Nick-named 'The Wooden Wonder' - it started life as a low-cost private experiment by de Havilland and in the beginning was ignored by the RAF top brass. To them there was no place in the modern RAF for an old fashioned all wood aircraft with fabric covered control surfaces. These 'experts' were proved wrong in a grand fashion because 7,781 of these aircraft were built and went on to be used with outstanding success in almost every role from long-range bomber to night fighter. It also proved to be almost as fast as its contemporary RAF stable-mate - the much smaller and lighter F.21 Griffon powered Spitfire.

The Mosquito was the RAF aircraft of choice for the 'Oboe' equipped 'Pathfinder' groups; and when a 'surgical bombing strike' was called for, it was the this aircraft with up to 4,000 lbs. of ordanance that was used.

Not bad at all for an obsolete technology.

The aircraft in the museum is a M.B35 version built at the de Havilland plant at Christchurch, Hampshire , England. The 122 model B35's were the last of the Mosquito Bomber variant produced and flew with the RAF from 1945 until 1952/53 when it was phased out in favour of the Canberra. Several examples of this type, however, continued to provide valuable service to the Israeli Air Force until at least 1956 - well into the jet age.

This particular B35 was purchased from the RAF by Spartan Air Services Limited for their operations (including air surveying) and was flown until 1963 in the Carribean, Africa, and Canada's North.

After that time it was then acquired by Jake Campbell and restored to represent a RCAF fighter bomber variant as flown by the 418 City of Edmonton Intruder Squadron during World War II. In this guise it stood duty as the Gate Guard at the Namao Airbase until it was donated to the City of Edmonton and trucked here to the City Archives

It has taken three years, and in excess of 10,000 man-hours for the volunteers to restore her to mint condition and has cost almost $100,000; but restoration is almost complete - ahead of the original 1996 completion date. This aircraft will be displayed as an example of those flown by the 418 (City of Edmonton) Squadron.