The de Havilland Mosquito is a British twin engine combat aircraft that entered Royal Air Force service in 1941, built largely of plywood and other wood composites at a time when aluminum was in short supply. Its light airframe and powerful engines gave it exceptional speed for its size, and during the Second World War it was adapted to fly as a bomber, night fighter, reconnaissance aircraft and pathfinder.
Facts
SignificanceA wooden multi-role combat aircraft so fast for its era that it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world at its 1941 introduction. 1 Manufacturer or Builder FAQs
Why was the de Havilland Mosquito built of wood?
Wood saved scarce aluminium and put furniture and piano makers to work on aircraft.
The Mosquito airframe was a plywood and balsa sandwich, moulded in two half-shells and glued together. That design freed up strategic aluminium for other aircraft and let the work be spread across hundreds of furniture makers, piano manufacturers and coachbuilders who had never built an aircraft before.
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Manufactured By
Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: De Havilland Mosquito Encyclopedia Article
WikipediaDesign and development section
de Havilland believed that a bomber with a good aerodynamic design and smooth, minimal skin area, would exceed the P.13/36 specification.
Lead section
In 1941, it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world.
Lead section, first paragraph, nickname clause
Unusual in that its airframe was constructed mostly of wood, it was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder", or "Mossie".
In Group: Bombers, Lead paragraph
Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, the Mosquito's use evolved during the war into many roles, including low- to medium-altitude daytime tactical bomber, high-altitude night bomber, pathfinder, day or night fighter, fighter-bomber, intruder, maritime strike, and photo-reconnaissance aircraft.
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