Dates

Event

July 1944

Constructed as a Mosquito B.20 by de Havilland Canada at Downsview, Ontario, Canada.

From 20 July 1944 to 9 June 1948

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Canadian Air Force with s/n KB377.

20 July 1944

To Eastern Air Command, Halifax, NS.

12 September 1945

Used for a trial installation of a engine breather system.

13 May 1946

Transferred to Mont Joli, QC.

9 June 1948

To War Assets Corporation.
Total of 45 hours flying time.

On behalf of the owner stored with/at Eastern Passage Airport, Dartmouth, NS.
Stored at Eastern Passage pending disposal.

To Don McVicar.
Purchase for approximately $1,500 CDN.

2 July 1948

Ferry flight.
Flown from Eastern Passage, NS, to Dorval Airport, Montreal, QC. Ferried with military serials and no civil registrations (accepted at the time). The pilot was Bill MacLaren.

Work was carried out to convert the airframe for racing.

26 August 1948

Certificate of airworthiness for CF-FZG issued.
Certified in the commercial category, racing/restricted.

26 August 1948

To Don. M. McVicar/World Wide Aviation Agencies and Sales Inc, Montreal, QC with new c/r CF-FZG.

By 1 September 1948

Raced as #41, named CANADA, WWA.
The intention was to enter the aircraft in the 1948 Bendix race.

1 September 1948

Ferry flight.
Departed Dorval Airport, Montreal, QC, on a multi-day ferry flight to Long Beach, CA, for the start of the Bendix race.

Involved in an incident.
After departing Wichita Municipal Airport, Kansas, the right Merlin started to run rough and eventually failing while passing Dodge City. They returned to Wichita for an emergency landing and landed gear down and rolling off the end of the runway without further incident.

Abandoned.
Remained parked at Wichita.

From 4 September 1948 to 6 September 1948

Raced as #41.
Engine problems, did not reach Long Beach for start Competed at the National Air Races Cleveland in the Bendix Reciprocating Division race. The primary pilot was Donald M McVicar. Did not start in the B Feature race.

27 August 1949

Test flown for one hour, attaining a speed of 470 mph.

28 August 1949

Certificate of airworthiness for NX37878 issued.

30 August 1949

To Brayton Flying Service Inc/Donald E. Bussart, Saint Louis MO with new c/r N37878.

The two Merline 225 engines, including the blown engine on the right side, were relaced with two V-1650-7s from P-51s.

Ferry flight.
Flown from Wichita to Nashville, TN, by Mack Rowe.

Markings Applied: Wooden Wonder
Further work was carried out in preparation for the 1949 Bendix race.

31 August 1949

Ferry flight.
Mr. Bussart flew the Mosquito to the starting location of the 1949 Bendix at Rosamond, CA, with refueling stops at St. Louis, MS, and Los Vegas, NV.

September 1949

Photographer: Charles M. Daniels

2 September 1949

Raced as #81.
Finished 5th in the Bendix race.

Ferry flight.
Flown to St. Louis.

Contracted to Brayton Flying Service for work on the airframe.
Work was carried out to prepare the aircraft for the around-the-world flight.

The around-the-world flight was planned for December 1949. Bussart returned to China to complete is commitments with China National Airlines. Due to political issues Mr. Bussart did not return to the United States.

Offered for sale by Mrs. Clara C. Bussart with assistance from Brayton Flying Service.

From 3 September 1949 to 5 September 1949

Raced as #81, named Wooden Wonder.
The race was from Rosemond, CA, to Cleveland. This was the first race-horse start. Competed at the National Air Races Cleveland in the Bendix Reciprocating Division race. The primary pilot was Donald Brusart. Raced in the B Feature race. Finished in 4th place with an average speed of 343.757 mph. Finished on one engine.

Circa 3 September 1949

Photographer: Collect-Air Photos
Notes: Photographed at the National Air Races in Cleveland, OH.

4 August 1951

To Mark Hurd Mapping Co, Minneapolis, MN keeping c/r N37878.
Sold to Mark Hurd Mapping by Mrs. Bussart.

Ferry flight.
Flown to Birmingham, Alabama.

Contracted to Southern Airways, Birmingham, AL for work on the airframe.
Removed the belly tank and other racing modifications and reinstalled the original bomb bay doors.

Test flown numerous times to determine the suitability for aerial survey work.

From 20 May 1952 to 21 May 1952

Ferry flight.
Company pilot ferried the airframe from Birmingham, AL, to Goleta, CA.

From Unknown to 12 July 1952

Further work to convert the airframe for aerial surveying work was carried out in Goleta.

13 September 1952

Damaged.
Brake pressure cylinder exploded while parked, Las Vegas-McCarran Field NV. The blast put a three foot diameter hole in the starboard side fuselage aft of the wing.

13 September 1952

Permanently withdrawn from use.
The airframe was considered not economical to repair.

From 13 September 1952 to 1957

Abandoned.
Open storage in damaged condition at Las Vegas-McCarran Field NV.

Circa 1955

Photographer: Charles Daniels Collection / San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

28 February 1956

Civil registration, N37878, cancelled.
No status report had been received on the aircraft.