Wrecking & Trolling The Germans With A Wooden Plane - DH-98 Mosquito

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[@the_fat_electrician]

It's easily my favorite none american plane ever.

[@pyeitme508]

Yep

[@reeeeeehomewyomingwherethe5396]

Yo

[@Tugglet]

👍

[@prestongarvey57]

“Shpelling mishtake”-🤓

[@je2231]

Well it was designed in freedom factions so it makes sense you're going to get shit for saying fighter jets instead of fighters. those people can kindly fuck off. We know what he meant.

[@nightmareking9845]

Can you imagine working in a cabinet shop during the war then one day your boss bust through the door and yells stop making cabinets we are building planes now

[@WEKM]

Me at the cabinet assembly line~ "SQUEEEEEEE!"

[@WilfChadwick]

They had excellent acoustics too, piano craftsmen were also used, resulting in each airframe being individually tuned for the different engine types.

[@haydenc2742]

90% of the crew yells "FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!"

[@brolohalflemming7042]

That kinda happened with my grandfather. He was a shipwright who then got drafted by De Havilland and ended up with them until he retired. He used to call it the 'Bostik Bomber' though because a lot of it was glued together. He said it was also a suprisingly tough aircraft and a lot would come back full of holes. Rounds would pass right through and often do minimal damage to anything important. He also used to grumble about wasting money on fancy metal birds for CAS like the Tornado, when a modernised Mossie would do the job cheaper, louder and almost as fast.

[@paulmryglod4802]

On a similar but unrelated note, I was looking at old houses in the sf bay area and noticed details in the construction that I'd seen before... In ships. The ship builders would moonlight as house builders and used the same techniques!

[@camdenharper7244]

"Acoustic SR-71" is probably the most accurate description of the mosquito possible

[@aryehhaller]

I think we need to make ‘Acoustic SR-71’ a folk band name😂

[@XNSever]

SR-71 unplugged if you will

[@jasontoddsprecher]

You know I love that comparison. My favorite is the. And I've played this over and over again. I keep hitting the rewind button One bomb wooden wonders. Are going to low level penetrate. Deep into enemy territory. Deliver payload. Love this!

[@dougriech6561]

Well said sir, you beat me to it 😂

[@mickbourne3028]

Analogue stealth

[@EthalaRide]

My grandfather was a RCAF Navigator who flew in a Mosquito as a *_Pathfinder_* in WWII. He always told my mom "I *never* dropped bombs, _only flares."_ As the Navigator, one of the tasks my grandpa had would be to calculate when to drop the flares so they'd land on the target to signal the bombers where to aim, but the enemy would try and confuse the bombers by lighting up matching colored flares miles away on the ground. My grandpa and the pilot had to STAY IN THE AREA flying around while being shot at, and DROP MORE FLARES of _different colors_ to reestablish the target location for the bombing run. He'd be 100 years old (joined up at 16 and lied about his age) but he passed in 2010.

[@persuisixh4804]

🫡

[@openthinker6562]

Honestly, pretty smart of the Germans to do, and the absolute BALLS of him and other pilots to stay behind to do their jobs. Kinda interestingly ironic that those Germans also had to risk lighting those flares and being targeted by those bombers. May he Rest in Peace and may another terrible war like WWII never happen

[@barbarahomrighaus6852]

That's a very cool story. I bet it was great listening to his stories.

[@codywinkler7230]

Best description of the Mosquito ever: "The best piece of furniture Brits have ever devised"

[@chattonlad9382]

The fastest wardrobe of WW2.

[@richardm6704]

De Havilland was Canadian, and it's still a Canadian company now producing small electric aircraft.

[@tommykovalick2596]

My favorite troll on the Germans during ww2 was when the RAF saw the Germans building a fake airbase and planes out of wood during a recon mission and instead of bombing it that day/night they waited for them to be done the construction, which is when they sent in a plane to drop one wooden bomb. Please never change, Britain.

[@colonelturmeric558]

Taking the piss is in our dna, britain is basically the original Edward Khill

[@BusinessWolf1]

that is so fucking hilarious

[@calvinhobbs89]

Pricless, absolutely Pricless, at least people laughed that day on both sides except the idea man

[@sumo-ninja]

Dude if that's real that's the funniest shit ever 😂😂😂😂

[@Firesgone]

To think that we did the same thing with balloon tanks 😅

[@grillmadeofrecycledgrenade3197]

"trolling the Germans" describes more of WWII than we'd care to admit

[@phantomwraith1984]

Stealing their submarines, telling them carrots is how radar works, fake planes, the shit never ends

[@heavimetal1000]

Don't forget inflatable tanks!

[@81brassglass79]

Holy #$%π! Accurate

[@Daves_Not_Here_Man_76]

Yeah but American is the king of trolling. We threw an actual sun at the Rising Sun.

[@792slayer]

Not to mention the 'window' chaff system to mess with German night fighters.

[@Scooter_McLuvin]

So, what you're saying is: Let's build a f22 out of wood.

[@julianneale6128]

No, they use another British innovation. It's another form of composite, called carbon fibre!

[@sd3457]

@@julianneale6128 Which is made in a factory on the same site in Duxford, where the glue for the Mossies was made.

[@Pulse589]

@@julianneale6128Fiber…And it was invented by Roger Bacon…An American. Leave it to a Brit to steal credit.

[@julianneale6128]

@Pulse589 well actually it was invented by Joseph Swan in 1860 while he invented the light bulb. The name is actually Carbon Fibre, but in the USA it is sometimes spelt Carbon Fiber.

[@alanwilkin8869]

Carbon fibber 😂

[@jirokoshibailey2052]

As a brit; people always go on about the spitfire, it's good to see love for the mosquito

[@Blayda1]

The Hurricane needs some love ,, most dont realise IT was the main stay fighter of the Battle of Britain not the Spitfire.

[@AlphaBushido]

The Mosquito is a perfect example of what LazerPig would call Wallace and Grommeting your way out of the problem, and Clarkson's idea that every problem the British ever faced could be fixed by some blokes in a shed. I love it.

[@Jeff.78]

And a hammer

[@tylerhobbs7653]

Accuracy International created some of the most baller rifles ever, and started as, you guessed it, three guys in a shed THEY DIDN'T EVEN OWN.

