg and 2433 liters of fuel in the internal tanks, the "Mosquito" Mk.IX weighed 10,442 kg; later the weight increased to 11,350 kg due to the installation of additional equipment. Delivery of the Mk.IX began in April 1943, first received by the 109th Squadron, then by the 139th and 105th. The 109th's aircraft, like their previous B Mk.IVs, were equipped with the Oubow system, a radio system that allowed the aircraft to follow. radio beam to the bombing point (based on a signal from two ground stations) without navigation by ground landmarks and providing good accuracy. Starting from the night of December 20 to 21, 1942, Mosquito target designators from the 8th group played an increasingly important role in marking. targets for the main formation of bombers. The 109th was joined by the 105th, which also received the B MkIX from the Oubow after transferring from the 2nd group to the 8th in mid-1943. Flying alone at night at altitudes up to 9144 m, the Mosquito. "-target designators were practically inaccessible for interception. For more than 750 sorties carried out until the end of 1943, the two squadrons lost only three aircraft (that is, 0.4% of their strength). Before the end of the year, the units that had the Oubow began to act even more effectively, gradually replacing the Mosquito B Mk.IX with the B Mk. XVI.

After transfer to 8 Group, the third Mosquito unit, 139 Squadron, also took up new work (using the B Mk.IV and, from 3 October 1943, the Mk.IX), conducting diversionary or decoy raids to to divert attention from the main goals, confuse enemy air defenses and disrupt the production process at factories by constantly announcing air raid alerts. Each raid used a small number of aircraft. They took bombs on board, but causing damage with them was not the main task. On the B MkIX in 139 Squadron, the G-H system was introduced, which gave an effect similar to "Oubow", but the navigation calculations were carried out directly on the aircraft, and not at ground stations. Of greatest importance, of course, was the introduction of the H2S, an aircraft radar bombsight that provided complete independence from ground stations, and thus did not limit the range as with the Oubow and G-H. The Mosquito B.MkIV with H2S entered service with 139 Squadron in January 1944. The device was first used to mark targets in Berlin on 1 February. As an additional anti-aircraft defense measure, the 139th began dropping tinfoil ribbons (“Windows”) in front of the main forces; often she walked immediately behind the Mosquito target designators with navigation radio systems.

As the first three bomber squadrons were re-equipped with the Mosquito Mk.IX and later variants, the B.MkIV was freed up for two new units: 627 Squadron (November 1943) and 692 Squadron (January 1944). Operating as part of 8 Group in conjunction with 139 Squadron, 692 became the core of the Light Night Strike Force, which proved to be one of the most effective weapons in 1944-45, especially after the arrival of the B.MkXVI and the Canadian Mosquito variants. . 627 Squadron fought alongside 692 Squadron for several months, but was transferred from 8 Group to 5 Group in April 1944 for use as target markers. In this case, tactics developed in the 617th squadron ("Dambusters") were used; her Lancasters dived at targets from a low altitude. Operating on vehicles of modifications IV, IX, XVI, XX and 25, this unit specialized in low-altitude flights until the end of the war. While serving in this squadron on the night of September 17, 1944, Commander G. Gibson, a holder of many orders, who commanded the 617th during the famous Lancaster attack on the dams in Germany, was killed. The 617th itself later also used Mosquito for target designation, using tactics worked out by group commander L. Cheshire. However, this unit relied more heavily on FB MkVI fighter-bombers, although it also had a few B.MkIVs. The B.MkIV was also flown by the 192nd Squadron of the 100th Group (bomber operations support), which had aircraft specially equipped to detect enemy radio and radar equipment in order to counter them.

Highball and Cookie In 1943, two new weapons were developed for the Mosquito, which promised to dramatically increase the Mosquito's effectiveness as a bomber. One of them turned out to be useless, and the second gave a lot in the raids on Germany. The first development was called "Highball". This mine, weighing 277 kg, was designed in parallel with the Apkip (a special dam-busting bomb used by 617 Squadron against the Ruhr dams), but was intended against ships. Highball was considered primarily from the point of view of a single attack on Tirpitz. At the beginning of 1943, the Mosquito was chosen as the carrier, and the date of the raid was set on May 15 (the day before the famous flight of the 617th). With the bomb bay doors removed, the Mosquito could carry two Highballs in tandem. An auxiliary device spun the mine up to 700 rpm so that after being dropped it would jump along the surface of the water, jumping over the protective nets before hitting the side of the ship.

After testing the system on one MkIV, another 27 vehicles were converted to carry Highball mines. The 618th Squadron was formed to prepare for the operation. However, the weapon was ready only by the end of 1943 and the raid on the Tirpitz was cancelled. In July 1944, 618 Squadron was withdrawn to operate against enemy ships in the Pacific using Highball mines. 29 Mosquito IVs (including most of those previously modified) received Merlin 25 engines, additional armor plate, new canopies and arresting hooks for landing on an aircraft carrier. In late 1944, the 618th sailed to Australia aboard the escort carriers Fencer and Stryker, taking 25 aircraft and 125 Highball mines. However, the decision was made not to use the squadron - partly due to a lack of suitable targets, and partly due to fear that captured weapons could easily be copied and used by the enemy.

In April 1943, the De Havilland concluded that the Mosquito, after minor modifications, would be able to carry one 1816 kg bomb (Cookie). Two months later, one B.MkIV was converted in a similar way; the first flight took place in July. The modification amounted to creating a “pot-bellied” fuselage; At the same time, the bomb bay flaps were changed, a small fairing was placed behind the bomb bay, and inside the latter a suspension for one large bomb was equipped. As an alternative to one large bomb, four 227 kg bombs could be taken (and two more under the wing if there were no drop tanks). However, the option with two 454 kg bombs was discarded. The modified MkIV's gross weight increased to 10,215 kg and stability problems arose, only partially resolved by the introduction of a larger horn compensator on the elevators. However, plans arose to release a batch of conversion kits and introduce this modification into the series. The modified aircraft, called B MkIV (Special), were ready for combat operations in January 1944. The first to drop a 1,816 kg bomb was a Mosquito from 692 Squadron: three modified MkIVs were used for the first time in a raid on Düsseldorf on the night of 23 on February 25th.

About 20 MkIV and no more than 20 MkIX were converted to large bombs. Projects to convert all existing aircraft were abandoned due to stability difficulties. These were overcome by the B.MkXVI, which began rolling out of factories in October. With the exception of the first 12, all MkXVIs had a pot-bellied bomb bay. Another important feature of this modification was the pressurized cabin, which raised the working ceiling to 10,668 m. The pressurization in the cabin was of the order of only 0.14 atm, which lowered the equivalent altitude by about 3,050 m, so that oxygen masks were still needed and the crews trained in pressure chambers.

The first example of the final version of the B.MkXVI with a "bellied" bomb bay made its maiden flight on the first day of 1944, with J. De Havilland at the controls. A month later he appeared in AAEE. The maximum weight was now 11,766 kg with one bomb of 1,816 kg and two drop tanks of 455 liters each, but the aircraft were usually operated at a slightly lower weight. The combat radius was 885 km, the maximum speed was 656 km/h (at an altitude of 8687 m) with a full combat load and 674 km/h after the bombs were dropped; this is about 129 km/h more than the ground speed.

No. 139 Squadron used Mosquito B.MkXVIs in a raid on the night of 10-11 February 1944, and the Cookies were first flown from the type in early March at Monchengladbach. The two squadrons that used the Aubow, 105 and 109, received the Mosquito XVI in March 1944. Subsequently, this modification, which became the most widespread of the wartime Mosquito bombers, was equipped with four more Light squadrons. night strike forces - the previously mentioned 628th, as well as the 128th, 571st and 608th. The Light Force squadrons were also the main users of the Canadian Mosquito XX and Mosquito 25 bombers, described below. Three more units - the 142nd, 162nd and 163rd squadrons, were mainly armed with Mosquito 25. Of these, the 162nd was at the stage of mastering H2S radar sights at the end of the war in Europe.

While the importance of the Mosquito in targeting or other specialized roles cannot be underestimated, the most dramatic results have been achieved by the Light Night Strike Force squadrons. In 1944-45 until the very end of the war, eight Mosquito squadrons operated freely over Germany. They were often led to targets by leaders equipped with Oubows. They bombed with a precision that heavy bombers often couldn't achieve. The main target was Berlin: in March 1945 it was visited 27 times. On the night of March 21-22, all eight squadrons operated in two waves: over 100 vehicles in the first and 35 in the third; 20 aircraft actually took part in both the first and second waves. Between January and May 1945, Light Force Mosquitoes dropped 1,459 Cookies on Berlin and 1,500 on other targets. The 8th Group squadrons (including three target designator squadrons) flew 26,255 missions, losing 108 aircraft (plus 88 written off due to combat damage). Bomber Command statistics state that Mosquitoes flew only 39,795 missions before the end of the war, losing 254 vehicles, i.e. 0.63% - better and much better than any other type of vehicle. A total of 26,867 tons of bombs were dropped. The concept of a high-speed unarmed bomber clearly paid off.

