RAF Mosquito Copied
 

"The de Havilland Mosquito was one of Britains most iconic aircraft. The high-velocity airplane made entirely from plywood was landing severe blows on the Reich industry. The Germans realized that such a design needed to be copied and perhaps improved with the help of superior engineering."

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/mil...to-failed.html

Fortunately for the Allies most of the German flying machine development came a bit too late, it could be said that the German output bearing in mind their factories were being bombed day and night was remarkable if it had not been for their use of Slave Labour who they worked to death.

What the information in the interesting link doesn't say, is that the factory producing the glue was bombed purely by accident. The Allies had no knowledge of its potential for aircraft production. They thought that the phenolic resin glue formulation used for the Mosquito was unique. We know that type of glue today as Cascamite and Cascophen.

It is brilliant glue, I built parts for a car body from very thin 3 ply marine plywood, moulded to a curve and Cascamited together, it was sensational for strength.

My Uncle Alan, now passed, did his national service in the RAF shortly after the war. He worked as ground crew on Mosquitoes, he had a picture of himself standing in front of a Mozzy with a large glass (or presumably some kind of Perspex) nose.

He was in my garage one day and noticed one of those small box spanners on the wall with a couple of universal joints in the stem (much beloved of Reliant mechanics) and I remember him saying he'd have given his left arm for a tool like that when he was working on the Mozzy.:sweat:

The German ME 262 jet was almost a copy of the mossy,it came late in the war.

Unfortunately the glue was not so good in the hot climates and there were a number of Scarf joint failures to the point where the aircraft could not be flown back to GB and were left at an M.U. in Egypt where the Engines and bearers were chopped out.
The Fuselages were formed into a circle, tails to the centre, the fuel drain cocks were opened a flare was fired into the fuel and up they went into a cloud of smoke. What was left was picked up by the locals and no doubt fashioned into some sorts of souvenirs.
One British Shipping Company was on charter to bring back aircraft scrap from Egypt which I presume would include the chopped out Merlins.

The new Mosquitos being built in Auckland use epoxy resin glues developed for Americas Cup yachts. And, a lot more brass screws are used as well.
The fuselage moulds and the first fuselage manufactured were actually built in McMullen & Wing's superyacht building facility over in East Auckland. That first new fuselage went to the Canadian Air Force Museum for a restoration that was being carried out there.
All the wing cavities are given a coating of epoxy resin as well, so new Mossies will not have the delamination problems that the originals suffered from.
Skilly

Beautiful planes,made a large model when I was in the Air Scouts.

Geoff

Although De Havilland were responsible for the design, a number of subcontractor companies were involved in production. Furniture manufacturers made many of the parts, and wings that were sent to the final assembly plant.

A similar aircraft, built earlier in the War by Westland, was the twin engined single seat Whirlwind. It had four cannon in the nose, and twin Rolls Royce Peregrine engines. It was very fast low down, and served in only two Squadrons because the engines were very unreliable and prone to overheating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usjB_5HbW7M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-gwYZSqvSI

Salisbury Hall, just off the M25 at London Colney near Hatfield and St Albans, is where the Mosquito was designed. In a fascinating museum on the site of rare de Havilland aircraft is the original Mosquito prototype. It still has some patched up hasty repairs that were done when it was on trial at Farnborough.

https://www.dehavillandmuseum.co.uk/?FORM=LFACTRE