Heritage Community Foundation Presents
Alberta Online Encyclopedia
table anchor table anchor table anchor
Alberta's Aviation Heritage
spacer    Home   |   About Us   |   Contact Us   |   Partners   |   Sitemap spacer
spacer History, Planes, People and Virtual Heritage
Quicklinks

Bomber and Reconnaissance

Success in WW II

Used in 1943

Quicklinks

Search Database Collections

Alberta Aviation Museum Tour
 
 

Bomber and Reconnaissance

The sleek de Havilland Mosquito’s fuselage was made entirely of shaped wood. After the first flight of its prototype 25 November 1940, the plane proved itself to be the fastest aircraft in existence and held this title for two years. The Mosquito flew at 638.91 kilometres per hour.

Two 1,300-horsepower Packard Merlin 33 engines powered the craft, and it had a maximum operating height of 10,520 metres. The Mosquito’s speed and ceiling allowed it to execute photographic reconnaissance missions at night or during daylight.

The Mosquito was also used in anti-shipping and target-marking roles on many missions during the war. Although the initial versions of the aircraft were unarmed, later armed versions, such the night-fighter variant, became soon became available. Armed with four machine guns and four 20-milimetre cannons, carrying four 227-kilogram bombs, these Mosquitoes were used on night-fighter operations over Enemy territory.

 

divider
spacer    Copyright © 2004 Heritage Community Foundation All Rights Reserved spacer
Alberta's Aviation Heritage

Albertasource.ca | Contact Us | Partnerships
            For more on aviation in Alberta, visit Peel’s Prairie Provinces.
Copyright © Heritage Communty Foundation All Rights Reserved