| The Warplanes That Changed The World |
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DeHavilland Mosquito
Type: Multi-Role Combat Aircraft
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Crew: Two
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Length: 44 feet six inches
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Wingspan: 54 feet 2 inches
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Maximum Speed: 415 mph (Mk XVI version)
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Ceiling: 37,000 feet
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Armament: Some versions unarmed; others carried up to 4,000 pounds of cannons, bombs and rockets
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Dates in Service: 1941-1956 in the British Royal Air Force, used by other countries until the early 1960s
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When first presented with the Mosquito in 1938, the RAF turned up their noses at it. This wasn't surprising, since it was a bomber built out of plywood that didn't carry any defensive armament. Instead, it relied on the then-untried tactic of avoiding German fighters through speed alone. Eventually, though, the unconventional airplane proved to be one of the most effective aircraft of the war. In addition to being very fast, it was extremely maneuverable and easy to manufacture.
The Mosquito proved versatile as well, and the British developed a wide range of variants of the plane. Mosquitoes were used for everything from reconnaissance and night-fighting to level bombing and attacking German submarines. They also carried out some of the most dramatic special missions of the war, including raids against occupied Norway, ferrying diplomats to and from neutral Sweden, and even bombing a Nazi rally in Berlin. They served with several air forces well into the 1950s.
One of the most common uses for the Mosquito was as a "pathfinder" for flights of British heavy bombers. In this capacity, the plane carried OBOE radio equipment that automatically told the bomber formation when to drop their payloads. Two separated ground stations in Britain sent radio signals to the plane, and by monitoring the two signals, the Mosquito could track its position and determine when it was over the target.
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