[@asymsolutions]

​@@tylerhobbs76533 guys in a shed who strategically transfered equipment to an alternative location known as an abandoned warehouse up for lease.

[@redcell9636]

Yeah I find it ironic that with all of the red tape and petty (rights-violating) stuff Britain pulls when it comes to firearms ownership; the guys getting the contracts for the good stuff are just like the equivalent of tea-drinking rednecks in a shed who are doing their thing just a _little bit_ less than legal.

[@austininmon8064]

@@tylerhobbs7653 so glad they gave the world the L96. It’s so pretty 😆

[@belligerentbuilder6266]

So no one wants to talk about how it's technically the first stealth aircraft before the concept of radar cancelling technology existed?

[@granatmof]

It also predate the Horton Ho 229 and actually flew combat missions. It's really the first stealth multirole aircraft. Like an F35 but with tremendously long range.

[@m808bscorpionmbt3]

​@@granatmofthe Ho 229 was never even a little stealth tho

[@richiesalata5873]

Neither were stealth. The 229 ended up making craters instead of test data. And the mosquito just had a reduced signature. Paint and wood and windows still reflect. Just less than metal.

[@richiesalata5873]

We needed Lazer radar to map the amazon because radar doesn't just pass through wood and leafs and shit. It's just not a mirror of an aluminum shell

[@richiesalata5873]

And there is no vergiyable data including a full replica built to Horton specs 30 years ago. And it has the radar cross section of a cessna

[@kevg3320]

This is brilliant, thank you. A cousin of mine was a Wing Cdr in the RAF; he briefly commanded 21 Squadron before sadly being killed in his Mosquito, along with his crewman, just 2 months before the end of WW2 in Europe. RIP cousin, Wing Cdr Victor Rundle Oats, also, Flt Sgt Gubbings. Not forgotten.

[@Wayne-Jones]

British government did the same thing to Frank Whittle when they told him his jet engine design was stupid, so he sold to America instead, great job Britain 👍

[@Randomfactsofwar]

And the Germans still had the first operational jet aircraft, we developed the first jet airliner, what’s your point exactly?

[@Blayda1]

@@Randomfactsofwar its in his statement ,, its pretty clear to understand. So whats your point exactly Lol .

[@gchampi2]

Uuuhhh... Wut? The British Air Ministry may not've been interested in FW's invention in 1931-2 when he first proposed it, but by '39 they were very interested & actively financing development. The first the US got involved in Jet development was in 1942-3, when a USAAF General was having a demo of the Mossie, and made a joking comment about US researchers talking about Jet engines, and the impossibility of such things, only to be told that Gloster had a flying prototype, would he like to see it? Shortly afterwards the British Government gifted a set of drawings & several engines to the US, which kickstarted US development. Frank Whittle didn't patent the concept of the jet engine - he couldn't, as he was a serving RAF Officer at the time, and if he had, the RAF would've owned the patent. As the RAF weren't interested at the time, he would've been unable to work on developing his idea, even after he left the service.

[@Blayda1]

@@gchampi2 Its not like the first time America has "appropriated" tech from others. Lets see ,, Their Nuclear weapons programme as a start.

[@amaclach]

@@Randomfactsofwar They used Whittle's patent documentation. The ME262 was operational 2 days before the superior British Gloster Meteor. Facts matter.

[@ivorjawa]

“Wooden plane”: that thing was the closest thing to composite design available in WW2. Just got its carbon fiber the natural way. This has more in common with a 777 than a balsa plane.

[@andreaskampe9143]

Sandwich design using plywood and a balsa like spacer. All glued together in modules, very strong and light

[@ddiazgo]

wait... so wouldn't that make it also the acoustic b2?

[@Pman353]

@@ddiazgoand it was stealth for the time😂

[@pandemoniumcrow]

@@ddiazgoI’d say more like the acoustic buccaneer/tornado, or for the Americans think of it as an OG B-1 lmao

[@Markevans36301]

I came here to say that. I love the fat electrician but he missed a lot of the story this time. It was "wood" but not like WWI wood, more of a early composite.

[@Gryphorim]

You didn't mention the "Tsetse" variant of the Mozzie! Naval warfare version, armed with a 57mm cannon autocannon, used to shoot holes in U-boats. It's like giving the navy an A10

[@billhanson4921]

i think there was something like 38 or so different versions by the end of the war lol

[@generalilbis]

Loved playing the Norway missions in "Secret Weapons Over Normandy" because you could fly that version of the Mossie... absolutely annihilated ships and U-boats with the 37mm or 57mm cannons offered as secondary weapons 😊

[@Zsinj3]

​@@billhanson4921sounds like "there's a Blackhawk for that" but British and a plane rather than an American helicopter lol

[@hammer1349]

The mosquito XVIII 'tsetse' was only made in very limited numbers. We are talking about a dozen total

[@brolohalflemming7042]

There were also early A-10 variants fitted with various anti-tank guns. Then rockets. It was a very versatile aircraft!

[@vancemccutchen1434]

Many master wood crafters came together to defend their country. The result was the Mosquito Bomber.

[@davidwells4903]

I love how subsequent pics of Lord mini-paws have smaller and more tiny mitts. The last one made me burst out. Lol

[@RazgrizRB1]

Also the ol' Mozzie was near impossible to shoot down if you caught it. it's made of Wood. bullets go in one side and out the other. there are accounts of Luftwaffe pilots complaining they emptied their entire munitions load into a Mosquito and it just kept on flying, and all they accomplished was annoying some RAF crew Chief who had to put bits of dowling into the holes later that day.

[@phillipkeen223]

Good ol no armor best armor

[@brolohalflemming7042]

A lot of it was simply glueing canvas patches over the holes. Anything structural was also easy to replace because it was easy to make and fit a pile of plywood struts and ribs than metal parts. Downside was they had to reformulate glues, paints and doping when Mosquitos (and other canvas covered aircraft) ended up in hot, damp places and ended up getting mildew and other fungus.

[@CountKibblesNBits]

Some RAF Crew Chief, looking quite terse over what the Jerrys did to his plane: "....put the kettle on."

