Windsor group rebuilds fighter plane

by Hailey Trealout

The De Havilland Mosquito beat all its sister planes from history at 415 m.p.h. when she made her debut in 1942 as the fastest fighter-bomber in the Second World War.

Made completely from plywood, due to aluminum shortages, the Mosquito was built originally as a bomber but was used to fulfill more roles by the end of the war. According to timemoneyandblood.com, the plane was the first to photograph war-time Berlin and the first to photograph the V-2 rocket. It served as a night fighter and played a defensive role against V-1 Buzz bombs over England.

The Canadian Historical Aircraft Association has put together a team to reconstruct this plane from the remains of other 63-year-old Mosquito crash sites in Pelly Lake, Ont. On March 9 the wingspan of the plan was leveled off in its proper position. This has been the first time the bomber has been lifted from its mount in 15 years.

Marvin Fields was involved in retrieving the parts of the plane and constructing the wingspan. He said after 14 years of construction there is still a lot to be done.

“Next we have to lay the front spar for the nose ribs,” said Fields. “There are 44 nose ribs that have to be made and put on and that’s probably going to take a year and a half.”

Guy Moore worked with Fields and helped with the drawings and the construction of the wing. He said the Mosquito was a great achievement for the creator, Glen Powell.

“It’s all made of wood and yet its one of the fastest planes during World War II. To me its kind of a testament to the people in Canada who set up the manufacturing in Toronto, who made about 1,100 or 1,200 of these things in such a short amount of time. They contributed a real effort to the success of World War II,” said Moore.

With the 54-foot wingspan now resting in this position it makes it easier for volunteers to wire and skin the wing until it is ready to be mounted on the plane on an undetermined date.