Apart from the Spitfire and the Hurricane, if there were ever an aircraft that epitomized the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War Two, it would have to be the de Havilland Mosquito. As the Nazi Party in Germany continued to build up its military, the British Air Ministry was looking for a short to medium-range bomber.

Already having a reputation for building speedy planes de Havilland started work on a twin-engine aircraft that could outrun the enemy. Based on the company’s Albatross airliner, de Havilland believed that a bomber with a smooth minimal skin area could exceed the RAF’s expectations. Also, keeping it lightweight and built from wood would make it cheap and fast to produce.

The RAF was skeptical about a lightly armed bomber

Based on his experience with the Albatross airliner, Geoffrey de Havilland believed that a bomber with good could exceed the specifications that the RAF was looking for. The planemaker knew that should war break out with Germany, aluminum and steel would be in short supply while wood would still be plentiful.

De Havilland believed that by minimizing the plane’s equipment, they could build an aircraft with a top speed of 300 mph. The design they settled on would be able to outrun any foreseeable enemy aircraft and would be powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. A lack of machine gun turrets simplified the aircraft’s production and reduced unnecessary drag. Contemporary RAF…