Restored warplanes land in Okanagan, soon to be on display in Kelowna – Okanagan | Globalnews.ca

A vintage plane from World War II will soon be on display in the Okanagan.

On Thursday, a de Havilland 98 Mosquito, with its distinctive look and engine noise, landed at Kelowna International Airport.

Sporting a wooden frame, the twin-engine, two-seat bomber was acquired by the KF Aerospace Center following a five-year restoration for its aviation museum which is expected to open in late August.

According to KF Aeropsace, the aircraft made its debut in 1941 and served primarily as a night fighter, and was capable of speeds of 640 km/h.

“In the European, Mediterranean and Italian theaters of war, the Mosquito proved to be exceptionally versatile,” said KF Aerospace.

“It served as a bomber, fighter, night fighter, photo-reconnaissance aircraft, and even provided wartime cargo and passenger connections through enemy territory. A total of 7,781 aircraft were built.”

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KF Aerospace Center for Excellence

The plane flew from Vancouver to Kelowna on Thursday. It is said to be one of only 30 Mosquitoes left in the world, and one of only two currently capable of flight.

“The Mossie was an incredibly powerful aircraft. It could pack a bomb load similar to that of a B17 and fight in any theater at any time of day or night, high or low altitude,” said KF Aerospace Project Supervisor D’Arcy Barker.

“It was really a multirole aircraft, at home in seemingly any operation. That’s what made it so special. Without her, where would we be? Fortunately, we will never know.”

KF Aerospace says the plane’s original wooden frame is made from BC Sitka spruce, and that it was one of many Mosquitoes operated by Spartan Air Services in the 1950s and 1960s to perform high-altitude aerial mapping missions across Canada. .

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Saskatoon man restoring vintage German fighter plane

“It tells an absolutely incredible Canadian story,” said KF Aerospace CEO Paula Quinn. “The plane flew across the country for years, mapping the northernmost reaches of the landscape in a way that had never been possible before.”

KF Aerospace says the Mosquito will be part of a collection that includes a Hawker Tempest MK2, the Odyssey DC-3, and a Convair CV580, among others.

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Old B-17 bomber takes off in Gimli