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Witness a special flying demo with the very rare de Havilland FB.MkVI "Mosquito" aircraft, one of only four flying in the world. The Planes of Fame Air Museum is hosting a "Hangar Talk" focused on the unique aircraft on Nov. 4 and the Mosquito will fly after the presentation.
The Hangar Talk will delve into the design and development of the de Havilland Mosquito. The Mosquito, also known as the Wooden Wonder, was one of WWII's fastest and most powerful allied aircraft. The presentation will discuss the unique design, development, combat record and the roles it served during the war. The twin-engine bomber was developed during WWII and powered by two Rolls-Royce Merlin engines with over 1,500 horsepower each. Lending to its rarity, the aircraft was constructed mostly of wood. The wood kept the weight down, making it a quick and versatile airplane. The de Havilland FB.MkVI played many roles throughout the war, from reconnaissance to fighters to bombers.
After the Hangar Talk presentation, the rare, WWII aircraft will taxi and fly over the Museum for about 20 minutes. Once it returns to the ground, the guests can interact with the plane and ask the pilot, Steve Hinton, questions. There will be food and coffee service as well as plenty of historical re-enactors onsite to offer additional insight into the military engagements of WWII. The Planes of Fame's B-17 "Flying Fortress" will also be open to visitors and the Museum guides will be offering an escorted tour of the Museum.
On top of the presentation and flight, the event will host the 6th Annual Ed Maloney Scale Model Contest for Museum Members and Volunteers. This contest was named in honor of Ed Maloney, the Museum's founder. Maloney was a lifelong model builder and his namesake event judges the scale model and building skills of participants in categories for aircraft and military vehicles. Hangar Talk attendees can judge entries and the awards will be presented for first, second and third place in each of the five divisions.
The Museum hosted a similar event in 2021. The Mosquito's owner, Charles Somers, has made the aircraft available from the Charles Somers Warbird Collection in Sacramento, California. The doors to the Museum will open at 10 a.m. and the Hangar Talk presentation will be held inside the Maloney Hangar from 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. The engine start and taxi will begin at 12:15 p.m., the flyover will take place from 12:20 p.m. to 12:40 p.m. and the pilot's Q and A will be held at 12:45 p.m.
According to the de Havilland Aircraft Museum, the FB Mk.VI Mosquito was first flown in 1942. The aircraft was intended to be used in "intruder" strike missions but became the most widely used Mosquito variant. The variant was based on the F Mk.II fighter but without the Air Interception radar. The plane had four Browning 0.303 in machine guns in the nose, four Hispano 20 mm cannons in the belly and a bomb bay behind the cannon, allowing the Mosquito to carry two 500-pound bombs internally with two under the wings. The plane mainly operated at a low altitude and the FB.VI was unpressurized, maintaining single-stage supercharged Merlin engines.
Don't miss a chance to see one of only four flyable Mosquitos in the world.