WATCH: This is How You Restore a DH.98 Mosquito

The Owner of This Beautifully Restored ‘Mossie’ Shares Both Mosquito History and His Story

Mosquito FB Mk.VI serial number PZ474 (reg N474PZ) left the factory in 1945. The aircraft entered service with a Royal Air Force (RAF) operational training unit (OTU) and was then sold to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). The airplane spent neglected decades in California before going back to New Zealand in 2014 for a four-year restoration by Avspecs in Auckland. Warbird collector Rod Davis (EAA Lifetime 498155) brought his Magnificent Mossie to EAA AirVenture 2019 where it drew quite a crowd. Enjoy as Rod tells the story of this beautiful restoration along with some great Mosquito history, uploaded to YouTube by EAA.

[youtube id=”SkQURW-E3yI” width=”800″ height=”454″ position=”left”]

“We’re not saving the world by doing it but we’re kind of honoring the people that did.” How’s that for a quote? The DH.98 Mosquito, AKA the ‘Wooden Wonder’ or ‘Mossie,’ was adapted into the photo-reconnaissance, medium bomber, fighter, fighter-bomber, night fighter, high-altitude interceptor, torpedo bomber, trainer, and target tug roles. Produced from 1940 to 1950, Mosquitos rolled out of six different UK plants along with plants at Toronto in Canada and Sydney in Australia. These flexible aircraft were adapted into more than 40 different variants.

During their service, Mosquitos underwent refinement and development as the war progressed. Uprated Rolls-Royce Merlin liquid-cooled piston engines turning 3-bladed constant-speed propellers propelled all Mosquito variants. Uprated engines and engine superchargers, exhaust manifold designs, fuel capacities, armor protection, wing and empennage spans and sizes, ordnance payload and delivery systems, radar systems, pressurization systems, camera configurations, and bomb bay configurations drove those version number changes.

Mosquitos served with the Royal Australian Air Force, Belgium, Royal Canadian Air Force, Republic of China Air Force, People’s Liberation Army Air Force, Czechoslovak Air Force, Dominican Air Force, French Air Force, Haitian Air Force, Israeli Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, Royal Norwegian Navy Air Service, Royal Norwegian Air Force, Polish Air Forces (in exile in Great Britain), South African Air Force, Soviet Air Force, Royal Swedish Air Force, Swiss Air Force, Turkish Air Force, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy (Fleet Air Arm), United States Army Air Forces, and SFR Yugoslav Air Force. In May of 1963 No. 3 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Unit (CAACU) retired the last operational RAF Mosquitos.