By the end of the war, production switched from the B.MkXVI to the V.Mk35. This version first took off on March 12, 1945. It was distinguished by Merlin 113/114 engines of 1690 hp. With. A total of 400 B.MkXVIs were produced, of which 195 were manufactured by Percival Aircraft and the rest by De Havilland at Hatfield. 276 V.Mk35s were built, of which 60 were ready for Victory Day, but none of them took part in combat operations.

Canadian Mosquito Plans to release Mosquito in Canada first appeared in 1940. At that time, De Havilland was even planning to move most of its operations to Canada due to the threat of invasion of England. While Mosquito production in Australia (which built only fighter-bomber, reconnaissance and training variants) met only local needs, the goal of the Canadian program was to use Canada's industrial resources to contribute to the British war effort. After consultation with De Havilland's Canadian subsidiary at Downsview, near Toronto, the Canadian and British governments entered into an agreement to manufacture the Mosquito at Downsview, where it was estimated that 40 aircraft could be produced per month. The British Ministry of Aviation Industry gave an order for 400 aircraft.

In Canada, mostly bomber modifications were built with Merlin engines manufactured by Packard. The first 25 aircraft were based on the English modification of the B.MkV, i.e. the B.MkIV Srs.2 with a basic wing, and were designated B.MkVII. They used mostly components delivered from the UK. The first of them took off at Downsview on September 24, 1942. All of them remained in America, including six transferred to the US Army Air Forces, where they were used as photo reconnaissance aircraft under the F-8 brand. For B.MkVII with Packard Merlin 31 engines of 1460 hp. followed by the V.MkXX, which became the main production variant in Canada. The equipment was American, and the engines were Packard “Merlin” 31 or 33, respectively, with a boost pressure of 5.4 kg/cm3 2 and 6.4 kg/cm 2 . About 60 Mosquito XX came off the assembly line by the end of 1943, by mid-1944 there were a total of 245. Then came the V.Mk25, differing only in the Merlin 225 engines with a supercharged 8.2 kg/cm3 2 . The first aircraft of 400 built was accepted at Downsview on July 7, 1944.

Deliveries of Canadian Mosquitos to the UK began in August 1943. The first V.Mk.XX entered service with the 139th Squadron in November 1943, the first combat flight was made on December 2. A total of 135 vehicles of this type arrived in England, followed by them in 1944-45. came 343 V.Mk.25. As noted, they served in various squadrons of the 8th Group. V.Mk.25 were armed with the 142nd, 162nd and 163rd squadrons. The plan to release a version with engines with a two-stage supercharger similar to the Merlin 76 under the Mosquito V.Mk.23 brand did not materialize. An alternative project was the installation of Packard Merlin 69 engines (also with a two-stage supercharger) and an increase in the bomb bay for a 1816 kg bomb on aircraft already delivered to England. One such conversion was carried out by Marshalls in Cambodia. the aircraft was flight tested. This idea was abandoned because it was considered that it was unlikely that it would be possible to quickly convert many aircraft so that they would have time to take part in the war in Europe. However, five V.Mk.25, which had an enlarged bomb bay, were used in the 627th squadron.

As already mentioned, the last production version of the Mosquito bomber was the V.Mk35, used after the war by two squadrons of Bomber Command and three more located in Germany. In Bomber Command these were 109 and 139 (both target designators), flying them from Hamswell before being replaced by Canberras in July 1952 and June 1953 respectively. In Germany, 613 Squadron in August 1945. was renamed 69th; it flew the V.Mk35 from Van until disbanded in November 1947. The 14th, which was also stationed at Van, retained the type until 1950, as did the 98th at Celle.

Beginning in 1952, 105 V.Mk35 bombers were converted into TTMk35 target tugs, and some of the latter were then modified into MetMk35 weather reconnaissance aircraft. Ten more bombers converted to PRMk35 for night photo reconnaissance; some of them served with 58 Squadron. Overall, the Mosquito was a multi-purpose vehicle. Conceived as a high-speed unarmed bomber, it became a fighter and performed virtually all the offensive missions faced by the British Air Force in the Second World War. In the Sea Mosquito version, it carried torpedoes and took off from the decks of aircraft carriers, significantly increasing the range of carrier-based aircraft. The Mosquito was, without a doubt, the most versatile British aircraft of the 40s. Many fighters and fighter-bombers served in other countries' air forces after being retired from service in the UK, but that is another story.

• Year of adoption - 1941
• Wingspan - 16.5 m
• Length - 12.55 m
• Height - 3.81 m
• Wing area - 42.18 sq. m
• Empty weight - 6638 kg
• Normal take-off weight - 9894 kg
• Maximum take-off weight - 10,152 kg
• Power - 2 × 1480 l. With.
• Maximum speed - 549 km/h
• Cruising speed - 491 km/h
• Practical range - 1786 km
• Maximum rate of climb - 816 m/min
• Service ceiling - 9150 m
• Crew - 2 people.

Known for:
"Mosquito" is the only successful high-speed bomber project. The Soviet SB-2 high-speed bomber had a speed 100 km/h less. Such a high speed of the English aircraft was achieved, among other things, through the use of lightweight material - wood balsa(see below).

Weapons: bomb load up to 1820 kg: 1 bomb 454 kg and 2 bombs 227 kg or 4 bombs 227 kg or 1 bomb 1816 kg, bomber sight "Oboe"

"Oboe" (Oboe) - British airborne blind precision bombing system, based on the principle of receiving and transmitting radio signals; used during the Second World War (starting in December 1942).

The Oboe targeting system was so accurate that it could be used for bombing out of sight of the target. An aircraft equipped with such a device was aimed at the target using two ground-based radio stations. The principle of operation of the device was as follows. The first ground radio station - the "mouse" - sent a radio bearing in the direction of the center of the target, and the aircraft flew along this radio bearing. The pilot controlled the direction of the flight by listening to radio signals through the headphones of his headset. If the plane was on the correct course, a continuous hum was heard in the headphones, reminiscent of the sound of an oboe. When the aircraft deviated to the right or left of the radio bearing, instead of a continuous sound, intermittent signals appeared in the headphones - dashes or dots. The pulse of the ground radio station was reflected by the aircraft instrument and received by the second ground radio station - the “cat”. By determining the time of passage of the return signal, the observer at this station could periodically determine the location of the aircraft flying on the radio bearing. As the plane approached the bomb drop point, the second radio station (“cat”) began broadcasting the letters A, B, C, D, then a series of dashes and, finally, a series of dots, at the end of which the bombardier had to press the bomb release button.

Many (if not most) British combat aircraft were created not on the instructions of the Ministry of Defense, but as a private initiative of development companies. This was the fate of the Spitfire; the same circumstances accompanied the birth of another legendary car - the Mosquito.

In October 1938, De Havilland Aircraft Co. began development of a light bomber project without defensive small arms. Submitted some time later to the Ministry of Aviation, this project, however, did not receive a positive assessment. Only thanks to the enthusiastic support of a number of high-ranking employees of the Ministry of Aviation, and especially Air Chief Marshal Sir Wilfred Freeman, was it possible to continue work, and after the outbreak of war, to receive an official order for a high-speed light bomber with a bomb load of 454 kg and a range of 2400 km. Work on this task began on December 29, 1939.

By choosing wood as the basis for the airframe design, the designers killed two birds with one stone: they were able to use unskilled labor, and also provided a smooth outer surface, so important for a high-speed machine. Some believed and continue to believe that the Mosquito design almost saved the aviation industry from a shortage of metal, and the aircraft itself was supposedly absolutely insured against any difficulties with the supply of material. Of course, such considerations cannot be taken seriously: firstly, British industry could well provide duralumin to De Havilland; and secondly, the wood for the Mosquito had to be brought from the tropics - in England balsa not growing!

Balsa (balsa) - a light and durable type of wood with a somewhat loose structure. Botanical name: Ochroma pyramidale. The natural range of the balsa tree extends from southern Mexico, covering Central America and further south Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela. The breed is also found in India and Indonesia. Balsa is the lightest and softest wood that has an unusually high buoyancy and also provides very effective thermal and sound insulation. The wood is white with a pinkish tint. The fibers are loosely placed and straight. The density of balsa varies widely: sometimes from 120 kg/m 3 in the center of the trunk to 340 kg/m 3 near the outer surface. Exported wood typically has a dry density of 128–224 kg/m3. Wood easily accepts nails and screws, but due to its softness it does not hold them well, so gluing is the most optimal fastening method. When painting and polishing, balsa absorbs a lot of finishing compounds. The main uses of balsa are water rescue equipment, floats and buoys, internal layers of laminated wood, heat, sound and vibration insulation, templates and models, decorations and layouts. (The Kon-Tiki raft was built from balsa, on which the Norwegian scientist T. Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean.) Also used in aviation technology, especially for small aircraft and modeling. It is practically not used as ornamental wood.

The first bombers entered the combat unit in the spring of 1942 - the 105th squadron. And on May 31, these machines “sniffed gunpowder” for the first time. Since then, the Mosquito (Russian for “mosquito”) has become the only British Bomber Command aircraft in regular operation. during the day over the territory of Western Europe. Soon the car became widely known, and with it the pathetic nickname “Wooden Miracle” and the ironic “Termite’s Dream”; crews preferred a shorter nickname: “Mossy.”

The fast "Mossy" - the Mosquito bomber B.Mk.IV - was a twin-engine cantilever monoplane of predominantly wooden construction with a crew of two.

