de Havilland Mosquito | |
|---|---|
| Pays | Royaume-uni |
| Rôle | Chasseur-bombardier léger Chasseur-bombardier Chasseur de nuit |
| Premier vol | Le 25 novembre 1940 |
| Construit | 7781 |
Lla de Havilland DH.98 Moustique était un avion de combat multirœur bimoteur britannique à ailes d’épaule. L’équipage de deux personnes, pilote et navigateur, était assis côte à côte. Il a servi pendant et après la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Il était l’un des rares avions opérationnels de première ligne de l’époque construit presque entièrement en bois et a été surnommé The Wooden Wonder. Le Moustique était aussi connu affectueusement comme le « Mossie » à ses équipages. Conçu à l’origine comme un bombardier rapide non armé, le Mosquito a été adapté à des rôles tels que bombardier tactique de jour de basse à moyenne altitude, bombardier de nuit à haute altitude, éclaireur, chasseur de jour ou de nuit, chasseur-bombardier, intrus, avions d’attaque maritime et avions de photo-reconnaissance rapides. Il a également été utilisé par la British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) comme moyen de transport rapide pour transporter de petites cargaisons de grande valeur à l’intérieur et à l’provenance de pays neutres, à travers l’espace aérien contrôlé par l’ennemi. Un seul passager pourrait monter dans l’avion’bombe s quand il a été adapté à cet effet.
| DeHavilland DH-98 Mosquito Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographe | Vladimir Yakubov |
| Localisation | Le Musée National de l’USAF |
| Photos | 50 |
| De Havilland Mosquito NF.XIX | |
|---|---|
| Photographe | Andrei Zinchuk |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 39 |
| Mosquito FB.VI (T.3) Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographe | Randy Malmstrom |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 106 |
| Mosquito PR.XVI (TT.35) Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographe | Michael Benolkin |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 15 |
Voir aussi :
| De Havilland Mosquito B.35 Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Photographe | Max Otten |
| Localisation | Inconnu |
| Photos | 75 |
The Unarmed Speedster
Lla De Havilland Mosquito was one of the most remarkable aircraft of World War II. While other manufacturers were competing for scarce aluminum, De Havilland proposed a bomber made almost entirely of bois. Initially dismissed by the Air Ministry, the Mosquito proved that by removing defensive turrets and relying on pure speed, it could outrun almost any fighter of its day. It evolved from a fast bomber into a lethal night fighter, a precision strike aircraft, and the ultimate reconnaissance platform.
| Attribute | Technical Specification (FB Mk VI) |
|---|---|
| Rôle | Fighter-Bomber / Night Fighter / Reconnaissance |
| Crew | 2 (Pilot and Navigator/Radio Operator) |
| First Flight | November 25, 1940 |
| Groupe motopropulseur | 2 × Rolls-Royce Merlin 25 liquid-cooled V12s |
| Horsepower | 1,620 hp per engine |
| Vitesse maximale | 415 mph (668 km/h) at 28,000 ft |
| Construction | Plywood, Balsa, and Spruce Sandwich |
| Armement | 4 × 20mm Hispano cannons; 4 × .303 Browning machine guns |
Engineering the « Wooden Wonder »
- The Balsa Sandwich: The fuselage was constructed in two halves (left and right) using a sandwich of Ecuadorian balsa wood between layers of birch plywood. This allowed for internal equipment to be installed easily before the halves were glued together.
- Radiators in the Wings: Unlike most aircraft that had radiators hanging below the engines (creating drag), the Mosquito’s radiators were buried in the leading edges of the wing roots, further cleaning up the airflow.
- The Merlin Harmony: Powered by the same engines as the Spitfire and Mustang, the twin Merlins gave the Mosquito a power-to-weight ratio that allowed it to carry a 4,000 lb « Cookie » bomb—the same load as a four-engine B-17 Flying Fortress early in the war.
- Stealth Ancestry: Because of its wooden construction, the Mosquito had a significantly lower radar cross-section than metal aircraft, making it an accidental pioneer in stealth technology for night-time operations.
Operational Excellence
- Operation Jericho: In 1944, Mosquitos performed a legendary low-level precision strike on Amiens Prison in France, breaching the walls to allow French Resistance members to escape just before their scheduled executions.
- The Pathfinders: Mosquitos served as the « Pathfinders » for the RAF Bomber Command, using high-speed navigation and the Oboe radio system to mark targets with flares for the heavy bombers following behind.
- Lla « Tsetse » Variant: The Mk XVIII variant was equipped with a massive 57mm Molins anti-tank gun in the nose, used with devastating effect against German U-boats and shipping.
- A Global Legacy: Over 7,700 were built in the UK, Canada, and Australia. Today, they are among the most prized warbirds in the world, with only a tiny handful remaining in airworthy condition due to the difficulty of preserving 80-year-old glue and wood.
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