All data from:
Mosquito
C. Martin Sharp & Michael J. F. Bowyer
ISBN 0 947554 41 6
The book is British and originally printed in 1967. This edition was printed in 1995.
Martin Sharp was the de Havilland executive responsible for liaison with the overseas factories, working throughtout with the designers, production engineers and pilots and was entrusted by the company to tell the story.
The greater bulk of wood, for a given strength, had advantages. A stressed skin was thick, and therefore stiff without the need for much internal reinforcement, leaving clear spaces for the tanks, bombs, guns and equipment. For lightness the wing was made of one piece from tip to tip, stressed to carry 82 tons. It accommodated 10 tanks, 539 gallons, close to the center of gravity, their weight spread economically along the span.
Shell holes and bullet holes would represent a smaller percentage of the mass of a bulky wooden member; a shell fragment that might sever a strong metal member would scarcely weaken a thick, continuous wood shell or stout wood spar. Active service soon verified this. Buoyancy of wood was an advantage. No higher fire risk was expected.
-page 35
More important was the Initial Handling Report 767 dated 3 March, of Boscombe Down pilots. 'The aeroplane is pleasant to fly', it read, 'Aileron control light and effective. Take-offs and landings are straightforward. The aircraft stalls at 105 m.p.h. I.A.S. with flaps up, 90 with flaps down, and was flown at up to 320 I.A.S.' The best rate of climb in M.S. blower was 2,880 f.p.m. at 11,400 ft., and 2,240 f.p.m. in F.S. gear at 18,100 ft.
Top seed in F.S. gear was 388 m.p.h. at 22,000 ft. Estimated service ceiling was 33,900 ft. the greatest height reached being 29,700 ft. Tests were conducted at 16,767 lb.
-page 45
The mid-1942 plan envisaged the following useful range of variants at this stage of development, based on Merlin XXI 2 X 1,300 b.h.p. for take-off, plus 12 lb., 3,000 r.p.m. and 2 x 870 b.h.p. at 19,000 feet F.S. gear, plus 4 lb., 2,650 r.p.m., at the tankages shown:-
To increase fighter range two tanks, fitted behind the cannon in W4096 gave 151 gallons, a smaller 50-gallon tank being possible, with 2 X 250 lb. bombs, in the intruder.
At this stage a 'basic wing' was evolved, strengthened for heavier loads that were being visualized, and applicable with simple adaptation to all kinds of Mosquitoes.
-pages 58-59
APPENDIX 5
Mosquito Operational Performance and Loads Versions fitted with Merlin 21, 22, 23, 31CLIMB: Reccommended climb 2,650 R.P.M. +4 lb boost at 170 I.A.S.
Bombers reached 20,000 in about 22 minutes over 75 miles on 40 gallons of fuel.
Maximum rate of climb on 2,850 revs. +9 lb. boost had no effect on range but put strain on the engines.
CEILING: Operational ceiling of the fully loaded bomber was about 27,000 feet, homeward journey about 30,000.
CRUISE: Reccommended cruise speed was 220 I.A.S. to about 25,000 feet outward and 210 I.A.S. at 30,000 homeward. Air miles per gallon were about 3.1 outwards and 3.4 homewards. A.M.P.G. at 5,000 feet: 2.8, at 10,000 2.9, at 15,000 3.1.
RANGE: At economical cruising:
At high speed cruise:
These figures take into account using 20 gallons fuel for warm-up and taxiing, M gallons for climb to 5,000ft over 12 miles or 40 gallons to 20,000 feet over 75 miles or 52 gallons for climb to 25,000 feet over 100 miles.
Maximum level speed: Accurate top speed tests showed a variance of about 8 m.p.h.
Multiple ejector exhausts increased maximum level speed by about 12 m.p.h. T.A.S. Under-wing bomb reduced speed by about 15 m.p.h. T.A.S. 19,000 lb. weight, Merlin 25s, multiple exhausts gave the TR. Mk. 33 a top speed of 389 T.A.S. at 14,500 feet.
19,000 lb. weight, Merlin 25s, manifold exhausts gave the FB. Mk. VI a top speed of 378 T.A.S. at 13,000 feet.
-pages 437-438
I'll try to add more later, or answer questions if I can.
