Designed during WWII as a long-range fighter, the Hornet represented an evolution of the de Havilland Mosquito and was the fastest piston-powered fighter in Royal Air Force service. Like the Mosquito, the Hornet had a fuselage built largely of balsa and plywood, but boasted laminar flow wings and massive Rolls-Royce V12 engines with 12-foot diameter, four-bladed props. It could achieve a speed of 472 mph at 22,000 feet, had a range of 3,000 miles, and was intended to operate from bases on land and aircraft carriers. It was normally equipped to carry two 1,000 lb. bombs, eight rockets, and fitted with four 20mm nose-mounted cannon. Although it first flew in 1944, the Hornet did not achieve operational status until WWII was over. The plane's real worth was revealed during the Malayan Emergency, when Hornet squadrons flew in the ground attack role against Communist insurgents. During five years in combat, Hornets achieved 4,500 operational sorties. The aircraft was withdrawn...

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