De Havilland Mosquito facts for kids

Quick facts for kidsDH.98 Mosquito
	Mosquito B Mk IV serial DK338 before delivery to 105 Squadron. This aircraft was used on several of 105 Squadron's low-altitude daylight bombing operations during 1943.
Role	Light bomber; Fighter-bomber; Night fighter; Maritime strike aircraft; photo-reconnaissance aircraft;
National origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	de Havilland Aircraft Company
First flight	25 November 1940
Introduction	15 November 1941
Retired	1963
Status	Retired
Primary users	Royal Air Force; Royal Canadian Air Force; Royal Australian Air Force; United States Army Air Forces;
Produced	1940–1950
Number built	7,781
Unit cost	£9,100 (1951)

The De Havilland Mosquito is a British aircraft from the World War II. The Mosquito was a successful design. Originally intended to be a bomber, the type was very fast, could fly a long way and carry heavy loads. Therefore, it was and it was adapted to a number of other roles such as fighter, night fighter, night intruder, attack, reconnaissance and pathfinder.

Images for kids

Construction concepts pioneered in the DH.88 Comet were later used in the Mosquito.
One of de Havilland's proposals was to adapt the de Havilland Albatross design to create a fast bomber.
1943 advertisement for de Havilland taken from Flight & Aircraft Engineer magazine highlights the speed of the B Mk IV.
Mosquito prototype W4050 landing after a test flight on 10 January 1941: Four test flights were flown that day.
W4050 being restored at the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre near St Albans
B Mk IV nose closeup showing bombsight, clear nose, engine nacelles and undercarriage
A preserved Mosquito at the U.S. Air Force Museum (former TT Mk 35 which was restored to B Mk XVI configuration). Note the air and oil coolant radiators in the leading edge of the wing, intake for the two-stage Merlin's intercooler radiator behind the propeller blade, and the carburettor intake with ice guard behind and below.
American F-8 Mosquito nose; USAAF markings, PRU Blue finish at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
A view into the bomb bay showing the brick-red coloured twin fuel tanks fitted into the fuselage
Bombing of the Gestapo headquarters in the Shellhus, Copenhagen, Denmark, in March 1945. A Mosquito pulling away from its bombing run is visible on the extreme left, centre.
A de Havilland Mosquito of the RAF Banff Strike Wing attacking a convoy evacuating German troops in the Kattegat on 5 April 1945. A flak ship and a trawler were sunk.
Loading photoflash bombs onto a PR Mk XVI of No. 140 Squadron RAF at B58/Melsbroek, Belgium, circa 1944–1945
Mosquito B Mk IV Series 2, DK338, built in September 1942 and delivered to 105 Squadron, becoming GB-O.
B Mk IV (modified) of No. 692 Squadron, showing bulged bomb bay doors to accommodate the 4,000lb Cookie.
Mosquito F Mk II in India circa 1943
Mosquito NF Mk II W4092 of 157 Squadron, January 1944. Just visible is part of the aerial array for the A.I. Mk IV near the wingtip.
NF Mk XIII of 256 Squadron, with the "bull nose", caught in the beam of a Chance light on the main runway at Foggia, Italy, before taking off on a night intruder sortie.
Swedish Air Force NF.XIX operational in 1949.
Guns and bombs of an RAAF FB Mk VI
An FB Mk VI NS898 of 613 Squadron, June 1944, shows full invasion stripes and is well weathered through operational use.
Mosquito FB Mk XVIII NT225 of 248 Squadron Special Detachment. Note the 57 mm Molins gun and streamlined blister used to accommodate the automatic loading mechanism.
B Mk XX, the Canadian version of B Mk IV. One of the 40 USAAF F-8s.
Mosquito FB Mk 40 A52-50.
B Mk IV DK336 of 105 Squadron being prepared for Operation Oyster, December 1942. This aircraft crashed near Shipham while returning from Cologne on 27 January 1943
De Havilland Mosquito KA114 at the "Wings over Wairarapa" Airshow, Masterton, New Zealand (January 2013)
Mosquito P.R.34.