The bombs were placed inside the bomb bay. The maximum load (non-special options) was 4 bombs of 113 kg or 4 special (shortened stabilizer) bombs of 227 kg. There were no small arms.

After some time, ultra-low altitudes became the main focus for the Mosquito, and not only the attack, but the entire flight to the target was carried out literally at the height of the treetops. This made it possible to hide from Radar enemy (or at least reduce the warning time to a minimum) and created certain difficulties for anti-aircraft artillery. And the magnificent gray-green camouflage saved us from interceptors. Of course, it would be an exaggeration to consider the Mossi invulnerable to fighters. But thanks to its speed, maneuverability and stealth, its chances of survival were significantly higher than those of “classic” vehicles covered in machine-gun emplacements.

Radar -radar station.

Squadrons of “mosquitoes” were entrusted with complex, “delicate” tasks that required instant appearance, accurate and quick strike, and lightning-fast disappearance. And in most cases, these orders were successfully carried out (for example, attacks on the submarine shipyards in Flensburg, the Gestapo building in Oslo or the molybdenum mining complex in Knaben in Norway). The 105th and 139th squadrons became the most skilled in attacks of this kind, earning great popularity and often operating together. They developed a special attack in two groups: one dropped bombs, flying at the height of the roofs of houses, and after a few seconds the second appeared and covered the target with a shallow dive, taking advantage of the confusion. These squadrons carried out one of the most famous attacks (albeit purely propaganda) - the daylight raid on the Sportspalast building in Berlin on January 30, 1943. On that day, they celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Nazis coming to power, but Goering was able to speak only an hour after the announcer announced...

The newest best military aircraft of the Russian Air Force and the world photos, pictures, videos about the value of a fighter aircraft as a combat weapon capable of ensuring “superiority in the air” was recognized by the military circles of all states by the spring of 1916. This required the creation of a special combat aircraft superior to all others in speed, maneuverability, altitude and the use of offensive small arms. In November 1915, Nieuport II Webe biplanes arrived at the front. This was the first aircraft built in France that was intended for air combat.

The most modern domestic military aircraft in Russia and the world owe their appearance to the popularization and development of aviation in Russia, which was facilitated by the flights of Russian pilots M. Efimov, N. Popov, G. Alekhnovich, A. Shiukov, B. Rossiysky, S. Utochkin. The first domestic cars of designers J. Gakkel, I. Sikorsky, D. Grigorovich, V. Slesarev, I. Steglau began to appear. In 1913, the Russian Knight heavy aircraft made its first flight. But one cannot help but recall the first creator of the aircraft in the world - Captain 1st Rank Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky.

Soviet military aircraft of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War sought to hit enemy troops, their communications and other targets in the rear with air strikes, which led to the creation of bomber aircraft capable of carrying a large bomb load over considerable distances. The variety of combat missions to bomb enemy forces in the tactical and operational depth of the fronts led to the understanding of the fact that their implementation must be commensurate with the tactical and technical capabilities of a particular aircraft. Therefore, the design teams had to resolve the issue of specialization of bomber aircraft, which led to the emergence of several classes of these machines.

Types and classification, latest models of military aircraft in Russia and the world. It was obvious that it would take time to create a specialized fighter aircraft, so the first step in this direction was an attempt to arm existing aircraft with small offensive weapons. Mobile machine gun mounts, which began to be equipped with aircraft, required excessive efforts from pilots, since controlling the machine in maneuverable combat and simultaneously firing from unstable weapons reduced the effectiveness of shooting. The use of a two-seater aircraft as a fighter, where one of the crew members served as a gunner, also created certain problems, because the increase in weight and drag of the machine led to a decrease in its flight qualities.

What types of planes are there? In our years, aviation has made a big qualitative leap, expressed in a significant increase in flight speed. This was facilitated by progress in the field of aerodynamics, the creation of new, more powerful engines, structural materials, and electronic equipment. computerization of calculation methods, etc. Supersonic speeds have become the main flight modes of fighter aircraft. However, the race for speed also had its negative sides - the takeoff and landing characteristics and maneuverability of the aircraft sharply deteriorated. During these years, the level of aircraft construction reached such a level that it became possible to begin creating aircraft with variable sweep wings.

For Russian combat aircraft, in order to further increase the flight speeds of jet fighters exceeding the speed of sound, it was necessary to increase their power supply, increase the specific characteristics of turbojet engines, and also improve the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft. For this purpose, engines with an axial compressor were developed, which had smaller frontal dimensions, higher efficiency and better weight characteristics. To significantly increase thrust, and therefore flight speed, afterburners were introduced into the engine design. Improving the aerodynamic shapes of aircraft consisted of using wings and tail surfaces with large sweep angles (in the transition to thin delta wings), as well as supersonic air intakes.

Until 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, de Havilland was not one of the main manufacturers of military aircraft, although it was created by one of the most famous figures in the British aviation industry. Captain (later Sir) Geoffrey de Havilland designed a number of combat aircraft during the First World War, including the fairly successful DH4 and DH9. However, after the war, the company's activities were aimed at developing light aircraft and civil airliners. As a result of the company's specialization in this area, it has much more experience working with wooden structures than with metal ones. Not only the famous family of "Motylkov" ("Motov") had a wooden structure, but also the classic passenger "Dragon", "Dragon Rapid" and DH86, and then the improved wooden structures created for the racing DH88 "Komet" model of 1934 were used in the beautiful four-engined DH91 Albatross, designed to carry cargo across the North Atlantic.

De Havilland's experience in creating wooden structures, its emphasis on the importance of achieving aerodynamic purity for high speed performance, its long-standing preference for inline engines and the lack of anything in common with any other military aircraft design - all combined to form the basis for the company's creation of one of the most remarkable combat aircraft used in the Second World War - the Mosquito.

How the idea of ​​creating the DH98 Mosquito came about and how it made its way in the fight against the negative attitude of official circles has already been described several times. As you know, the concept of a bomber without small arms seemed to many officials of the Ministry of Aviation to be overly innovative and the emphasis was on creating well-armed bombers that had to fight to get to and from the target. It is the use of non-scarce materials in Mosquito rather than its supposed characteristics that has led to some interest in it. In the last months of 1939, when the Ministry of Aviation was already leaning towards issuing orders for the De Havilland prototypes, the company had to fight off several attempts to force the installation of a machine gun turret on the aircraft.

On the other hand, according to De Havilland, the aircraft could carry offensive small arms instead of bombs. At the same time, the aircraft could become a long-range escort fighter with great potential capabilities. Its speed and range also gave it great value as a photo-reconnaissance aircraft. By November 1938, the DH.98 projects already existed in the form of a bomber, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft. From these positions, the de Havilland designers included in the project the necessary space for installing four 20 mm cannons under the cockpit floor in the front part of the fuselage.

When on March 1, 1940, documents confirmed the decision to build experimental and production aircraft in parallel, an order was actually given for 50 DH.98s, but all of them were built as one in accordance with the instructions of V. 1/40 as reconnaissance bombers. In July 1940, the decision was finally approved to include a fighter prototype in this batch. For this purpose, task F.18/40 was prepared, defining the role of the Mosquito as a night fighter for the defense of the metropolis and a raider. There was also interest in a long-range convoy escort fighter that would help protect Britain's vital shipping lines from pirate Focke-Wulf FW 200 Condors. In both cases, it was proposed to install weapons of four 20 mm cannons at the front in the lower part of the fuselage and four 7.7 mm Browning machine guns in the nose. While work was underway at Salisbury Hall on the fighter prototype (W4052, the third aircraft of the first batch), the possibility of creating a fighter with a turret mount was being studied.

Options with two- and four-machine-gun turrets "Bristol" were designed. The turret was placed in the fuselage immediately behind the cockpit and was controlled by a third crew member. To save weight, the bow weapons were removed. Initial estimates said that installing a turret would cost a loss of speed of approximately 19 km/h, 30 minutes in flight duration and 322 km in range. The installation of six slant-firing fixed machine guns, which are an alternative to the turret, was also considered but not carried out. For the "turret" fighter, a mock-up was installed with two barrels installed in different positions, tested on the W 4050 prototype. Subsequently, instructions were given to assemble two production fighters with four-machine-gun turrets "Bristol" V.X1 for full testing.

The first experimental "Mosquito" fighter W4052 with the AI ​​Mk IV locator.

View of the experimental installation of the "Bristol" B.XI turret with four machine guns.

Experimental air brakes in the form of a “frill” on the Mosquito fighter

The prototype fighter was assembled in the development workshop at Salisbury Hall and, in order not to waste time, took off directly from the short (411 m) runway next to the hangar. Thus, under the control of D. de Havilland, he made his first flight on May 15, 1941, then landing in Hatfield. In addition to the armament, the Mosquito fighter differed from the bomber in the reinforced main wing spar and the side entrance hatch, since the original hatch in the bottom was closed by the guns located here. To the capacity of the wing fuel tanks (1864 l), 682 l could be added in two tanks in the fuselage behind the guns. While the Mosquito bomber had a V-shaped windshield and a layout that allowed a second pilot to move to the nose for aiming while bombing, the fighter had a flat windshield to improve forward visibility, especially at night, and a modified cockpit layout.

