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Aviation History
1951
1951 - 0294.PDF
186 FLIGHT, 15 February 1951 The 7,781st—«nd last—Mosquito outside the production hangar at Chester on November 15th, 1950, with some of those who built her. A/togetfcer 3,299 Mosquitoes have been built at Hatfield, 1,627 at Leavesden, 1,134 by D.H. Canada at Toronto, 1,065 by Standard Motors at Coventry, 245 by Percival Aircraft at Luton, 208 by D.H. Australia at Sydney, 122 by Airspeed at Christchurch, and 81 at Chester. War figures were: 3,054 at Hatfield ; 1,390 at Leavesden ; 1,032 by D.H. Canada ; 1,126 by Standard Motors, Percival and Airspeed ; ond 108 by D.H. Australia. THE LAST MOSQUITO Delivery of "VX916," a Mk 38 Night Fighter, from de Havilland's Chester Factory Brings the Grand Total of Mosquitoes Delivered to 7,781 The Mosquito above came home after flying through blazing fuel from its victim. Below is the first prototype, with representative burdens imposed on its successors. The first flight was on November 25th, 1940 will be little quibbling over the de Havilland Com- I pany's suggestion that the Mosquito is " probably the most •*- versatile aircraft ever designed," though for as long as the memories of great aircraft endure there wUl be controversy as to which of the 40 versions built since September, 1941, achieved the greatest success. One thing, however, is certain: that, to those who have operated, built and maintained "Mossies," the newly released information that the very last of the breed-—a Mk 38 night fighter—was delivered in November last year will call forth regrets and reminiscences in abundance. For the Mosquito was more than a very beautiful monoplane powered with two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and carrying bombs, guns, cameras, rockets, radar, pupils or any other of the burdens it so willingly bore; it was the epitome of what can be achieved by untrammelled enterprise, national co-operation in its highest sense and the determination which achieves victory. Small wonder that, having announced the "last" delivery as long ago as April, 1946, de Havillands are now obliged to print a corrigendum in their admirable Gazette; for more contracts were subsequently placed, and since that date many scores of Mk 3, 37-ind. 38 Mosquitoes have been built at Hatfield and Chester. The Mosquito's record is a long and enviable one. As a bomber Mks 16 and 35 delivered 4,0001b bombs to Berlin and were back in four hours. For three years the Mks 2, 12, 13, 19, 30 and 36 defended Britain by night, shooting down 600 enemy aircraft and—in sixty nights—H600 flying bombs. The Mk 6 and the Canadian-built Mks 21 and 26 fighter-bombers delivered cannon-fire, rockets and bombs against enemy communications, troops, armour, fighter defences and shipping. Reconnaissance versions, like the Mks 1, 4, 9,16 and the Australian-built Mks 40 and 41 did the major part of the "P.R." flying over Europe, Burma and the southern Pacific. The Bomber Command tech- nique of pathfinding was almost exclusively developed and applied with the Mosquito (Mks 4, 9 and 16). But this is no obituary; for years to come the Mosquito will grace the skies of Britain and other nations.
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