German and British planes used for air photo and dive-bombing missions: From 1942 to '45 the twin-engined Mosquitos and Messerschmitts both increased in power, speed, and accessories. Air photo planes had extra gas tanks, one or 2 belly-mounted 1 meter (3 foot) air photo cameras, and no accessories to cut down on weight. Bomb planes carried machine guns and from 1 to 4 bombs. Former Allied and German air photo and dive-bombing pilots remember: the high flying elevations up to 12,000 m. (40,000 ft.), the quick accelleration which allowed them to outrun enemy planes, for air photo missions the importance of knowing exact locations, and for bomb missions the high degree of bombing accuracy. By mid-1944 the Mosquito flew faster and higher than the Messerschmitt Bf 110, and could outrun all planes until the jet-engine Me-262 flew in the fall of 1944 at 950 k/h (600 m/h).

German: Aircraft : MESSERSCHMITT Bf 110 Manufacturer : Messerschmitt, Stuttgart. Year : 1940 to '45 Engine : 2 X Daimler-Benz 605B (1,475 to 1,900 h.p. each) Wingspan : 16.20 m (52 ft) Length : 12.30 m (40 ft) Weight : 7,300kg (9 tons) Max. speed : 600 km/h (375 m/h) to 680 km/h (425 m/h) Ceiling : 11,000 m (36,000 ft) Range : 1,000 km (650 mi) to 2,500 km (1,500 mi) Crew : 3 Armament : 2-20 mm + 6-8 mm machine guns Payload : air photo cameras or bombs

British: Aircraft : MOSQUITO Manufacturer : de Havalland, Canada. Lightweight as outer skin was plywood. Year : 1941 to '45 Engine : 2 X Rolls-Royce Merlin, (1,700 to 2,200 h.p. each), fuel-injected, turbo-charged. Wingspan : 16.6 m (54 ft) Length : 12.6 m (41 ft) Weight : 10,500 kg (12 tons) Max. speed : 662 km/h (420 m/h) up to 720 km/h (450 m/h) Ceiling : 12,200 m (40,000 ft) Range : 2,800 km (1,750 mi). Large gas tanks were added to increase range to 5,000 kms (3,200 mi) or more. Crew : 2 Armament : 5 - 20 mm machine guns Payload : air photo cameras or bombs up to 900 kg (2,000 lb)