Preliminary tests of the fighter prototype showed a speed of 608 km/h at an altitude of 6706 m and a weight of 8400 kg. It was subsequently confirmed by the production Mosquito MkP, as the fighter variant was called. The first of two turret-equipped fighters (W 4053), the fourth in the series, took off from Salisbury Hall at Hatfield on 14 September 1941, and the second (with only a dummy turret) on 5 December. By this time, interest in this option had disappeared and the turrets were removed.

While the Air Force was gaining early experience with Mosquito fighters, testing at Hatfield focused on developing braking capabilities for the Mosquito to prevent it from overshooting enemy aircraft during interception, particularly at night. For several months, attention was focused on one of the variants of downward-extending Yuntman flaps, mounted as a "frill" on the central part of the fuselage, where they were thought to have less impact on the operation of the control surfaces in the down position than the more traditional wing-mounted flaps or brake grids.

A trial installation of ring aerodynamic brakes was carried out on the W4052 prototype, and the results of its testing at the AAEE at Boscob Down were described in a report dated 24 September 1942. This report says that "when the engines are cleared in flight at 420 km/h, the aircraft loses 161 km/h in 45 seconds without the use of air brakes. The use of air brakes, all other things being equal, reduces the time to 30 seconds. When the rudder brakes are applied significant shaking is felt. The plane is slightly “heavy” on the tail when using the brakes, but this is easily corrected with the rudders.”

In their intended form, airbrakes are considered unacceptable because the braking effect is insignificant and the perceived vibration is excessive." Based on this report, no further development of airbrakes was carried out.

Pilots at Boscombe Down tested the W4052 prior to the installation of airbrakes and noted some longitudinal instability both when climbing at 273.6 km/h and when gliding at 225 km/h with the engines inoperative and the flaps and landing gear extended, although stability in level flight was good, making the Mosquito a good shooting platform. The prototype fighter was equipped with a larger tail surface than the original bomber.

Its span and area were 6.32 m and 8.18 m2, respectively, compared to 5.92 m and 7.71 m2.

Since the Mosquito's performance and the course of the war in 1941 emphasized its use as a night fighter, other improvements were focused exclusively on night flying. These included the introduction of exhaust ducts-flame arresters, experiments with the “lamp soot” paint job, which ate up the maximum speed of 42 km/h, and, most importantly, the installation of a radar. Like the Beaufighter night fighters, which they were intended to complement and then replace, the faster Mosquito IIs first received a long-wave radar with a distinctive arrowhead antenna, both of the Al MkIV type used on the Beaufighter, and an improved AI MkV, similar to the first one, but had indicators for both the operator and the pilot.

Fighter "Mosquito" II u:t of the first series of 50 aircraft. The plane is painted black

"lamp soot" type

The first squadron equipped with Mosquito fighters, 157, was formed at Debden Air Force Base in December 1941, but its aircraft were sent to maintenance units for the installation of radars and the squadron was not able to begin night operations with unequipped Mosquitoes until April 1942. . After the installation of radars, they received the designation F.Mkll. That same month, the 141st became the second Mosquito night fighter squadron, commissioning its Defiants. It was followed a few days later by the 264th, also flying Defiants. As production steadily increased, other squadrons were systematically transferred to Mosquito fighters.

During the period when the Mosquito night fighters were being introduced into service, considerable attention was drawn to the issue of the required painting. There was almost no disagreement that it should be black on all sides, but, as already noted, a special non-glare matte black paint, officially called "RDM2A special night", but better known by the familiar nickname "lamp soot", had such a rough surface that flight performance dropped sharply. Although AAEE test results using the W 4070 showed a difference in speed of only 13 km/h at an altitude of 6523 m, De Havilland reported a difference of 39 km/h. In April 1942, a standard black paint specification was adopted DTD 308. Orders were given to immediately repaint all Mosquitoes in a "lamp soot" color. DTD 308 received the official name "silent night". A few years later, radar-equipped Mosquitoes began to increasingly operate during the day, and black paint gradually gave way to daytime camouflage, even on the latest modifications specifically designed for night operations.

Beginning of service Both the 151st and 157th squadrons scored their first victories at the end of May 1942, but in neither case were these victories confirmed. In both cases, contact was established visually and not by radar. The first reliable success was achieved by the 151st squadron at the end of June. Difficulties with the locator of the AI ​​MkV and the Mosquito itself (in particular, with the exhaust flash suppressor boxes) at this time limited the combat effectiveness of the night fighter. The scale of Luftwaffe raids on England also decreased significantly. Nevertheless, by the end of January 1942, 8 squadrons with 159 Mosquitoes were in service.

Night fighter "Mosquito"

"Mosquito" NF. Mk X VII

This month, crews from 151, 532 and 85 Squadrons conducted test flights of the unarmed Mosquito, which was fitted with a Helmore Turbin-Lite searchlight in the forward fuselage. The conversion was carried out by Alan Muntz of Haston. Several night fighter squadrons of the British Air Force at this time flew Turbinlight-equipped Douglas Havoc aircraft, operating in tandem with Hurricanes or Defiants. They were supposed to use radar to establish the location of the enemy and “illuminate” the enemy aircraft for fighters. This scheme was not very successful and died with the advent of centimeter radar; the project to replace the Havocs with Turbinlight Mosquito guns armed with them was immediately abandoned.

Radar operating in the centimeter rather than meter range promised much better performance and could be more easily installed on aircraft. The transmitting and receiving antennas were grouped together with a scanning bowl in the nose. Beaufighters began using the first centimeter system, the AI ​​MkVII, in the spring of 1942, and the improved FI MkVllI was installed on the Mosquito P in July and was successfully tested at Defford in September.

Beginning in January 1943, a total of 97 newly produced Mosquito IIs were equipped with AI MkVIII locators. These aircraft were designated Mosquito NF.MkXII. Almost without interruption, this was followed by a similar equipping of another 99 aircraft with the American SCR720 radar (designated in England as the AI ​​MkX), which required a larger bulb-shaped fairing than the AI ​​MkVIII. At Hatfield, an experimental installation of the SCR 720 was carried out on the Mosquito manual in February 1943. The vehicle equipped in this way became known as the "Mosquito" NF.MkXVH." The installation of a centimeter radar on it and other fighter variants led to the removal of the machine gun armament. Only four guns remained in the lower part of the fuselage.

Meanwhile, production continued. Although the 50 Mosquito initially promised by the end of 1941 were not fully manufactured (20 were assembled, and another 30 two and a half months later), by the end of 1942 more than 450 vehicles had been delivered. To assist the Hatfield plant, the company set up a duplicate facility at Levesden, from where the first Mosquito flew in January 1942. It was a fighter with dual controls. It was previously designated F.Mklll. but this designation was quickly replaced by T.MkSh as a training aircraft. Several of the first fighters delivered to the Hatfield unit also had similar dual controls; this number included one of the experimental aircraft with a turret. Levsden gave 230 of the total 589 Mosquito Hs produced (including those converted to NF.MkXII and NF.MkXVH). "Mosquito" modifications II, XII and XVII were equipped with both Merlin 21 engines, producing 1280 hp. on takeoff and 1480 hp. at an altitude of 3734 m, and "Merlin" 23, which has a power of 1390 hp. was supported from the ground to 3734 m. One manual transmission made experimental flights with radiators protruding down under the engine nacelle (where the Merlin 23 stood) instead of the elegant design in the leading edge of the wing root of production vehicles. Initial plans to release a night fighter with Merlin 61 engines (with two-foam supercharging) as the NF.MkX were cancelled.

The NF.XII Mosquito with AI MkVIII centimeter radar entered service with No. 85 Squadron in February 1943. His combat debut was led by Wing Commander J. Cunningham. Having been a harsh critic of the performance and reliability of the NF.Mkll with the early AI MkV, Cunningham - "Prickly Eye" declared the NF.MkXII to be very satisfactory, with the A1 MkVIII's radar capabilities sufficiently compensating for the removal of four machine guns. Two Mosquitoes from this squadron scored their first victories on the night of April 14-15, 1943. Subsequently, this unit took part in the fight against the new tactics of the Luftwaffe, which began to use Focke-Wulf fighter-bombers FW 190A-4 and FW 190A-5, each carrying one 250-kg bomb under the fuselage and drop tanks under the wing. They carried out lightning strikes on London and other targets in southern England. Together with 157, 151 and the newly re-equipped 256, 85 Squadron achieved significant success against these pirates in May and June, and then shot down the first Messerschmitt Me 410 over Britain in July. the first Juncker Ju 188. By June 1943, when 11 squadrons of Mosquito fighters were already based in Great Britain, nine of them performed defensive missions, and the remaining two carried out night raids over enemy territory, but they could also be attached to the first if necessary. The squadrons were armed with the NF.Mkll and NF.MkXII, with the NF.MkXVH entering service with the 85th and 25th by the end of 1943.

While these and later improved models of Mosquito night fighters provided the bulk of England's defense against night raids until the end of the war, new applications for Mosquito fighters were being developed.

