DH.98 Mosquito PR.35 (s/n: RS700) CF-HMS


  • 1946 - RS700 was constructed as a B.35 by Airspeed Ltd. at Hampshire, England.

  • 1946 - Awaited delivery to the RAF at Christchurch.

  • 1946 - Placed into storage at 274 Maintenance Unit (MU), Swaddington.

  • 1946 - Moved to 37 Maintenance Unit, Burtonwood.

  • 1947 - Returned to Airspeed Ltd. for an unspecified conversion.

  • 1948 - Awaited delivery at Christchurch.

  • 1948 - To 9 Maintenance Unit, Cosford.

  • 1950 - To 19 Maintenance Unit, St. Athan or Yatesbury.

  • 1951 - Delivered to the de Havilland Aircraft Company, Leavesden for conversion into the prototype of the PR.35 high-altitude, pressurized photo-reconnaissance aircraft.

  • 1952 - PR.35 conversion completed.

  • 1952 - Entered operational service with No.58 Squadron, RAF Benson.

  • 1952 - Damaged in a Category '3R' accident. Repaired on site by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.

  • 1953 - Transferred to 58 Squadron, RAF Wyton.

  • 1954 - Transferred to 22 Maintenance Unit, Silloth to await disposal.

  • 1954 - Canadian registration CF-HMS was allocated to Spartan Air Service Ltd., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

  • 1954 - RS700 and fourteen other B.35 Mosquitoes were sold to Spartan Air Service Ltd. for $1,500 each.

  • 1955 - Flown to Burnaston to be prepared for their delivery to Canada by Derby Aviation.

  • 1955 - Registration CF-HMS was assigned to Mosquito RS700.

  • 1956 - Flight tests in England conducted.

  • 1956 - Ferry flight across the North Atlantic. CF-HMS became the last of Spartan's Mosquitoes to make the journey.

  • 1956 - Additional modifications were made by Spartan Air Service to extend its range and converted the aircraft into a high-altitude photo-survey camera platform.

  • 1956/1957 - Aerial survey operations were conducted in Northern Canada.

  • 1957 - Starboard engine failure near Winnipeg, Manitoba.

  • 1957 - Aerial survey operations were conducted in Colombia.

  • 1958 - Aerial survey operations were conducted in the Dominican Republic.

  • 1958 - Aerial survey operations were conducted in Northern Canada and BC.

  • 1959 - Aerial survey operations were conducted in Southern Ontario.

  • 1959 - Aerial survey operations were conducted in Northern Canada, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

  • 1960 - Aerial survey operations were conducted in Manitoba. HMS was withdrawn from service and grounded over concerns about rot in the wing spar.

  • 1964 - Purchased by Lynn Garrison, Calgary, Alberta for $1100.

  • 1964 - Air Museum of Canada incorporated. Title of the Mosquito was not transferred to the museum.

  • January 15, 1965 - Arrived in Calgary and was placed into open storage in a oilfield pipe storage yard belonging to the Shell Canada petroleum company. Transportation to Calgary (two railway flat cars) was donated by Canadian National Railway.

  • 1968 - Moved from the Shell Canada storage yard to the former officer's mess hall of 403 (Reserve) Squadron. It was pulled outdoors to make room for social events.

  • 1971 (possibly 1972) - Moved inside the Field Aviation Ltd. hangar where volunteers removed the remains of the tattered fabric.

  • 1973 - All assets of the failed Air Museum of Canada were sold to the City of Calgary, including the Mosquito and 5 other aircraft.

  • 1988 - Stewardship transferred to the Calgary Aerospace Museum.

  • 1989 - Shipped by road to Cold Lake, AB for planned restoration to a military configuration by personnel in 410 (Cougar) squadron. The project faltered when the project leader was transferred to Georgia.

  • 1990 - Returned to Calgary with almost no restoration work having been started.

  • 1990 - Ownership of the City of Calgary's vintage aircraft collection was challenged in court by Lynn Garrison. The courts ruled in favour of the City.

  • 2000 - Placed into offsite storage along with a Hawker Hurricane and Cessna Crane.

  • 2004 - An attempt was made to trade the Mosquito for a Canadair-built CF-104 Starfighter.

  • 2007 - Another offer was made to purchase the Mosquito in exchange for cash and a static restoration for the City's Hurricane.

  • Jul 15, 2010 - The Hurricane and Mosquito were moved to another City-owned warehouse.

  • Dec 8, 2010 - Community and Protective Services Committee voted to retain ownership of the Mosquito and Hurricane and to search out a local, volunteer-based organization to assume their stewardship.

  • Feb 14, 2011 - Calgary City Council voted to retain both the Mosquito and Hurricane and to seek out a volunteer group to oversee their restoration.

  • Aug 1, 2012 - The City of Calgary awarded the restoration of RS700/CF-HMS to the Calgary Mosquito Society.

  • Aug 11, 2012 - Moved to the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton, AB to begin its restoration.


    Information courtesy of:
    Richard de Boer
    Lynn Garrison
    Herb Spear
    Robert M. Stitt