Will Assist In Restoration Efforts And Possibly New Aircraft

A cache of some 20,000 wartime drawings and diagrams for the De Havilland Mosquito were discovered in a wartime factory just days before the building was scheduled to face the wrecking ball.

The U.K. newspaper The Telegraph reports that the archive is thought to be the only complete set of engineering drawings for the iconic aircraft, and it includes details of variants that were never produced.

The drawings have been donated to a charity that plans to restore and fly one of the twin-engined aircraft that had been badly damaged in an accident. "The People's Mosquito" said that the documents, which are contained on microfilm cards, will provide invaluable technical information needed to accurately restore the airplane, and assure it meets airworthiness standards.

The aircraft that the non-profit organization hopes to restore is a night fighter that went down at RAF Coltishall in February 1949. Ross Sharp, engineering director for the project, said the plans will allow the non-profit to "lean a new level of understanding and connection with the brilliant designers who developed the world’s first, true, multi-role combat aircraft.”

There were 7,781 Mosquitoes built during and after the war. The last one came off the assembly line November 15, 1950. Of those aircraft, 6,710 were delivered during the war, according to The Mirror.

The Mosquito served as a fighter, a bomber, a night fighter and a U-boat hunter. The plans that were discovered were considered top secret during the war, and include never-produced variants such as a torpedo bomber and a photo-reconnaissance plane.

There are currently three airworthy examples of the Mosquito; one in Canada and two in the U.S. The plans might also be used to produce new examples of the aircraft as well as for restorations. The People's Mosquito non-profit estimates it will cost nearly $8 million to restore the aircraft to flight status, and has raised only a fraction of that amount so far.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report, www.peoplesmosquito.org.uk