[@steelmerc]

Sounds like a day in "War Thunder" 😂

[@lordsylph414]

which is ironic, because Japanese warplanes were also mostly wood, and they had a weird tendency to burst into flames at the slightest touch

[@shanemorrison7867]

My late grandfather flew mosquitoes over Borneo for the RAAF, his favourite way of describing the aircraft was "slipperier than an eel in spit".

[@MrGaryGG48]

I think your grandfather would be the guy to sit down with and have a beer or three... and let him try to explain just how do you get an eel "in spit???" Maybe nothing important would have been settled but a really good time would have been had by all!! 👍😂🤣

[@paulvamos7319]

​@@MrGaryGG48😂

[@AaronCurtright]

@@MrGaryGG48consult the E-4 research and development team. There is a way to achieve anything.

[@ultramutt3645]

my great grand uncle fount the imperial Japs in Bataan. He flew his p40e and did what he could. he was a victim of the Bataan march and later helped devise the greatest pow escape of ww2. he later testified to congress telling about the Japanese treatment of war prisoners. I imagine since then we went full, amen.

[@mohammadsyazwigeoffrey7325]

Was it during WW2 or the Malayan Emergency?

[@jamesrose1460]

As a descendant of an RAF Pathfinder...whose aircraft was the wonderous Mossy....I grew up hearing stories that you may not have, my friend. One of the funniest is the RAF's version of "Crying Wolf" Pathfinder carried incendiary bombs to start fires...and then marker flares to signal the main swarms which fire was the Designate. The main Bombers would fly over said fire on a particular course and start bombing....and with perpendicular paths over consecutive nights the center of the Target got lambasted...but here is where the trolling came in... The Pathfinders would come over a city on tbeur way to a target...and get a fire started....occassionally dropping flare. Ofcourse...the German Gun crews were roasted out to man theur guns, searchlights, etc....and would be out for hours...and little or no bombing would happen. Thus sort of thing would go on for a week as the Pathfinders had time and spares....and just like the old story...the Germans...irate at being tricked so often...would stop rushing out their crews man their defenses....and then the actual bombing would commence. Pretty soon...the standing orders were all crews were to man defrnses...regardless if it was a perceived raid or not. Big time morale killer for the German gun crews.

[@Foremarkex]

You know it's good when the Comet gets brushed aside. The origin of so many great WW2 planes. The Spitfire, Whirlwind and Mosquito all derived from developments of the bright red racer.

[@merrymaker1031]

lmfao

[@merrymaker1031]

so what development gave us the spitfire?

[@Mathiasosx1]

@@merrymaker1031 The Spitfire owes most of its ancestry to R.J Mitchel's Supermarine S.5, S.6 and S.6B floatplane racers from 1927-31. The development of these racers also lead to the deveopment of the Rolls Royce R engine (A frankly rediculous engine that had to use diluted fuel to extend the time between overhauls to 5 hours of operation) which would give Rolls Royce valuable experiance that would be used in the development of the Merlin.

[@jeremyogrizovich3247]

The Fat Electrician is the funniest history teacher of all time.

[@MrSunshine744]

Right? I’d have passed with flying colours if my teacher was like this!

[@terryterrell7045]

It's sad that he teaches more history then schools ever did

[@JosephDawson1986]

My highschool world history teacher was like this. Every friday we had what he called Friday Fun Facts and he would pull random fun facts about the time period we were studying. Usually we wpuld get an influential person, place, event and a wild car which when it was about wars was usually a weapon system. Best part was he was a WWII, Korea and Vietnam vet so he had experienced alot of the history himself.

[@terryterrell7045]

@@JosephDawson1986 bro that's fucking awesomeee

[@stickiedmin6508]

​@@terryterrell7045 I guess it depends which school you went to?

[@Clarkstonie]

The DH-98 Mosquito is the Jake McNasty of the air. Completely unorthodox and embarrasses everything that opposes it.

[@josemarquez4760]

Well said.

[@norsethenomad5978]

Don’t forget that most of the top brass didn’t like it up until it completely destroyed everything in its path with little issue. Then they brightened up to the idea

[@GabrielBarbosa-gs6vk]

Funniest part is that the germans started copying said idea for their late bombers after meeting it on the Battlefield

[@garryclelland4481]

I have to say ive studied war for 50+ ( UK /Scottish ) years and you are an outstanding story teller , essentially nailed all the fine detail and a lot of the nuances , your fast pace and full on narration adds a welcome bit of punch and backbone , Plaudits to you sir , well deserved like and sub.

[@mattcarper9853]

Pinewood Derby Plane. Excellent analysis!

[@merrymaker1031]

ply and balsa

[@mics1694]

I knew a man that flew one on WW2, his stories were amazing. He said that bullets just went right through doing very little damage. He would fly in first and drop flares on targets for other bombers to use as a reference point to drop their pay loads. He was shot down 3 times, each time successfully crash landing the plane in friendly territory. He also went on to circumnavigate the globe with his wife in a sail boat where he actually met Jacque Cousteau. They became friends and he had pictures of them on adventures with each other. He had a degree in engineering and we both built a Hot Rod in his garage when I was 17. He was a humble and brilliant man. He died with no family, just me and my mom next to him in a hospital in San Antonio, TX. Through our friendship this man who was an atheist came to know Jesus and was at peace in his final breath which was, "Let's see where this breeze takes me" which is on the Stern of my sailboat today!

[@phoenixrq9139]

You met a main character, go forth and carry on the legacy

[@laurenceb5516]

Most based man ever

[@andrewwingo4855]

Im glad to have heard this mans story. Have a great day

[@god8911]

What a beautiful story.

[@swillm3ister]

Thank you for sharing, this was like a mini movie. A really beautiful one at that... Maybe it should be made into one .. would you want to do that?