Fighter-bomber "Mosquito" FB.MkVI, converted from

In July 1942, No. 23 Squadron, which had previously operated Douglas Boston aircraft and conducted low-altitude raids against selected targets in occupied Europe, was re-equipped with Mosquito aircraft and began a new phase of its combat work. The squadron was initially armed with specially modified Mk11 Mosquitoes with radar removed. It used aircraft cannons and machine guns to attack airfields, roads and troop concentrations. The first such assault operation was carried out on July 6, 1942. At the beginning of 1943, similar tasks were assigned to the 605th and 418th Canadian squadrons. Several squadrons of Mosquito night fighters based in the UK received upgraded Mk11s in the last months of 1942 with the radars removed, the G navigation system installed and an increased supply of 20 mm shells. They participated in daylight raids under the Operation Ranger program. In December 1942, the Mosquito was received by the 264th Squadron, which patrolled the Bay of Biscay as part of Operation Instep to cover Coastal Command bombers from attacks by German fighters from coastal bases. At the beginning of 1943, she increased her activity and took part in day and night attacks on enemy ships and coastal installations.

By this time, Mosquito began to be used outside the metropolis. In December 1942, the 23rd Squadron went to Malta with its modified Mk11 Mosquitoes. She operated over Sicily day and night. This unit had to serve for a long time in the Middle East, changing modifications of the Mosquito. In July 1943, it was joined by No. 256 Squadron flying Mosquito NF.MkXIIs and together they supported the Allied landings in Sicily. Two MCPs, awarded to the 60th South African Squadron in early 1943, were converted on site to accommodate two cameras. 683 Squadron at Malta in 1943 similarly used the MCP for photographic reconnaissance, as did 33 (Norwegian) Coastal Command Squadron based in the UK. The latter flew on reconnaissance missions from Scotland across the North Sea.

All the Mosquito's capabilities as a fighter-bomber apparently were never fully realized. This option was the result of research carried out at Hatfield as early as July 1941, when the possibilities of mounting four guns on a Mosquito bomber or carrying bombs on a Mosquito fighter were explored. The de Havilland designers came to the conclusion that if it were possible to reduce the length of a standard 227 kg bomb by using a telescopic tail, then two such bombs could be placed behind the guns on the Mosquito P (instead of fuel tanks). At the same time, the development of the Merlin 25 engine with increased power made it possible to increase the weight of the vehicle. A modified wing (later known as the "base") was designed, which had the ability to carry two 227 liter tanks, joined along the surface of the wing, or two 113 kg bombs. Further studies showed that the 227 kg bomb retained satisfactory ballistic qualities even with a shortened tail, so that the use of telescopic tails was avoided. With two such bombs, there was still room in the fuselage for a 227 liter fuel tank. It also turned out to be possible to carry two 227 kg bombs under the wing.

The prototype of the new fighter-bomber was obtained at Hatfield by converting the Mosquito MkIV bomber. The first flight took place on June 1, 1942. There are now chances to release this new modification, called FB.MkVI, in large quantities. Deliveries began in February 1943. The first 113 aircraft (built at Hatfield and including the prototype) were Series I with Merlin 21 or Merlin 25 engines and 1,130 kg bombs in the fuselage and under the wings. Further production was the FB.MkVI Series 2. 2,192 of these were built, partly at Hatfield and partly at Standard Motors' new plant at Cowley; 50 aircraft were produced by Airspeed in Portsmouth. They could carry four 227 kg bombs or two bombs and eight 27 kg rockets or two 227 kg tanks on the wing. The FB.MkVI Series 2 was equipped with Merlin 25 engines developing 1620 hp. on takeoff and 1500 hp. at an altitude of 2896 m using a boost pressure of 1.2 atm in order to achieve the highest performance at low and medium altitudes. A variant of the FB.MkXI fighter-bomber with Merlin 61 engines (with two-stage supercharging) was proposed, but its development was discontinued.

While the FB.MkVI was being created, in mid-1942 an urgent need arose to combat the Juncker Ju 86P-2 and Ju 86R high-altitude aircraft, which the Germans began to use over the Mediterranean Sea and over Great Britain. Flying at altitudes of 10,700 m and above, the pressurized Ju 86R operated beyond the capabilities of any RAF fighter.

Experienced "Mosquito" with a pressurized cabin, converted into NF.MkXV

Mosquito fighter-bomber FB.MkXVIII with 57 mm cannon and underwing tanks

Although their use proved ineffective and was soon abandoned by the Luftwaffe, this was not yet known in September 1942 when de Havilland was asked, with as little delay as possible, to convert one Mosquito into a pressurized cockpit for use as a fighter in emergency situations. . The requested model (MP469) was ordered as a Merlin 61-engined bomber with a pressurized cabin. It first flew at Hatfield on 8 August. This modification did not receive a digital designation. In early September, the aircraft reached an altitude of more than 11,582 m. Within seven days, the prototype aircraft was equipped with a manual transmission nose section with four Browning machine guns and a control stick adopted on fighter aircraft, instead of a bomber's steering wheel. The wingtips were lengthened, increasing the span to 18.03 m. Much unnecessary equipment was removed, including some of the armor and fuel tanks in the internal sections of the wing and fuselage. The plane took off in this form on September 14. It weighed 7355 kg and could reach a height of 13716 m.

Attached to a dedicated high-altitude unit at Northolt for two months from 15 September, the Mosquito high-altitude fighter was unable to engage in combat as Ju 86R flights ceased.

In mid-November, the aircraft was equipped with an AI MkVIII radar in the nose, and four machine guns were moved to the fairing under the fuselage. The original fuel supply was restored to some extent. With a crew of two, the aircraft now weighed 7,900 kg and reached an altitude of 12,800 m. Between December 1942 and March 1943, four MKPs were similarly converted into the Mosquito NF.MkXV. One of them was with a Merlin 61, and the other three were with a Merlin 77, which had a Bendix-Stremberg carburetor. All four MkXVs and the original example served with No. 85 Squadron throughout 1943 but never encountered the enemy.

New night fighters When the "Mockhto" FB.VI went into production, it turned out to be possible to use some of its elements in other modifications. Production of night fighters continued with the modification NF.MkXIII, which had a “basic” wing (with the ability to mount drop tanks), combined with a radar installation taken from the NF.MkXII and Merlin 61 or Merlin 23 engines. 270 were built at Levesden NF.MkXIII. Then, when the Merlin 25 appeared, they switched to the NF.MkXIX, which had a “basic” wing, Merlin 25 engines and a “universal” fairing, suitable for both the SCR 720 (AI MkX) locator and the AI MkVIII. From Levesden came 50 of the 280 Mosquito XIX built; the rest came from the Hatfield assembly line. Finally, the family of night fighters came to the use of Merlins with two-stage supercharging, already used on bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. The MkXIII with these engines remained an unrealized project called NF. MkXIV. NF.MkXIX with Merlin 72 became known as NF.Mk30. It first flew in April 1944. It could be distinguished by the small “lip” of the supercharger air intakes located under the propeller spinners. 530 of these aircraft were built - all at Levesden. The first 70 had Merlin 72 engines, and the subsequent ones used Merlin 76 and Merlin 113. With the Merlin 113 and the English AI MklX radar, the Mosquito NF.Mk36 took off in May 1945, but 163 aircraft were not built. were used in war. The latest version of the night fighter, the NF.Mk38, was an entirely post-war development.

The Mosquito FB.MkVI first found its way into squadrons that carried out raids on MKP - the 418th at Ford and the 23rd at Malta in May 1943, the 605th at Castle Camps in July. As supplies increased, it became possible to allocate fighters to squadrons of the newly formed 2nd Tactical Air Force. The 464th (Australian) and 487th (New Zealand) began rearming with the Ventura in August 1943; a month later they were joined by the 21st, forming the Skalthorpe wing. The first combat flight was carried out on October 3, 1943. After this, the Mosquito VI began to play an even more important role in strikes against tactical targets in Europe, both day and night. By the end of the year there had been many raids on V-1 missile launchers in northern France. The second wing of three squadrons (107th, 305th and 613th) operated Mosquito VI from early 1944. On 18 February, six Mosquitoes from all three squadrons carried out a classic low-altitude attack on the prison at Amiens. Collapsed walls allowed prisoners, some facing execution, to escape with minimal risk of death or injury. The raid, carried out under the leadership of group commander P. Picard, gave 258 members of the French Resistance the opportunity to escape. It became an example of a precise low-altitude attack on a point target, quite possible for the Mosquito. This capability was further demonstrated when Mosquito VIs of 613 Squadron destroyed Gestapo records relating to Dutch Resistance groups in a raid on The Hague in April 1944. This operation was repeated in March 1945 by the squadron, which destroyed a similar archive in Copenhagen.

Six Mosquito squadrons FB. MkVIs from 2 Tactical Air Forces were included in the Allied Expeditionary Air Force for D-Day in June 1944. They played a vital role both in the initial stages of the invasion and beyond. In the two months after D-Day, they flew 2,000 missions and lost 26 aircraft.

Night fighter "Mosquito" NF.MkXIII

The Mosquito in the FB.MkVI variant arrived at Coastal Command in 1944 - several squadrons of Beaufighters were re-equipped with a new, faster vehicle. The 248th was the first to be equipped with them, then the 143rd and 235th joined them to form Banff's attack wing, which did the bulk of the damage to enemy shipping and ports in the Bay of Biscay, the North Sea and, late in the war, the English Channel. The 248th Squadron also operated another modification of the Mosquito, created in 1943 specifically to combat ships. It was "Mosquito" FB.XVIII. This variant had a 57 mm Molins gun (equivalent to a 6-pounder field gun), replacing all four 20 mm guns. A tank for 295 liters of fuel was installed in the fuselage and additional armor was installed to protect against anti-aircraft fire from submarines. As an option, Mk VI, MkXVIII retained the ability to carry bombs, missiles or drop tanks under the wing; Two bow machine guns have also been preserved, mainly for aiming before firing the main caliber gun.

