De Havilland Mosquito

[wuzak]

This is a picture I took in 2007 of the prototype. You can just make out one of the locking bands on the leading edge - it is about halfway along the section of outer wing shown.

[PR19_Kit]

W4050 looked better then than it does now! It's still in bits at the moment as they are doing a total restore on the airframe as its innards were getting decidedly tatty.

[Daryl J.]

That's neat!   Thanks for posting.

[KJ_Lesnick]

I got a couple of questions and ideas

1. How well would the Mosquito have done over Japan compared to the B-29?

2. How much effort would it have taken to modify the Mosquito B.IV and so on with counter-rotating props provided you didn't change anything else?

[Hobbes]

If you don't change the engines (to more powerful ones), going to counterrotating props isn't going to bring much of an advantage. I suspect that the extra weight and drag will give you a slightly slower aircraft instead. 

[kitnut617]

The original requirement for the DH Hornet was for it to have contra-props as an option, not to much of a stretch for the Mosquito to have the same engines as the Hornet and so have contra-props.

Your first question Robyn/Kendra, is a bit pointless, the two aircraft are in totally different catagories and do totallly different things.

[Captain Canada]

They were both bombers no ? I'm sure the Mossie would have acquitted herself rather well....you'd just need more of them ! And had Tiger Force gone in and dragged on, I'm sure you would have seen them down there.

See ? It's all about Tiger Force right now. Tiger Tiger Tiger !

The LE slats are pretty cool too. I had no idea ! And I can't see the bands in that pic, looks like it's cut off before that ?

[kitnut617]

Yes they were both bombers, the Mosquito was a 'light bomber', very light --- the B-29 was at the time classed a 'Very Heavy Bomber'.  Like I said, two diffent ends of the spectrum if you want to compare them --

[pyro-manic]

Couldn't hang Fat Man off a Mossie.

[KJ_Lesnick]

Hobbes

Counter-rotating props mean that each blade spins in the opposite direction: Left blade say spins clockwise; the right spins counter-clockwise or vice-versa (i.e like the P-38 and DH Hornet)

Contra-rotation means you have two rows of blades attatched to each engine-shaft which spin in opposite directions (like the XF8B-1)

[wuzak]

1. How well would the Mosquito have done over Japan compared to the B-29?

It would need significantly closer airfields. The range is much, much, less.

Of course they could be adapted to fly off RN carriers, so flying off the larger US carriers ought not be a problem. Though, it has to be said, the Sea Mossies were converted FB.VIs with limited bomb loads (max 4 x 500lb - 2 in the rear bomb bay, thr forward bomb bay being taken up by the cannon, and 2 under the wings, only if drop tanks aren't carried).

2. How much effort would it have taken to modify the Mosquito B.IV and so on with counter-rotating props provided you didn't change anything else?

It would require a Merlin with a nose case with the opposite hand drive and an opposite hand prop.

But what do you gain?

Some early Whirlwind prototypes ran with counter-rotating props, and were compared to other prototypes with props roating in the same direction and it was found that the pilots could detect no difference in handling between the two.

The big advantage, theoretically, is with an engine out scenario. Depending on which engine went out, the handling could become very difficult.

Early P-38s had their props turning opposite to what later production models did. It was discovered that in an engine out situation the handling was diabolical. No matter which engine had been lost. Reversing the rotation (by swapping engines from left to right) cured that issue.

The Mosquito, in contrast, did not have the same engine out issues. From the earliest testing the pilots were able to perform aerobatics with a dead engine and feathered prop.

Introducing counter-rotating props for Mosquitoes was solving a problem that didn't really exist and gained no performance advantage.

[wuzak]

Couldn't hang Fat Man off a Mossie.

True.

Little Boy could be made to fit, but I doubt the Mossie could lift it.

What the Mosquito could do as well as the B-29 is the low level fire bombing raids. They could carry 4 RAF type 500lb incendiary bombs (much the same size as 500lb MC bomb), or they could carry the 4000lb MC or HC bombs. If they could get there - and back.

[rickshaw]

If you operate Mossies from carriers, engine-out situations become very important.

[jcf]

The B-29s carry the Mossies to Japan. Simple, really.

[pyro-manic]

Even better would be the other way round. Ultimate Mistel!