[@HeisenbergFam]

19:05 "the more I study history, the more positive I am all politicians are morons" - FatElectrician 2023, wise words

[@the_fat_electrician]

thank you thank you

[@user-fg9jq3jo2d]

Not only wise, kind, sir....regrettably so so very true

[@mastick5106]

You know "politics" comes from the Greek: "poli-" meaning "many" and "-tics" meaning "blood-sucking parasites"

[@hazardousroo]

I'm going to borrow this for myself, thank you. :)@@mastick5106

[@Randomfactsofwar]

Looking at the state of the UK today, I can confirm not much has changed

[@terrydoherty3848]

Hi, I live in New Zealand and am an avid follower of the Mosquito. I have the great luck to, because of my interest in vintage motorcycles have friends working for Avspecs, a firm who are now in the position to build Mosquitos due to a local who has managed to obtain all the drawings needed to perform that feat. DeHavilland Mosquito NZ2308 has just been completed and flew for the first time on my 75 th birthday 18th March 2024. This is the second of the only 3 operational Mozzies in the world and was rebuilt by this company. A little considered fact is that none of the original aircraft can fly any more due to the woodwork delaminating with age and old glues. They were not expected to last very long in combat anyway but 2 pot mixes were not available then also. I have the goodluck to have been able to go into the hanger several times as the aircraft was being built and live on the coast in line with the Ardmore air strip getting to see it assembled and to see it fly its early flights. It will soon be dismantled and sent to its american owners and will probably appear at OshKosh or some similar amazing airshow in the near future. It is decked out in the colours of the New Zealand airforce and we are proud of the contribution of these great engineers in NZ to have them contribute in a small part to the history of flight. I loved this explanation and your intensity. Great job. Terry

[@robertbrooks-spicer7199]

My Grandmother made tail planes for mossies during WWII. She was working at Walter Lawrence's furniture factory, in Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire England.

[@JSp4wN]

I felt that "rant" in my soul. Just remember even injured horses are "put down..." Cheers man.

[@abrahamjohn3665]

When are THEY?! In office at 80 yrs old. When?!

[@Dunkopf]

​@@abrahamjohn3665when they start forgetting--I mean when they break a leg. . . . Ah ha. . .

[@johnrodgers8457]

Yup I bought a tee-shirt.

[@matasa7463]

Especially when it's coming from a Veteran... sorry you gotta deal with this BS on top of everything else, Doc.

[@Bbobsillypants]

When you fun military eletrician has a little "we live in a society" moment

[@roymuerlunos2426]

This thing really *bugged* people how well it worked. The Mosquito really just sucked the enemy morale dry

[@aubreyanderson3198]

What you did there was bloody awful.

[@youtubesucks2369]

Damn dude.......

[@EinarrRohling]

Bruh .. nicely done. You win.

[@whereismycup]

That stung

[@noahweise5638]

18:46 I knew exactly what plane was about to appear on screen the second he stared into the camera 😂

[@lsswappedcessna]

As outdated as they are, you gotta love the A-10 for basically being a flying "fuck you" to whoever is on the wrong side of that giant autocannon.

[@SJG1957]

As an old Brit, the Mossie is one of my all-time favourite aircraft . I've lost count of all the videos I've seen on it but without doubt, yours is definitely one of the best and most entertaining I've watched. Colour me, subscribed👍

[@noneedtoknow07]

Just the sheer sense of "I told you so" De Havilland must have had when the British procurement office came back to him. Also did he basically just make the world first stealth fighter/bomber?

[@Skruddgemire]

Yes. For the time, yes he did.

[@juanmanuelpenaloza9264]

Dang. Nazis stealing credit for sh!t they didn't do, yet again.

[@billhanson4921]

more or less....old Goering was quoted as not believing that cabinet makers could make a bomber that pissed him off so much lol

[@generalilbis]

Just imagine if DeHaviland knew about the early version radar-absorbing paint the Horten Bros. came up with for the Ho-229 prototype...the Mossie would have had the radar cross-section of a house fly :😀

[@Foxtrot-89]

Sort of

[@greatlegacyoftanks5511]

Famous quote from a air general: “the mosquito had only one flaw, there wasn’t enough of them.” Me, living in Southern America: *YOU DID NOT JUST SAY THAT*

[@LordHoth_09]

“Hang this man!”

[@therealrakuster]

Ey, don't worry about it friend we just want a sip :^

[@andynieuwenhuis7833]

Canada had a part in building the Mosquito,as part of the British Commonwealth, it had Most of the Wood to build this Fast plane.

[@AggrovatedAssault7144]

"Acoustic SR-71" is a great explanation for this plane

[@Dana-fy8bg]

Love the Mosquitos, they could do just about everything. My favorite variant was the FB MK. XVIII which mounted a 57mm Molins anti-tank gun with an auto loader. It was nicknamed the Tsetse, and it hunted U-boats. The round was solid rather than explosive. This meant that punched right through the hull of surfaced U-boats and bounced around inside with unhealthcare being applied.

[@jacevicki]

U-boat radar operator: "Why is there an artillery piece flying at us at 400 mph?"

[@John_Lyle]

"Unhealthcare" I just sprayed my cellphone.

[@WOTArtyNoobs]

INTERESTING FACT The 57mm gun was the same caliber as the 6-pounder gun fitted to the Churchill tank, the Crusader tank and many other anti-tank guns.

[@spindash64]

​@@WOTArtyNoobs"oh boy, I sure do love being a submariner, safe from being attacked by British tanks"

[@vibechecker3168]

What do you get when you combine a British madman, an engine too powerful for its own good, and the finest carpenters his Majesty can provide? You get the most deadly mosquito since malaria.

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

GDH was an absolute genius. Geniuses are hated by non geniuses. He wasn't exactly 'diplomatic' in waiting for people to catch up.

[@MaverickGrabber71]

So many great lines, but "sent out swarms of Mosquitos" really made me chuckle

[@user-vb8pj5ew2x]

"Acoustic SR-71" is probably the most accurate description of the mosquito possible. "trolling the Germans" describes more of WWII than we'd care to admit.

[@WhiteIkiryo-yt2it]

Yeah, pretty much is the perfect description. Britain can beat an enemy, but bringing America along means beating the enemy will be extremely funny and quicker.

[@johns9652]

The most infamous example of the UK trolling the Germans is a toss-up, between the RAF spreading rumors that they were feeding their pilots carrots for night vision to cover the fact that they had radar, to the time they dumped a dead body in officer's clothing with "secret plans" that were false of course, into the ocean to wash up and be discovered by German intelligence.

