Tamiya 1/72 De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI/NF Mk.II Bomber Scaled Plastic Model Kit

The De Havilland Mosquito, made of wood, was designed on the concept of a high-speed bomber that could shake off fighters. The design took shape in 1939. De Havilland had previous experience producing the wooden DH88 Comet, and paid particular attention to finishing the surface of the wooden wing smoothly while minimising the use of aluminium. Two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines were selected as the power source, and wood was used as the primary fuselage material — metal was used only at the periphery of the engines and the landing gear.

At first, the Air Ministry was reluctant to adopt the Mosquito due to its wooden construction and lack of machine guns. However, on its maiden flight the Mosquito achieved a maximum speed of 630 km/h, at a time when the Spitfire's maximum speed was 580 km/h, and large orders quickly followed.

Among the variants produced, the Night-Fighter Mk. II was armed with 7.7mm machine guns in the nose and fitted with A.I.Mk.IV radar, proving highly effective at attacking airfields and intercepting raiding bombers. The Fighting Bomber Mk. VI, armed with four 225kg bombs and eight rocket bombs, entered active service in March 1943 and played havoc with land forces, battleships, and U-boats. It was also active in attacking railroads and bridges on the Burmese front, striking a blow against Japanese forces. The Mosquito's wooden structure proved strong against gunfire, earning it an established place with pilots on special missions.