Geoffrey De Havilland’s Mosquito: the Wooden Wonder

The De Havilland Mosquito: a wooden fighter that couldn't be stopped

The De Havilland Mosquito was a wooden aircraft that fulfilled both bomber, reconnaissance, and fighter roles and was one of the fastest aircraft of the war. By the time the Mosquito was detected by the Germans it was too late to stop it and none of their planes were fast enough to catch it. There was a severe shortage of metal for airplanes in England during the war and an innovator named Geoffrey De Havilland saw an opportunity to use carpenters and wood to make a deadly and versatile aircraft.

Thanks to Willfred Freeman the Air Chief Marshal, De Havilland was given the ok to produce the Mosquito if he kept up his other obligations. The Mosquito was made of plywood, spruce and balsa wood. It was fast, could carry bombs, cameras, and had 4 cannons in the nose. This plane was responsible for highly secret missions over Europe and was undeniably the most useful fighter/bomber of WW2. It almost was scrapped because a wooden plane was considered obsolete but due to Willfred and De Havilland’s persistence, the Wooden Wonder was born. Before it was famous, it was known as “Freeman’s Folly” by the war department.

It takes Valor to stand up to your peers when they are making fun of you.

Valor is in you. Set it free