The world's only flying De Haviland Mosquito aircraft will visit Tauranga next Wednesday.

Classic Flyers announced today – weather permitting - the World War II twin engine wooden fighter bomber is expected to arrive on December 19 and will be on display at the aviation museum until 4.30pm.

The world's only flying De Haviland Mosquito aircraft will visit Tauranga.

The public will also have an opportunity to hear from pilot Keith Skilling and to meet the Avspecs team that completed the restoration at Ardmore airfield, says Classic Flyers trustee David Love.

'The Aviation Historical Society is holding a special meeting from 5.30pm onwards with entry open to the public for a $5 fee to cover costs,” says David.

'This is the first Mosquito aircraft to fly anywhere in the world for more than 20 years. Along with the Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster, the Mosquito is on the top tier of iconic aircraft from the Second World War.

'The aircraft has featured on world-wide television since it first flew again in the last few months.”

'We think this will be the only time it will ever come here.”

Rebuilding the aircraft took seven years. It first flew on September 29 and has left Auckland only once, on November 11 for the Cambridge Remembrance Day celebrations.

The aircraft is owned by Jerry Yagen, who intends it for a working exhibit at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach.

The original plan was to dismantle the aircraft immediately after its first flight for shipment to the United States.

It is now booked for the Masterton Airshow at Hood Aerodrome from January 18-20.

The Mosquito is also confirmed for the 2013 Hamilton Airshow in Ontario, Canada on June 15/16, and afterwards is to make an appearance over Washington DC.

The Mosquito is the RAF's first multi-role aircraft. It was built largely from plywood, which is one of the reasons why in the days before epoxy resins, they did not survive long after the war.

It is powered by twin Rolls Royce Merlin engines, the same liquid cooled 27 litre V12 that powered the Hurricane and Spitfire fighters, the Avro Lancaster bomber and the P51 Mustang.