de Havilland Mosquito B Mk IV
de Havilland · GB · first flew 1941 · bomber
The B Mk IV was the first production Mosquito bomber, proving the concept of the unarmed high-speed bomber and equipping the first Pathfinder squadrons with a precision capability unmatched by any other RAF aircraft of the era.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 12.43 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Pure bomber with no gun armament — smooth nose glazing below the cockpit, no gun turret
- Short bomb bay without Oboe or H2S radar blisters (later bomber marks had under-nose radome)
- Merlin 21/23 engines; deep Packard-style nacelles sit close under the wooden wing
No guns, no gun turret, no nose armament blisters — the bomber Mosquito has a clean profile compared with fighter, NF and FB marks. The B Mk IV has a shorter, rounded nose without the chin intake of fighter variants. Distinguish from the FB VI by the absence of four nose cannon and the under-wing rocket rails.
Specifications
- The de Havilland Mosquito B Mk IV has a length of 12.43 m (41 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 16.51 m (54 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 611 km/h (380 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
98 built, entering service with No. 105 Squadron in May 1942. Famous for daylight precision raids including the attack on the Gestapo headquarters in Oslo and the Augsburg MAN factory. Its speed made escort fighters unnecessary.
Variants
Series I (short bomb bay); Series II (modified bomb bay accepting 4,000 lb 'cookie' with bulged doors). The B Mk IV led to the Mk IX, XVI and other bomber variants.
Where you'll see it
No. 2 Group RAF, later Pathfinder Force. No airworthy Mk IVs survive; the de Havilland Aircraft Museum at Salisbury Hall, UK, holds the prototype W4050.
Related aircraft
- de Havilland Mosquito B.IV
- de Havilland Mosquito NF.II / NF.30
- de Havilland Mosquito
- de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk VI
- Avro Lancaster
- Avro Lancaster B.I
- Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress
- Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Woomera
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