Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, one of Britain’s most famous aviation pioneers, founded the De Havilland Aircraft Company in 1920. The company grew into one of the first global aircraft manufacturers, with plants in Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. During World War II, De Havilland’s company manufactured the legendary Mosquito bomber, an unarmed bomber designed to outrun the enemy. Throughout the war, De Havilland built over 5,444 of these planes. Following World War II, the De Havilland Aircraft Company continued manufacturing planes, both military and civilian. In 1977, the De Havilland’s Company merged with British Aerospace, which ended the company. In 1959, the De Havilland Aircraft Company founded the De Havilland Aircraft Museum in London, England. This museum was one of the first aviation museums in the world. Initially, the museum was created to save a Mosquito bomber from post-war destruction. In the 1960s and 1970s, the museum expanded its collection to include other de Havilland airplanes like the Hornet Moth G-ADOT, Sea Vixen, and a Dragon Rapide. The De Havilland Aircraft Museum is still open, and Philip Birtles serves as its president.
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