The versatile Mosquito stood with the Spitfire fighter and Lancaster bomber and earned the respect of British pilots during World War II. In 1939, the De Havilland company envisioned the plane to be an unarmed high-speed bomber and had experience with the Comet, which was a wooden racing plane. Except for the engine and landing gear, the Mosquito was comprised of wood, offering strategic advantages. The Air Ministry was reluctant to adopt the wooden aircraft, but placed orders for 50 planes in March 1940 for reconnaissance use.