De Havilland Mosquito

[pyro-manic]

Crecy?

[sequoiaranger]

For better or worse (sounds like getting married), my next whif project will be a "Mosquito" license-manufactured by the American company Fairchild, for use on large American carriers as a "torpedo-bomber", using a pair of "Highball" bouncing bombs. "My" Mossie will be a little elongated (extended about a foot-and-a-half in front of, and behind, the wings) and have the "halibut" canopies reminiscent of the Douglas B-42's. Engines will most likely be Packard/Griffons driving five-bladed, handed props. Livery will be the summer-of-'43 tri-color camo with red-outline Stars-and-bars. Build thread, etc. will be done in another section. But here is the top view:

[sequoiaranger]

As "promised", here is my Highball Sea Mossie derivative I call the "Fairchild Flounder". A long-necked, halibut-eyed, Griffon-powered, and "endowed" Mosquito with a Vee Tail:






Build thread at:

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,33114.msg527189.html#msg527189

[PR19_Kit]

Carried out in the manner of all the best lectures. 

'Tell 'em what you're going to say, say it, and tell 'em what you just said'.....

[Daryl J.]

Real world question:  what is a good source that covers the development of the Mosquito?

TIA,
Daryl J.

[The Wooksta!]

The Richard Franks SAMI Mosquito Datafile -IF you can find a copy. Full of niggly errors but a handy one stop source.

The Sharp/Bowyer book is worth every penny.  Make sure you get the modern reprint as it covers the post war aircraft. Not quite the equivalent of the Morgan/Shacklady book on the Spitfire but damned close.

Finally, the two volumes of Mosquito: The Illustrated History by Stuart Howe and Ian Thirsk are MUST HAVES.  All photos and many of them very valuable.

[Daryl J.]

I thank you.

Daryl J.

[kitnut617]

Another very good source is the SAM Publications Aviation Guide book, Mosquito FB.VI by Dave Brown.

And the two volumes of the Squadron/Signal Mosquito in Action have lots of good reference photos, one volume is of all the Fighter variants, and the other is of all the Bomber variants

[tigercat]

 How about a Mosquito Amphibian for the Pacific War

[pyro-manic]

The problem with that is you'd lose the Mossie's biggest benefit - speed. Adding floats or a hull would make it very draggy and slow. Unless you can devise a cunning system of retractable floats - perhaps similar to the Blackburn B-20 - that would keep it sleek and fast.

The effect of seawater and tropical heat on the wooden structure would also have to be considered, of course.

[KJ_Lesnick]

sequoiaranger

For better or worse (sounds like getting married), my next whif project will be a "Mosquito" license-manufactured by the American company Fairchild, for use on large American carriers as a "torpedo-bomber", using a pair of "Highball" bouncing bombs.

Why not use it for both torpedo-bombing and maritime-patrol?  Could it do dive bombing?

"My" Mossie will be a little elongated (extended about a foot-and-a-half in front of, and behind, the wings) and have the "halibut" canopies reminiscent of the Douglas B-42's.

Why such a canopy set-up?  Why not just use the same cockpit the fighter-bomber versions of the Mossie had?

Engines will most likely be Packard/Griffons driving five-bladed, handed props.

Why not some kind of contra-rotation system with either three or four blades apiece?  It would provide extra thrust per horsepower than would a single row prop as I understand it. 

Also, why a V-tail?

[sequoiaranger]

Re: "Flounder"--

>Why not use it for both torpedo-bombing and maritime-patrol?<  

No reason not to use for "patrol", but it would behoove one to add search radar, etc.--maybe a specialty land-based version.  The carrier-based "Flounder" wasn't built for that. As for torpedoes, the "Highballs" are presumably more effective than torpedoes, and could be launched at a higher airspeed (WHY would you want to linger in gun range--with a mere torpedo--any longer than you had to??).

>Could it do dive bombing?<

Yes, I suppose. It had a "bellows"-type air brake in the rear fuselage. Bomb-bay not really equipped for bombs to dive with, though.

>Why such a canopy set-up?  Why not just use the same cockpit the fighter-bomber versions of the Mossie had? Why not some kind of contra-rotation system with either three or four blades apiece?  Also, why a V-tail?<

Simple--'Cause that's the way I wanted it!! Feel free to employ your modifications on YOUR Mossie! I'd love to see it when it's built!

[PR19_Kit]

Simple--'Cause that's the way I wanted it!! Feel free to employ your modifications on YOUR Mossie!

NICE one! 

[KJ_Lesnick]

sequoiaranger

No reason not to use for "patrol"

Actually there would be.  The Mosquito had a fantastic range, and you could definitely use these aircraft to waste both military and transport ships.  The TBM's were used for anti-submarine patrol.

it would behoove one to add search radar, etc.--maybe a specialty land-based version.

When you talk about a search-radar, do you mean something like the H2S?  If so, some DH.98's were fitted with those.

As for torpedoes, the "Highballs" are presumably more effective than torpedoes, and could be launched at a higher airspeed (WHY would you want to linger in gun range--with a mere torpedo--any longer than you had to??).

Good point actually, plus you could also do skip-bombing or masthead bombing attacks with the Mosquito.  Normally this tactic was done with light/medium bomber types like the A-20 (which despite being an attack pane was also considered a light-bomber), and the B-25.  The Mosquito was considered a medium bomber by the RAF standards (and would probably be a light bomber by the USAAF's standards)

Yes, I suppose. It had a "bellows"-type air brake in the rear fuselage. Bomb-bay not really equipped for bombs to dive with, though.

I thought you could dive bomb with any type of bomb?  The Mosquito had the capacity for either 3,000 to 4,000 pounds of bombs (4,000 with a cookie, and 3,000 normal).

Simple--'Cause that's the way I wanted it!! Feel free to employ your modifications on YOUR Mossie! I'd love to see it when it's built!

LOL!

[KJ_Lesnick]

Just out of curiousity, could a DH Mosquito have met the range if it was powered by a radial like an R-1830?