The first of 27 converted Mk VIs flew on 8 June 1943. 248 Squadron, flying Beaufighters, received its first two Mosquito XVIIIs in October 1943. They carried out their first combat operation on October 24. At the beginning of 1944 the squadron completely re-equipped with the Mosquito VI, and the Mosquito Mk XVIII was used by a special unit until the beginning of 1945. Several submarines were attacked and damaged by Mk XVIIIs, which were then temporarily used by 254 Squadron. However, it was those armed with Mk VI missiles that won the first big victory over submarines, finding three submarines at once on the surface of the water off the coast of Norway. All of them were sunk by the combined actions of 37 Mosquitoes from 143, 235 and 248 squadrons. By the end of the war, Mosquito squadrons had sunk 10 submarines.

The UK-based squadrons, designed for night interception and raids into enemy territory, were commissioned during 1943-44. all new modifications of De Havilland fighters. Among these were 50 Mk XIIIs modified by Heston Aircraft to inject nitrous oxide into the engines. Tests at RAE showed that this model gave a speed increase of 76 km/h at an altitude of 8534 m within six minutes. These aircraft were used by the 96th and 410th squadrons in early 1944.

As already noted, the FB.MkVI were soon replaced by the “transitional” Mkll, which were first used for raids by the 23rd, 418th and 605th squadrons. In fact, in 10 night fighter squadrons there were three to six Mosquitoes without radar, the so-called “Rangers”, which differed from ordinary raiders in that they were “free hunting”. These same squadrons took part in Operation Instep, a patrol to cover Coast Command bombers. From mid-1944, the use of NF.MkXIII and later modifications equipped with radars was allowed for offensive purposes. Until this time, it was believed that the enemy would receive too valuable information by studying the radar equipment of downed aircraft. Earlier non-centimeter wave radars were not considered as valuable in this regard and the Mosquito II with AI MkVI was used by the 100th Bomber Support Group over enemy territory from late 1943.

The 100th Group conducted both air and ground countermeasures operations and employed several special Mosquito models in its operations, continuing the work being done by Fighter Command and the Fighter Intercept Unit (FIU) to provide fighter cover for night bomber formations attacking targets. in enemy territory. This type of bomber support was first provided by specially equipped Bristol Beaufighter VI aircraft from 141 Squadron in mid-1943.

They used the AI ​​Mk IV locator in combination with the Ser-rat system, a device aimed at German radars, and the Gee, which served for navigation. The 141st Squadron received similarly equipped Mosquito Ps with additional tanks in October 1943. In December, the 239th and 169th squadrons joined it. All three squadrons merged into the 100th group. Previously, the FIU had conducted a series of experimental operations, known as "Mahmoud", to escort bombers with MKP aircraft with a second receiving antenna facing backwards to detect enemy fighters approaching the bomber formation. This center continued research on rear-looking radars for the 100th Group in 1944.

All three squadrons flying the Mosquito with the Serrat system were similarly equipped with the Mk VI by July 1944. The 515th Squadron was armed with the same modification in March of the same year; its aircraft were equipped with the Moonshine radio jamming device.

"Mosquito" NF.Mk30

Nos. 157 and 85 Squadrons (both previously operating in the night fighter role) were transferred to bomber support in May. At this time, these units began operating the Mosquito NF.MkXIX, capable of detecting enemy aircraft at a distance of up to 8 km. The following month, however, the two squadrons were transferred to special patrols to counter the V-1 bomber aircraft that were being launched in increasing numbers across southern England. The AI ​​MkX locator made it possible to detect targets even smaller than these. Four home-based night fighter squadrons - the 96th, 219th, 409th and 418th - were also deployed against the V-1, flying mostly at night and patrolling the French coast to intercept bombing aircraft as soon as they were launched. Later other squadrons joined in this work. By the time the last V-I was fired, Mosquito squadrons had destroyed 623 of these cruise missiles.

Squadrons of 100 Group continued to use the Serrat with consistent success, both on occasional day missions and on regular night missions.

23 Squadron, flying Mosquito VI, was assigned to the group for low-level operations; these vehicles proved to be more suitable for low altitudes than the MkXIX, which was aimed at high altitude patrols. Meanwhile, the “war of black boxes” (electronics) continued and the Mosquito of the 100th group was constantly modified.

Mk VI from the 23rd, 141st and 515th squadrons in the second half of 1944 were equipped with American 3-cm AI MkXV radars (also known as ASH, installed in place of the bow machine guns. On the Mosquito Mk VI 169- The 1st squadron supplied the "Perfectos" system, aimed at German MkXIX radars from the 85th received the "Perfectos" P and the MkXIX rear-view radars of the 157th squadron were equipped with the "Monica" VI and the "CeppaT" MkIV system, helping to detect the operation of German SN2 radars, the 141st Squadron received a new task at the end of 1944; it began to carry out “false” bombing strikes to hide the true target of the main formation of bombers from enemy radars.

The Mosquito NF.Mk30 entered units in June 1944, first to the 219th squadron, which carried out air defense of the metropolis, and then to the 406th, 410th, 307th, 151st. By the end of 1944, the cessation of Luftwaffe operations against the British Isles allowed Fighter Command to free up Nos. 406, 307 and 151 Squadrons (the latter flying the Monica) for offensive operations in support of Bomber Command. In 1945, other squadrons began flying the NF.Mk30 - the 239th in January, the 169th in February and the 456th in March. By the end of the war, Mosquitoes of the 100th Group had flown about 8,000 missions and shot down 267 enemy aircraft, losing 69.

The combat use of the Mosquito took place mainly on the western front, but as already noted, the MkP, and then the Mk VI, starting in 1942, also operated from the island. Malta, and from the second half of 1943 the NF.MkXII and NF.MkXIII appeared there. During the last year of the war, Nos. 23 and 256 (fighter and night fighter squadrons, respectively), together with Nos. 600 and 255 Squadrons, flew Mosquito NF.Mk XIX in Italy; in April 1945, the 255th began receiving the NF.Mk 30. American squadrons operating Beaufighter night fighters in North Africa received a few examples of this latest modification, but they made little use of them. 256 Squadron used several FB.Mk VIs in the attack role, adapting one NF.Mk XIII for this role by installing underwing bomb racks. During the last three months of fighting in Italy, its NF.MkXII and NF.MkXIII were used to combat fighters attacking bombers.

Initially, there were doubts about the suitability of the Mosquito for operations in tropical conditions in the Far East, regarding the reliability of the glue used in the fuselage and wing structure, as well as its ability to withstand insect attacks. To test these factors, several MkP and MkVI gliders were delivered by sea to India in May-August 1943. A month later, two MKPs with cameras in the nose began to participate in reconnaissance flights of the 681st Squadron, and in September the MkVI began to be used similarly. In November their use was transferred to 684 Squadron at Dum Dum near Calcutta. However, a handful of fighters were used only until they were supplanted by the reconnaissance aircraft that appeared in sufficient numbers. However, doubts about the suitability of the aircraft for this theater disappeared and plans emerged for the mass use of Mosquito in the Far East. 45 Squadron was the first to rearm, exchanging Vengeance dive bombers for FB.MkVIs in February 1944. It was followed by the 82nd in the same year.

At the beginning of 1945 they were joined by the 47th and 84th squadrons. These units intensively used their Mosquitoes day and night against tactical targets of all kinds. These actions culminated in the attack on Rang Gun in May 1945 (by which time 110 Squadron had replaced 84 Squadron). In the final stages of the war, 211 Squadron also re-equipped with the MkVI, and 89 and 176 received the NF.MkXIX, but all these units rearmed too late to take part in the fight against Japanese forces. The Mosquito was also used in the Far East by the Australian Air Force, which used both Australian-built vehicles and British FB.MkVIs.

The decision to use locally manufactured Mosquitoes in the Australian Air Force was made by the Australian Government in March 1942 in response to an earlier proposal from the Australian subsidiary of De Havilland, based at Bankstown near Sydney. In June 1942, one Mosquito M was delivered to Australia by sea! English-built (DD 664) for use as a model, but numerous problems arose in obtaining raw materials and components that were not available in Australia. Birch was to be replaced by Australian timber species; it was also intended to use locally produced formaldehyde glue of the same type that had been found harmful on assembly lines in England.

Since English Merlins could not be obtained, Australian Mosquitoes had to be equipped with American Packard Merlins: first the Mk 31, similar to the English Mk 21, and then the Mk 69 with a two-stage supercharger as they became available. The FB.MkVI was adopted as the prototype.

