"The essence of leadership . . . was, and is, that every leader from flight commander to group commander should know and fly his airplanes."
- Air Vice-Marshal J. E. 'Johnnie' Johnson, RAF

The "Mossie," as it was known affectionately by its British crews, was both simple in construction and design. It was a twin engine, single boom aircraft that placed the pilot and navigator in a side-by-side sitting configuration. The Mosquito was one of the most cost effective aircraft ever built because it was constructed out of wood. Balsa was used for the plywood skin, Sitka spruce from Alaska and British Columbia for the wing spars, and Douglas Fir stringers and birch and ash for the longitudinal pieces. These were all held together with glue and wood screws. The result was an airplane that was easy to maintain, tolerant of battle damage, and simple to patch. It was faster than the Spitfire, flew higher than almost any other aircraft, and carried tremendous firepower over great distances. The bomber version operated with relative impunity over Germany til the end of the war, because the Luftwaffe never had a nightfighter fast enough to intercept it. Interestingly, the nightfighter versions of the Mosquito remained in production until 1947, two years after the war in Europe had ended.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a RAF De Havilland Mosquito Mk. VI night fighter currently on display at the Elvington Aviation Museum. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 9-inches
Length: 6-3/4-inches

Release Date: November 2013

Historical Account: "Dark is the Night" - Built at De Havilland's Hatfield factory in May 1943, Mosquito HJ711 was issued to 169 Squadron then based at Little Snoring in Norfolk. Engaged on both defensive night patrols and offensive night sweeps into enemy airspace over Germany, the Squadron had radar equipped Mosquito NFIs, the first night fighter variant of the Mosquito. Developed as a fast bomber and night fighter, the Mosquito's light weight wooden construction and powerful Merlin engines gave it exceptional performance.

It was on a night intruder sortie that HJ711 scored 169 Squadrons first kill, downing a Bf110 while in the hands of Squadron Leader J.A.H Cooper. However, following just three months of RAF service the aircraft was struck off charge and scrapped.

In the 1970s, the surviving cockpit section fell into the hands of aviation enthusiast Tony Agar, who started restoring it in his garage. When the aircraft outgrew this space it was completed at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington where it can be seen today, a breath-taking memorial to the brave men who flew by night over occupied Europe.