[@Domi39]

Holy shit there are so many bots here.

[@SunblokAnsand]

That was an awesome line.

[@keek6542]

​@@repentandbelieveinJesusChrist4how about "noo" you zeolot.

[@robbytheremin2443]

The really sad part is most of them have deteriorated badly over the years. As a pilot and lover of old airplanes, that's really painful.

[@AutoCrete]

The Mosquito was not suitable in the Pacific theatre due to the wood components delaminating due to humidity. In the pacific theatre the American made P38 Lightning was the plane to beat.

[@leemarohn7496]

There's one at the museum in my hometown. It's a thing of beauty.

[@scraverX]

@@AutoCrete And yet, a significant number of them were made in Australia.

[@Eclipse-lw4vf]

@@scraverXyou…. You do understand it’s an American made plane right? It was made by Lockheed… u do understand that it can be made in America and then sold or manufactured in another country for more production, and the Australians probs wanted it considering the threat of the Japanese.

[@raptormaster666]

@@Eclipse-lw4vf I think they are referring to the Australians making Mosquitos under license, and being flown by the RAAF.

[@ricklacy5116]

Enjoying your channel greatly. You got much of this story perfectly except the German Miskito, it was built by Focke Wulf and was called the TA-154. Here is the interesting and funny part except to the crews. De Havilland had been building planes out of wood for so long that they had developed the perfect recipe for glue that was made from a certain African beetle. The German TA-154 was amazing until they started to fall apart in flight because their glue was inferior. If I remember correctly a total of 6 were built. My parents met while working at De Havillands during the war. Keep up the great channel, it’s by far one of my favorites !

[@Kojak325]

"Pinewood Derby plane". Killin' me Smalls!

[@ThatSpecificIndividual]

I forgot who said it but there's this quote which sums up hoe effective it was. "The worst thing about the mosquito is that we never built enough of them"

[@Hriuke]

Hap Arnold.

[@heraklesnothercules.]

@@Hriuke Hap Arnold was an American. Was he using "we" in the sense of "we allies"?

[@Hriuke]

Yeah I assume he was. He was based over here for a bit, and he took the designs back to the States and gave them to three different companies who all reported that the Mosquitto would basically be a lame duck and they shouldn't waste their time with it. I think Beechcraft was one of those companies. @@heraklesnothercules.

[@heraklesnothercules.]

@@Hriuke Thank you.

[@SamdoesCarsandCoffee]

Dude, your story telling combined with the production quality of this content legitimately makes this more compelling than anything the History channel has turned out in recent years...

[@greatwhitenumpty9442]

Second! i never heard of this facet of the war - and am spellbound by your enthusiastic narrative!

[@SamdoesCarsandCoffee]

@@greatwhitenumpty9442 I live in the exact area in the south of England where the BoB was fought, and literally 5 minutes down the road we have Goodwood aerodrome which was a fighter base during the war. They still have a few Spitfires that fly almost daily, so I get to sit in my garden with a beer and hear that Rolls-Royce Merlin engine roar above the hills of Sussex. It's magic.

[@m5nut]

Totally agree! Dude spits with wit and accuracy.

[@patrickoviatt2432]

Damn strait. I got my boss hooked on the channel, and we both wish we'd had history teachers like this.

[@Foxtrot-89]

Have you seen the fucking history channel at 3AM? My fucking DOG is more reliable than the History channel

[@sarahgould5435]

As someone who grew up in northern Minnesota, I can attest that these planes were *brilliantly* named for how the British used them.

[@kristiandean1885]

I wasn't expecting this but...I really enjoyed the video. Great work! The Mossie was a brilliant plane and still cruelly over-looked. It could carry nearly as much payload as a B17 but could outrun most fighters. With the Hispano cannons fitted in the nose the Mossie was the modern day Warthog and a total baddass for ground attack and used to tear up Panzer columns and German troop trains for fun. Thanks for keeping its memory alive.

[@dev.a1213]

Voting for the mosquito on your poll yesterday and seeing it was the lowest percentage makes me so happy to see this video right now😂

[@the_fat_electrician]

haha underdog

[@Hei1Bao4]

Kind of a genius tactic. Take the least known, least popular choice and make it the star.

[@wirebrush]

Yep, put a smile on my face.

[@joshuarogers9086]

Yes I voted for it also!

[@imapopo2924]

If you're covering the insanity of the British, then you've gotta cover the Lancaster bomber, the damn buster bomb, and the earthquake bomb. Yeah, I said earthquake bomb.

[@jameswhite153]

earthquake bombS. yeah we made two.

[@collguyjoe99]

All Hail the Tallboy!

[@phillipkeen223]

Hear me out swordfish is a bit of a meme

[@William-209]

⁠@@phillipkeen223 Bismarck “swordfish wear not again we have only just stopped going round in circles but now all the Crewe are dizzy”

[@cameronbarclay3597]

@@collguyjoe99 Tall Boy is 12000lb, we also had the Grand Slam bomb at 22000lb

[@coreychuck]

As a US Army Veteran and cheese lover..... I thank you for your very entertaining and pleasantly informative videos. You rock!

[@ryanellion]

“You ever seen a squirrel with knights armor?” GOATED

[@badcat7407]

Wouldn't that make the Mosquito the first stealth air craft?

[@alexh3974]

Maybe the little bi planes we used in ww2. We used swordfish that where canvas and wood for most part

[@slandoraparalex2328]

de Havilland also made the first commercial jet airliner

[@sethb3090]

Yes, but it doesn't count because it wasn't designed to be stealthy, that just sort of happened.

[@durhamdavesbg4948]

I don't know how much less signature they had, a lot of success was from the simple fact they had excellent pilots and flew sometimes below treetop level.

[@kumasenlac5504]

@@sethb3090 Yes, airborne radar wasn't really around much when design of the Mosquito started.

[@kountrygaming323]

“Because they can’t walk and chew bubble gum for office” I fell out of my chair when I heard that 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@blackmoon8459]

The horse is somehow your boss... Okay, so we need to switch from passive to active protection of Nic and Mrs Nic. Can’t trust those horses.