The Mosquito II prototype was flown at Banestown (already with the Australian number A52-1001) on December 17, 1942, and then it was equipped with a Packard Merlin 31, with which it first flew on March 23, 1943. The same motors were used on the first

The third serial "Mosquito" of Australian production

A locally manufactured Mosquito (A52-1) during its first flight on July 23, 1943. It was designated FB.Mk40 and included many pieces of equipment imported from Great Britain. Production progressed slowly. The first Mosquito 40 was delivered to the Air Force in March 1944, followed by four more in the next three months, and then three more in September. However, the pace then increased: by December 1944 - 26, and by May 1945 - another 49. Production continued until the end of the war with Japan. A total of 212 were built (three of them crashed before delivery to the Air Force). All were mainly of the FB.Mk 40 type, although six 1944 aircraft were converted into unarmed PR40 reconnaissance aircraft, 28 were converted into PR41s with slightly different equipment, and 22 were converted into T.Mk 43 trainers. The first 100 Australian aircraft had Packard "Merlin" 31 engines, and the rest Packard "Merlin" 33 with spade-shaped propeller blades. One aircraft was equipped with a Merlin 69 with a two-stage supercharger and was renamed FB.Mk 42.

Australian-built Mosquitoes reached operational units too late to make any significant contribution to the war in the Pacific - Nos. 87 and 94 Squadrons received them in 1945. However, at this time 38 FB.Mk VIs, produced in England, arrived in Australia. They were used to re-equip No. 1 Squadron (previously flying Beauforts) in early 1945. Assigned to the 1st Australian Tactical Air Force as part of the 86th Wing (together with the 93rd Squadron flying Beaufighters), the 1st Squadron was concentrated on the island in the spring of 1945. Morotai to participate in the liberation of the Dutch East Indies from the Japanese. After supporting the landings at Tarakan, No. 1 Squadron moved to Labuan (North Borneo) in the final stages of the war. When General Yamamura flew to surrender to the Allies, it was the Mosquitoes that were called in to escort him.

Plans to manufacture the Mosquito in Canada were first discussed in 1940, when De Havilland even considered moving its main operations to Canada due to the threat of invasion of Great Britain. While Australian manufacturing responded to local needs, the Canadian program was primarily undertaken to place Canadian industrial capacity in the service of the mother country's war effort. After consultation with the Canadian branch of De Havilland at Downsview near Toronto, the Canadian and British governments entered into an agreement in 1941 that the Mosquito would be built at Downsview. Production was estimated at 40 aircraft per month.

Canadian production was mainly focused on bomber versions and used Packard Merlin engines. The first Canadian-assembled Mosquito, using many British parts, flew at Downsview on September 24, 1942. In 1943, the Canadian government placed additional orders for fighter variants based on the FB Mk.VI for both the Canadian and British Air Forces.

Three fighter-bombers were completed in September-October 1943: two with Merlin 31 engines and one with Merlin 33 as FB.Mk21.

A year later, two aircraft were produced with the Packard "Merlin 225" (similar to the "Merlin 25") as the FB.Mk26. Production of the FB.Mk26 was put into production. The bulk of production occurred in the first half of 1945. A total of 337 were built, of which 39 were converted into training T.Mk29 with dual controls. About 140 of them were ferried across the North Atlantic via Greenland, Iceland and Scotland, or via the southern route via Bermuda, Natal, Dakar and Cornwall.

13th RAF Maintenance Unit at Henlow was responsible for receiving all Canadian Mosquitoes. By May 31, 1945, when the war in Europe was practically over, she received 59 FB.Mk26s among the 489 Canadian Mosquitoes that arrived in England. These aircraft were intended exclusively for use in the Middle East, but never saw service (with No. 249 Squadron) until the end of hostilities. The 35th Squadron flew the FB.Mk26 in the Middle East for several months in 1946, but both squadrons were soon re-equipped. In Canada, this version was replaced in April 1945 by the Kittyhawks of the 133rd Squadron, located in Patrisia Bay to cover the west coast. There the FB.Mk26 flew on its last combat mission - on August 9, 1945, they unsuccessfully attempted to intercept a balloon with an incendiary bomb launched from Japan.

Of those Canadian fighter-bombers that were not delivered to Britain by the end of the war, most were sold to the Chinese government after negotiations in 1947. These are approximately 200 Mosquitoes, including several T.Mk22, T.Mk27 and T.Mk29 - training aircraft with dual controls, similar to the English T.MkSh, but with Packard engines. The delivery mechanism was as follows: the aircraft were taken from storage, moved at the Canadian De Havilland plant, and then transported to China by rail and sea. Downsview also hosted training for Chinese pilots who were to serve as instructors. For this purpose, the first nine aircraft brought into flightable condition were used.

The Mosquitoes were transported by sea to Shanghai, where they were assembled by local workers under the supervision of Canadians. They then flew to Hankow, where the headquarters of the 1st Bomber Group was located. The 3rd squadron of this group operated on the Mosquito from the fall of 1946. Four of them were lost in battle, but of the 179 vehicles assembled in Shanghai by November 1948, approximately 60 were destroyed in accidents, mostly during training.

"Mosquito" FB.MkVI of the New Zealand 334th Squadron

"Mosquito" FB.MkVI of the Czechoslovak Air Force

As communist forces gained ground, the morale of Chiang Kai-shek's air force declined. This also affected the attitude towards Mosquito. After accepting 137 aircraft, the Air Force canceled the entire program in November 1948. By this time, about 40 aircraft in China were grounded without spare parts. “A few aircraft were able to fly to Taiwan and were again used against targets on the mainland and against junks, but this use was short-lived.

"Mosquito" fighters after the war Despite the constant improvement of the basic Mosquito design until 1945, one of the earliest versions of the fighter, the FB.MkVI, turned out to be the most effective. As a result, the Mosquito of this modification, carrying bombs and missiles, remained in service in some quantities even after the end of the war in Europe, in particular in the squadrons of the 2nd Group of the British Occupation Air Force in Germany and in the Far East. In Europe, the 4th, 11th, 107th, 268th and 305th squadrons flew the Mosquito FB.Mk6 (then the naming system was changed). These aircraft gave way to the Vampires between 1948 and 1950. In the Far East, the Mk.VI was carried by the 45th, 47th, 82nd, 84th and 110th squadrons in 1944-45. They were withdrawn by the end of 1946, but by this time all but the first of the units mentioned had taken part in actions against the Indonesian rebels.

In Great Britain, for some time after the war, only 36 Squadron of Coastal Command (formerly 248 Squadron) flew fighter-bombers. This type was used in 1946-47 as a naval attack aircraft.

As a night fighter, the Mosquito played a more important role after the war. They were equipped with six squadrons of Fighter Command until the night variants of the Vampire and Meteor appeared. The night air defense forces of the metropolis in the first post-war period consisted of the 25th, 29th and 85th squadrons in the 11th group in West Malinga and the 23rd, 141st and 264th in the 12th group in Coltishall . In addition to this, Nos. 151, 219 and 307 (Polish) Squadrons flew the NF30 Mosquito for a year or more after D-Day before being disbanded. 39 Squadron was the only night fighter unit in the Middle East after it received the NF.Mk36 in the Suez Canal Zone in 1950. Four Auxiliary Air Force squadrons - 594, 605, 609 and 616 - also flew the NF.Mk30 in the post-war period of its existence.

The development of Mosquito night fighters continued into the final stages of the war in Europe. NF.Mk31 remained in the project - it was NF.Mk30 with Packard "Merlin" engines, and NF.Mk36 really appeared in May 1945 in the form of an improved NF.Mk30 with "Marilyn" 113 and "Merlin" 114 or " Merlin" 113A - "Merlin" 114A, just like on V.Mk35. Until March 1947, a total of 163 NF.Mk36s were produced, they were used to rearm the six squadrons of the 11th Group mentioned earlier with the NF.Mk30. The last to hand in their NF.Mk36 Mosquitoes was 23 Squadron; this happened in May 1952. Another version of the night fighter, NF.Mk38, appeared in 1947 with type 113/114 engines and the English AI MkX1 radar instead of the AI ​​MkX. on NF.Mk38. The prototype NF.Mk38, converted from the NF.Mk30, took off on November 18, 1947. The De Havillewd plant in Chester produced 110 of them, the last one was ready in November 1950. However, this modification was never used by the British Air Force. As will be indicated later, Yugoslav aviation received 54 Mk38s, and the rest were scrapped.

Although the Mosquito was conceived as a bomber, it ended its “life” as a fighter - both in production and in the Air Force. For example, the FB.Mk6 served even longer in foreign countries than night fighters in the UK.

China's use of the Canadian-made Mosquito FB.Mk26 has already been described. China was one of at least 10 countries to receive the Mosquito, mostly in the form of fighter-bombers and night fighters. The high value of these multi-role aircraft for the British Air Force led to the fact that only a handful of British-built aircraft reached other countries before 1945. A batch of 10 B.MkIVs was sent to the Soviet Union, and several reconnaissance aircraft were sent to South Africa and the USA.

Among the first foreign air forces to put their markings on the Mosquito were Norwegian ones. Norwegians staffed Flight B of the 333rd Squadron of the British Air Force, which flew Mosquito fighter-bombers and reconnaissance aircraft during the war. Before returning home, this unit was renamed 334 Squadron and received 10 new FB.MkVIs. Later, eight more and five T.MkSh were added to them.

