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.
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