[@jjohnson6968]

They were just early to the party in working carbon fiber. They used natural resin too. 😁 And yeah, the first low observability plane ever. Rudimentary radar plus wood construction.. *chef's kiss*

[@ShiningDarknes]

I think you need an "Acoustic SR-71" mosquito shirt as merch. That description is just too perfect.

[@jadeblack5586]

I feel like this was left out of history class on purpose. For years, I wondered how the raf beat the germans, but I had no idea it was because of wooden aircraft.

[@gregorturner9421]

what he left out was. the anti ship version with a cannon sticking out of the nose and the SOE version which had a radio in the back so the americans/brits could talk to the resistance. i was really happy when i found out about the numerous restoration projects now being done to bring this amazing fighter back to the skys and even watched the youtube vid of the first one going on a flight. no music just the pilot/nav radioman and a gopro so you could year the wonderful sound of those engines.

[@Ob1tuber]

I to love wooden plains, nothing fills me with more joy than seeing a plain piece of wood (yeah you made a spelling mistake, I may as well have some fun with it)

[@mohammadsyazwigeoffrey7325]

Fun fact : the Swordfish torpedo bombers, the ones that aided in the sinking of KMS Bismarck was also a wooden plane

[@jimspackman8527]

Nope, it was made of metal tubes covered with cloth. Maybe the dashboard was wood but nothing else was!

[@mohammadsyazwigeoffrey7325]

@@jimspackman8527 thanks for correcting me Though I don't know if knowing that the Bismarck's rudder destroyed by an aircraft made of metal tubes and covered in cloth made it less embarrassing

[@then00brathalos]

"Its basically an acoustic SR71" is going to be my new favorite way of describing the Mosquito

[@slavemi3018]

"Basically a paper aeroplane with a f*cking V8 attached to it" would be mine. XD

[@Spudtron98]

@@slavemi3018 Never mind V8, it's packing two V12s.

[@Sinful_morality]

This man is the only content creator who I will watch repeatedly and thoroughly enjoy it every time

[@Ramn8tr]

A paper airplane with a V8. The acoustic SR71. Freaking great! 😅

[@Katy_Jones]

Fun fact, the DH Vampire JET FIGHTER still used wood for parts of it's fuselage. My dad trained at the DH technical college, he describes a lot of what they did as "interesting".

[@AdmiralYeti8042]

I can only imagine how much sandpaper they went through

[@briansharp4388]

The German flying wing with turbines was mostly wood, till it crashed

[@briansharp4388]

@AdmiralYeti8042 mostly used "planes" to finalize shape

[@ardantop132na6]

​@@briansharp4388The Ho 229?

[@briansharp4388]

@ardantop132na6 the one the 2 Brothers (sorry, getting old, can't remember names, but towards end of war. The brother flying it was killed when it crashed during testing, a collision? with another plane. Was flown in prone position

[@justicier10-7]

The mossie was an amazing aircraft. Gave the Germans a big headache. On the subject of twin-engined speed freaks, it would be cool to see your take on the P-38 Lightning... especially in Operation Vengeance

[@americanace96]

An author by the name of Martin Caidin wrote a book about that plane. Look for the title, The Fork Tailed Devil.

[@NovusDawn1]

The P-38 is what got me into war planes. I would love to see a video about it.

[@doylebrockman8225]

I have been working for 3 weeks to install wood shelving in my bathroom. I am not qualified. All thar college isnt good for the "real" long game. Kudos to the brilliance. If i was an early engineer, we would stay the Stone Age.

[@lillightning06heh20]

Sitting here crocheting, and listening to your stories while I’m on barracks duty is the best! It makes it not suck.

[@jsquared1013]

The rant at the end of the video with the ever-increasing absurdity of the "horse to water" analogy was both hilarious and maddeningly accurate.

[@heavylift47]

As soon as he started that rant, I felt it in my soul. 😂

[@Chaonos1]

Unfortunately I can only give this comment one like and not one thousand...

[@MrMagnaniman]

Sooner or later, we're going to have to deal with the reality that having a popularity contest between two groups of corrupt, pathological liars is a terrible way to organize a society.

[@ben-jam-in6941]

⁠@@MrMagnaniman I don’t know what we would replace that with and you realize that requires The American Revolution MKII. If we keep our Republic then we gotta go back to what was intended initially. Among other things give the communities, regions, and the States the power to make decisions about things that effect them and their area. It’s ridiculous to think anyone living on a ranch in Texas or in the Appalachian Mountain foothills of Northeast Alabama (aka Me) wants or needs the same thing as the people in New York City or California. Usually those politicians from essentially what’s becoming a different culture all together rarely have any ideas my neighbors and I agree with. We can’t continue on with all the corruption and insider trading either. I don’t think people will take it all serious enough and actually vote these career politicians out without a shock to the system of some kind. What that will be I don’t know but know it won’t be pretty. Also our “mainstream media” who is nothing but a joke now and causes nothing but hatred and division needs to go somewhere and die. The Marxist ideology being pumped out at nearly all the Universities and even some of our local School Systems has to be stopped and replaced with teaching things that will help them at life. I could go on but na. Your idea sounds better every keystroke. We are in trouble either way.

[@MrMagnaniman]

@@ben-jam-in6941 With fewer people than it would take to mount a successful armed rebellion, we could much more easily starve the beast through acts of civil disobedience. It also stands a much better chance of success, as acts of violence tend to alienate one from potential supporters and galvanize support for one's opponent. It's also worth noting that system-crashing levels of civil disobedience would take even fewer people than it would take to win an election. The system only works because we allow it to. If a MILLION people simply stopped, say, paying taxes, less than 1% of the population, the IRS would be completely overwhelmed. Mass noncompliance makes laws impossible to enforce.

[@MatthewSmith193]

#1 quote I can take away from this, "It's basically the acoustic SR-71". That is freaking golden!

[@erikkelly1503]

The acoustic SR71. My goodness bro.... damn.

[@bretthickman1774]

As a career Commercial Journeyman Carpenter, I ESPECIALLY appreciated this video lesson. I love, no LOVE all your videos. Your delivery, appropriate profanity & cynical sarcasm combined with new world definitions makes your videos as funny as they are interesting and educational. If I would have had teachers like this in school I would have graduated class valedictorian. Thank you, keep up the GREAT work.

