Mosquito B IV W4072, March 1942
The PR Bomber Conversion, which entered service as the Mosquito B Mk IV Series I, was a bomber variant of the de Havilland Mosquito designed for day and night bombing missions. This variant, like other Mosquitos, emphasized speed and precision, relying on its high performance to evade enemy defenses.
Key Specifications:
- Designation: PRBomber Conversion (B Mk IV Series I in service)
- First Flight: March 1942
- Type: Unarmed day and night bomber
- Span: 54 ft 2 in (16.5 m)
- Length: 40 ft 9.5 in (12.41 m)
- Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.75 m)
- Engines: Two Rolls-Royce Merlin 21 engines, each generating 1,460 hp
- Weight:
- Empty: 13,400 lb (6,351 kg)
- Maximum Takeoff Weight: 21,462 lb (9,734 kg)
- Speed:
- Maximum: 380 mph (611 km/h)
- Cruising: 265 mph (426 km/h)
- Range: 2,040 miles (3,283 km)
- Bomb Load: 2,000 lb (907 kg)
The Mosquito B Mk IV became a highly effective bomber, capable of carrying out precision bombing raids both during the day and at night. It was equipped with a bomb bay that could carry up to 2,000 lbs of bombs, and its speed made it hard for enemy fighters or anti-aircraft defenses to intercept.
This bomber variant of the Mosquito gained a reputation for being fast, versatile, and reliable, contributing significantly to Allied bombing campaigns, including key precision strikes in Europe during World War II.