The 'Wooden Wonder' was rushed from design to take-off in the space of just a year in the heat of WWII.īased on a timber frame and plywood body and powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, the aircraft was capable of hitting speeds in excess of 400mph (644kmh). The De Havilland Mosquito was a fearsome fighter plane with a twist – it was made of plywood. The plane was originally built as a surveillance aircraft but was so fast and versatile, reaching speeds of around 400mph (644kmh), it was sent into combat. The last Mosquito to fly in Britain was one which crashed in 1996 near Barton Airfield in Manchester, killing the pilot and passenger. Various others are on display in museums or incomplete. There are four other restored and airworthy versions of the aircraft in existence, but they are owned by people in the US and Canada. 'At the same time we will be honouring and remembering those who designed, built, flew and maintained the type in all its roles and locations.' 'Through flying displays around the country and an "open hangar" policy, with an emphasis on education, we aim to communicate to future generations the importance to the war effort of the Mosquito during World War Two, and the unique design and engineering techniques that went into its production. 'More than any other aircraft of the wartime era, "The Mossie" or "Wooden Wonder" as she was affectionately known, was the people's aircraft.
'A truly groundbreaking aircraft in so many ways, it was built by a network of often small and medium sized enterprises up and down the UK, all coming together to build what was then the world’s fastest production aircraft. 'The Mosquito was an exemplar of British 1940s aeronautical engineering,' they said on their website. The team behind it hope to display the beauty of the restored machine at flying displays and open hangar exhibitions. The People's Mosquito will be built from the remains of one of the last of the planes to be built, the NF.36 RL249, which crashed in RAF Coltishall in Norfolk in February 1949. Only three exist in flying condition today, according to the People's Moquito project, with two in the US and the third in Canada. One notable mission was Operation Jericho in 1944, in which Allied forces bombed Amiens prison in Nazi-occupied France, killing more than 100 prisoners. Mosquitoes were used by the Royal Air Force and others around the world in World War Two, both as a bomber and a fighter plane. Mr Lilley said the costly project is being financed by private donations, fundraising efforts and corporate sponsorship. 'It was exported to dozens of countries and was a great British icon of design and development.' Because the production of this aircraft was split around the country and pulled in other industries such as cabinetmakers and piano-makers, we've had many people say their father, uncle or auntie were involved in production or were part of the crew. We've got the foundations to build the basic aircraft structure.
'We had wing ribs made, we've acquired jigs for the wings for the tail section and we're building the fuselage mould. 'The British, who can afford aluminum better than we can, knock together a beautiful wooden aircraft that every piano factory over there is building. They have the geniuses and we have the nincompoops.' He said: 'It makes me furious when I see the Mosquito. The Nazi government's war-time aviation minister Mr Goering reportedly called his own aircraft designers 'nincompoops' in comparison to the British when he found out about the plane. He said in 1939: 'We believe that we could produce a twin-engine bomber which would have a performance so outstanding that little defensive equipment would be needed.'Ī total of 7,781 of the aircraft were built and they were used by air forces in the UK, US and Russia until their final mission in 1945, when they took part in a hunt for German submarines which may have been trying to escape surrender. It was so fast, in fact, that designer Geoffrey de Havilland said it didn't need to be armoured. The Mosquito was originally built as a surveillance aircraft but was so fast and versatile, reaching speeds of around 400mph (644kmh), it was sent into combat.
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