[@zagnut48219]

I needed this today, my father died last Thursday. Love your videos, never change your format or style. Words of wisdom to live by: 1. It's not a dad bod, it's a father figure. 2. Never trust a fart.

[@colestowing8695]

Sorry to hear that. Rip your dad...(virtual hug)

[@Dime_time333]

I lost both my parents within 2 months . It gets better, just prepare yourself for sporadic waves of grief. You can't help it it's okay. Phone a friend. You got this bro. (I love zagnuts BTW)

[@brickbraker5033]

sorry for your loss lad!

[@vipe650r]

Glad you could laugh and learn today. Bless you, man. I’m sorry you have to miss him.

[@m5nut]

Sorry for your loss mate. Wise words indeed.

[@michaelyoung7261]

“The more I study history the more absolutely positive I become that all politicians are morons…” -QuackBang, 2023 A quote to live by, and I’m glad that someone found better words than I did to summarize my thoughts.

[@trailblazer632]

Im convinced the only way to become a politician is to be so incompetent that you litteraly cant actually do anything else😂

[@davidtherwhanger6795]

All politicians are governed by "Enlightened Self-Interest". Meaning they will talk in flowery words about how they are really trying to help you or are saddened their hands are tied; but what it all really boils down to is if it does not benefit them personally, they are against it. Never listen to what a politician says. Instead see what their actions cause, that was their true intent all along.

[@setra23]

Gotta love that the Mossie's best defence tactic was just "Run away!"

[@Extrikit]

Great job. You linked all the important facts / events together in a well paced video. Thanks.

[@eduardomorales8443]

Shout out to grandma for being a bloody legend in making history

[@albusplaustrum06]

Always a good day when we get story time with TFE. "paper plane with a v8" Of course a speed freak would build that.

[@jeffjankiewicz5100]

Mosquito put warheads on foreheads quite well. Amazing plane and creator.

[@bonitasmith8880]

Ok. Dude. I saw one video, and now I can't stop! I've been binge watching your vids for two days. As soon as I see one I haven't watched, I start smiling cuz I know it's Gona be good lol. Your content is great, but your commentary is awesome! PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING!!

[@TheDamitheman]

So glad you mentioned Wilfred Freeman. He was my great uncle and the main reason the Mosquito was produced. Fascinating story and worth more research.

[@amandahugankiss4110]

That is truly a great uncle.

[@spideyman5171]

Absolute respect

[@kenjones9326]

Ya got an awesome lineage there broseph! Sorry about his brief encounter with Lord Bitchmittens. That's why I trust competency over anything.

[@cooltrtlevlogs7178]

W uncle

[@HarryFlashmanVC]

Ypu should be very very proud of him. He saved Britain

[@andyhenderson441]

Your description of politicians at the end is so on point it should be on billboards everywhere.

[@kindalame.-_]

I love that you included a clip of a mosquito going into a flatspin in the intro hype montage lol 0:29

[@stevedavy2878]

Outstanding, best presentation on the history, development and importance of the Mosquito Ive ever seen. So many diverse rolls, Pathfinders for the Lancaster Squadrons in 44, and search and destroy missions against German shipping and U Boats using cannons, a great grandfather to the Warthog.

[@enoughothis]

I love the Mossie. It's the plane the RAF didn't want but Geoffrey de Havilland knew they would need it. Loved by it's pilots and feared by it's enemies.

[@thedeepweeb3436]

Had a feeling you were going to have this as your favorite. The equivalent of a 3 pointer if a pilot managed to shoot one down.

[@TheCoasterSean]

3 pointer? Nah bro, if you shot this thing down, it was a Hail Mary miracle mixed with a last-second halfcourt shot that only amounted to winning a scrimmage😂😂😂

[@thedeepweeb3436]

@@TheCoasterSean well naturally but its still only the bonus one point, so 2 kills for one.

[@Zsinj3]

"it's like trying to shoot a bullet with a smaller bullet whilst wearing a blindfold and riding a horse"

[@ab5olut3zero95]

@@Zsinj3 ::sees equation for transwarp beaming::

[@drd675]

A few were shot down by the Me-262, which was faster, but the Mosquito could out turn it, so a hard bank and that 262 was flying by

[@spindash64]

Something else to keep in mind about the wood-composite construction of the Mossie: unlike aluminum, you can sand it and warp it into smooth, complex 3D curves. That means getting a plane so buttery smooth that the air lets it pass completely unopposed, on the condition it stop by again tomorrow and maybe grab a movie

[@joshvalenti9913]

Dude, as a fellow sparky I salute you and your work. Love these video! As a WWII aircraft enthusiast the DH.98 was very awesome.

[@mp9070]

A few months back I had the honor of drinks and a meal with a 102 year old WWII Mossie pilot at the RAF club in London. A gentleman and aviator extraordinaire. Great stories and fabulous company all around.

[@DSToNe19and83]

What did you guys drink? I’m a curious mind

[@mp9070]

@@DSToNe19and83 a few beers and dinner. We had a small group of aviators. About 6 of us. Despite his age, his whit and storytelling were quite intact. He trained to fly in the US before we joined the war effort and ended up in Mosquitos for the duration.

[@isaacgraff8288]

The main part of the Mosquito that pinged on radar were the nails and parts of the propeller assembly. Not a whole lot to go off of, especially back then. Also there are accounts that the pilots were so comfortable flying the Mosquitos low, some of them would returned to the air fields with foliage and leaves on their undercarriage.

[@GunChief]

It wasnt foliage, they were just flying on hot and humid days, so the plane grew twigs and leafs during the long range missions.

[@JosephDawson1986]

When my grandfather was in England in December 1943 he said they saw a flight of Mosquitoes come back in and one was dragging the top like 3 feet of a some sort of pine tree and the pilots ended up using it as the Squadron Christmas tree. Only reason he found out what they did with it was he was a medic and made friends with the squadrons medical staff and the invited him for Christmas.