Another post-war owner of the Mosquito was the French Air Force. The FB.MkVI was flown by the GCI/6 Korea fighter group, which was part of the 50th mixed squadron in Dijon. This unit, with 15 Mosquitoes, was transferred from Morocco to Saigon at the beginning of 1947 to participate in the initial phase of the protracted Indochina War. Before returning to Rabat in May, GC1/6 flew 345 missions and dropped 76,658 kg of bombs. The famous GC3 "Normandy-Niemen", having handed over its Yak-3, on which it flew from the Soviet Union, was re-equipped with the "Mosquito" FB.MkVI in Morocco in March 1947 and flew on De Havilland fighter-bombers for two years before sent to war in Indochina. Another French unit flew reconnaissance aircraft: 15 PB.MkXVIs were used by the GRI/31 "Lorraine" group, which in 1950 received three more NF.Mk30s in preparation for the transition to the Meteor NF.MkII night fighters.

"Mosquito" FB.MkVI Turkish Air Force

"Mosquito" NF.MkXIX of the Swedish Air Force

Israeli Air Force Mosquito fighter

In 1946, Fairy Aviation, through its branch in Ringway near Manchester, became involved in a large program to overhaul the Mosquito FB.MkVI for the Turkish and Dominican Air Forces. The first received a total of 137 Mosquito. The first of these, after repairs, took off at Rintway on November 13, 1946, and the last in June 1948. The Dominican Republic received six, which were tested at Rintway from July to September 1948. A small number (apparently only six) of FB.MkVI were supplied to the nascent Burmese Air Force under the October 1947 treaty that gave Burma independence from Great Britain. Also in 1946, the New Zealand Air Force began accepting 80 FB.MkVIs, the first of which arrived at Ohakea in January 1947. It was preceded by four T.MkShs delivered by the Australian Air Force. Four more training vehicles were received later from the UK. Of the fighter-bombers, four were lost during the ferry. In fact, only 22 of them ended up in service with the New Zealand Air Force - 75 Squadron. One of these FB.MkIIs was sold to South America, receiving the civilian export designation ZK-BCV. The rest were scrapped along with one FB. An Australian-made Mk40 acquired after it was damaged in a failed landing at Ohakea.

To restore its Air Force in 1946, Czechoslovakia bought a Mosquito FB.MkVI for one squadron. Similar actions were taken by the Belgian government, which acquired NF.Mk30 night fighters to equip the 1st Wing at Bouveschain during the reorganization of the Belgian air force in 1946. Another owner of night fighters was the Swedish Air Force, which purchased 60 NF.MkXIX in 1948. Of this number, 45 were restored and tested by Fairy Aviation at Rintway by October 1949. Called J30 in Sweden, the Mosquito flew until the introduction of the Venom NF.Mk51 aircraft in 1953. As already mentioned, the Yugoslav Air Force also had Mosquito night fighters, receiving 60 NF.Mk38s, which were abandoned by the British Air Force. They were part of a batch of 140 aircraft, including FB.MkVI and T.MkSh, delivered under the mutual assistance treaty concluded in November 1951.

Another Mosquito owner worth mentioning was Israel, which according to some sources acquired up to 300 Mosquitoes of various modifications since 1948. The first examples of De Havilland combat aircraft that appeared with the Israeli Air Force were carefully refurbished machines , collected from scrap metal dumps near former British air bases in Palestine. To these were added approximately 60 Mosquitoes purchased in France. They were considered scrap and sold for two hundred dollars apiece, but on average about 1,000 man-hours were spent on each one to get them airworthy and ready for combat. Others were obtained from around the world, including from British sources, but many were used as spare parts kits to bolster the existing core, which probably never reached triple digit numbers. In Israel, the Mosquito remained in service at least until the end of the 50s. These were, apparently, the last examples of this classic “bird of war” that were in combat units.

“High-speed wooden miracle” - this is the nickname of this unique combat aircraft , used in a variety of modifications (bomber, night fighter, fighter-bomber, reconnaissance aircraft).

Despite the wooden construction, quite a few are still in use.

Development under the designation DH.98 was carried out taking into account the experience gained during the design of the DH.88 machine and the DH.91 airliner. The aircraft was designed as a high-speed bomber according to specification R.13/36. The high-speed concept of the de Havilland designers involved abandoning defensive weapons. The revolutionary approach did not receive support from the Ministry of Aviation, but by the end of December 1939 a decision was made to build prototypes, and soon the first batch of 50 aircraft was manufactured.
Already by July 1940, a decision was made to build a fighter modification based on this variant, and by October an escort and night fighter.

Mosquito Bombers
Bomber modifications did not have small arms. The bomb load was, as a rule, 908 kg - from four 227 kg bombs located in the internal compartment.

Later modifications could carry an additional two such bombs, but on an external sling, and specially modified vehicles could carry one “Kuki” bomb weighing 1814 kg.

but this is a more serious "cuckoo"

In total, approximately 1,000 bombers were built in the UK (modifications B Mk.IV, Mk.lX, Mk.XVI and Mk.35) and 670 in Canada (B Mk.VII, Mk.XX and Mk.25).
Mosquito fighter-bombers
The most popular of all modifications was the fighter-bomber FB Mk.VI (2,854 units built since February 1943).

Mosquito test shooting photo

Such aircraft were armed with four 20 mm cannons and four 7.7 mm machine guns; in the bomb bay it was possible to hang two 113-kg bombs and two under the wing (instead of the latter - up to eight NAR). Based on this model, Mosquito FB Mk.21, Mk.24 and Mk.26 were produced in Canada (a total of 343 vehicles),

Established production in Canada 343 machines

and in Australia - FB Mk.40 and Mk.41 (189 vehicles).

Australian and New Zealand pilot crews

Mosquito night fighters, vehicles for this purpose initially carried small arms similar to the Mosquito FB Mk.VI, but soon the machine guns on the night lights were abandoned, leaving only cannons.

production in Bankstown New South Wales Australia

AI series radars of various modifications have become an indispensable attribute of night fighters - from the primitive AI Mk.IV to the more structurally more successful AI Mk.lX and Mk.lX. Night fighters were produced only in Great Britain, where 1824 aircraft of the NF Mk.ll, Mk.XII, NF Mk.XIII, Mk.XV, Mk.XVII, Mk.XIX, Mk.30, Mk.36 and Mk.38 modifications were produced.

Mosquito aircraft with a crushed wing, the wooden structure of the frame and wing skin is clearly visible

In addition to these options, unarmed reconnaissance aircraft, training aircraft (modification designations PR and T, respectively), as well as a few special Mosquito variants were built.
Mosquito fighter-bomber combat use

The development of the Mosquito NF Mk.ll night fighters began in 1941-1942. The first combat missions were carried out in April, and on May 29, 1942, the first aerial victory was won. At the beginning of 1944, 10 night squadrons were already flying them as part of Fighter Command.

Deck-based version TRMk33LR387

Mosquito fighter-bombers acted as so-called “intruders”, carried out bombing attacks on trains and airfields in the territory of Belgium, France and the Netherlands occupied by the Third Reich. The bomber versions made their combat debut on 31 May 1942, when four aircraft bombed Cologne. On September 19, Mosquito made the first daylight raid on Berlin. Squadrons armed with bombers specialized in low-level precision strikes at dawn or dusk. From June 1943, they began to be used as target designator aircraft, identifying targets for armadas of heavy bombers.

Squadrons armed with Mosquito bombers

Since the spring of 1944, the Mosquito began to change mainly at night, since during operations during the day, despite the high speed, the losses were significant. The eight squadrons included in the Light Night Strike Force operated primarily the B Mk.XVI, as well as the Canadian-made B Mk.XX and Mk.25 aircraft. Until the end of the war, they operated over German territory - for example, in March 1945, Berlin was subject to raids by the Light Night Strike Force 27 times.

Soviet Union in 1943 for flight testing and the possibility of its licensed construction. Conclusion TsAGI, the aerodynamics and design of the machine do not have fundamental innovations

The Mosquito, designed as a bomber, was modified into a night fighter (recognized as the best British aircraft in its class) and also into a fighter-bomber. Exceptionally high flight characteristics became the standard for both subsequent developments by British designers and the enemy. It was the resistance of the Mosquito that became the determining factor in shaping the appearance of Luftwaffe fighters.
In addition to the UK, various modifications of the aircraft were built in Canada and Australia. All Mosquitos had Merlin engines of various modifications. The all-wood construction made it possible to use dozens of woodworking and furniture enterprises as subcontractors for their production.

DE HAVILLAND "MOSQUITO" FBMK.VI

• Type: two-seater twin-engine fighter-bomber

• Engines: 2 x Rolls-Royce “Merlin” 25 with a power of 1610 hp each. With.
• Dimensions, m: length: 12.29, height: 4.65
• wingspan: 16.51, wing area, m2: 42.18
• Weight, kg: empty aircraft: 6596
• normal takeoff: 8853
• maximum takeoff: 10,124

Repair of Merelin engine on Mosquito

Specifications:

• maximum speed, km/h: 608 flight range, km: 2985 service ceiling, m: 10,600
• Armament: The proposed concept provided for the complete abandonment of defensive weapons
• 4 x 20 mm British Hispano cannons, 4 x 7.7 mm Browning machine guns,
• 4x113 kg bombs or 2 such bombs and 8 NAR.

fighter bomber photo