England 4-Mar-10 - de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre

In March this year I went to England primarily to see some of the early diaries associated with Scott's Last Expedition in the archives of the Scott Polar Research Institute, but while there I took the opportunity to visits several aircraft museums and other places of interest.

I arrived at Heathrow on 4 March and the next day headed up to the de Havilland Museum just off the M25 near London Colney.

Although the museum hadn't opened for the summer I was lucky to have a private tour thanks to John Stride.

This museum is a must for enthusiasts of the Mosquitofighter/bomber, wooded plane construction or the de Havilland stable of aircraft.

The photos included are - the original Mosquito designated W4050, a machine in progress of being restored, the 4000 pound bomb used by some of these 'small' bombers/fighters and a 6 pound anti-tank gun modified for mounting in the plane.

The plane being restored allowed me to see how the Mosquito was construction and the marrying of the wood construction with metal equipment such as engines, landing gear and armaments.

The 4000 pound bomb highlights the specs of the Mosquito B Mk XVI- 4000 pound bomb load, 1500 mile range, 415 mph max speed, 37,000 ft service ceiling - a quite a remarkable airplane for the 1940s.

Now the 6 pounder - 27 Mosquitos were fitted with these modified QF-6 anti-tank guns fitted with an auto-loader to allow for semi or fully automatic fire. Although I was told that they could only fire two shots in quick succession because of the slowing of the plane. This gun was mounted with two 303 siting machine guns. The gun weighed 1580 pounds and was used against shipping and U-boats, but was soon replaced by rockets.

Other places visited were Kelvedon Hatch secret nuclear bunker, Duxford Imperial War Museum, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, The Shuttleworth Collection and paused to photgraph the R100 and R101 airship hangars but more of that later.