[@isaacgraff8288]

@@JosephDawson1986 That is awesome

[@JosephDawson1986]

@@isaacgraff8288 yeah. My Pap pap,as we called him, would talk about WWII and a little about Korea but he NEVER talked about Vietnam.

[@Daniel-Weaver]

Being from Oregon, I hope they clipped firs or pines.

[@JJ-of1ir]

This was a great video - plenty of information, lots of humour and great presentation. Enjoyed every minute.

[@dbach1025]

I love how he tells well known stories but makes it exciting and interesting while sharing the obscure facts that make you wonder why you never heard them before. Whew...Long sentence. Great video, brother.

[@ellac4909]

I did my apprenticeship at a dehavilland factory that opened in 1937, so this is very cool to see! Also, favourite quote on ww2 - an old dude at a vet bar being told how dogfights are faster and harder than back in his day (this is 2008ish). Casually drained his pint and replied 'sure, kid, but youre not airborne over your parents house.''

[@doughesson]

That's a major motivator to not lose. Not only is Mom watching,if your plane takes out the clothesline with a load of laundry still drying,she's going to be VERY irate with you.

[@Oskanwhitchfather]

Holy shit, that's _cold._ Like... "Props on the new toys, kid. You ain't had to really use 'em, though"... Balls of titanium on that pilot. I salute him, and every RAAF pilot that kept Britain's skies as clear as they could. Per Ardua ad Astra.

[@libertybell8852]

DAMN!! lol. He's not wrong though. Those old pilots and old vets were tough, much tougher than we are today.

[@Oskanwhitchfather]

@@libertybell8852 To quote Grandpa BUFF, "They didn't hide from the enemy with their 'StEaLtH tEcHnOlOgY', they went it like a goddamn _man!"_

[@77appyi]

@@libertybell8852 don't forget that the average age for a RAF pilot was 20 years old and age of a dead pilot was 22..today folk this age cry when someone say some mean words to them

[@badrobot2478]

My next door neighbour was a mosquito pilot in WW2,when I met moved in he was 80 something,he used to go to the working man's club every Friday and get absolutely piss drunk,to the point I'd have to undo his door for him,he never talked about the war,just"I was in the RAF,flew mosquitos"....that's all you'd get out of him.

[@gibson617ajg]

This is the first video I've watched on this channel - won't be the last - I really enjoyed this - the Mossie is one of my favourite RAF aircraft. Great presentation too! We don't have any airworthy ones in the UK - we used to have one until it crashed in front of thousands at an airshow due to the pilot doing a manoeuvre that starved an engine of fuel. Guy Gibson VC - the leader of the Dambusters lost his life in a Mosquito. He was returning from a raid on Rheydt when his aircraft crashed in Steenbergen, on the Dutch coast. He and his navigator, Jim Warwick were buried nearby. The cause of the crash isn't fully understood. One eyewitness said he saw a light on in the cockpit before the crash whilst a gunner from one of the bombers that Gibson target-marked for claimed a Ju88 'kill' on that night but records showed there were none anywhere near the area. Could it have been 'friendly fire' - they're both twin engined fighter- bombers.

[@Rogue0257]

The little comedy blurp at the end was golden...

[@patrilea8216]

Love the fade away and the frustration rant at the end lmfao!!! Back to watching interrogations now

[@thisoldboat3664]

Love history But the end was the best of anything I've seen or heard in the last 3 years. The raw truth and so simple an idiot like me understands it.

[@54raceman]

Ain’t that the damn truth

[@Hogscraper]

I've watched quite a few documentaries on WWII and other than a brief mention here and there it seems like very little is ever really said about these amazing aircraft! I've heard of them but thank you for all the awesome background info!

[@the_fat_electrician]

I'm glad you liked them!

[@frankfavorito2280]

The research you put into these videos is amazing.

[@evelynbare1975]

I love that old school lack of technology was the reason for success, despite politics on both sides.

[@martinmonaghan7048]

Something remarkable about the Mosquito not mentioned in this great episode was it's loss per sortie ratio, 0.5% seems to be the generally accepted figure, incredible numbers for any WW2 air craft let alone one that flew such high risk missions, it truly was an amazing machine

[@thegreatmosquito1001]

Unheard number for ww2. Wow.

[@scottmeehan2422]

Insane loss rates especially when u look at what the intruders did to try n stop the night fighters

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

Unfortunately one of those lost in a mossie was wing commander guy Gibson vc.

[@oz_jones]

That's... Wow. Literally built differrnt

[@nasabielas]

Actually, I was surprised by the research on mosquito and how resilient they were, and the loss rate was very low compared to "metal" aircraft. Plus, it had a respectable long life as well. It was a great, fast, reliable, easier-to-fix plane. Hats off to DeHavilland.

[@Moose6340]

The German Ta 154 "Moskito" has a more interesting background even than you mentioned. It was designed by Dr. Kurt Tank, the same genius who was the lead designer on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. So the design was, as you said, extremely solid and generally a good plane, not quite to the level of the British Mosquito, but capable. And it was being built originally using a good plywood resin adhesive called "Tego-Film." Unfortunately for them, the factory making Tego-Film got bombed, so they found a replacement adhesive and ordered about 150 night-fighter versions of the Ta 154. But there was a problem. They found out after a couple of crashes, that the new glue used in the composite plywood laminate for the skinning was corrosive...TO WOOD. So the glue was actually dissolving the wood it was designed to secure and causing wing failures resulting in crashes. Eventually they stopped the program after producing about 50 planes.

[@felinespirits]

Geez, I guess they didn't see that coming, lol.

[@labrat810]

Ahh, so my presumptions of The Allies having a hand in the 'failure' of the Moskito were not far-fetched.

[@spindash64]

​@@labrat810actually, it gets better. You know who happened to have easy access to the glue to put things in it? The slave labor the Nazis were using Yeah, the nazis were so far up their own anuses, they didn't stop to consider that these people might not WANT to do a good job and prolong their enslavement. They might, I don't know, piss in the glue to make it less effective?

[@kc9602]

Watched this video at least 8 times now. Op Jericho was the low-level bombing of Amiens prison. Op Carthage was the low-level bombing of Copenhagen gestapo hq. (Think the RAF also pulled the same Stunt in Oslo, too!) Cheers, Nic 😊