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So, no rivets which tangle with the airflow?No easy answer but, just to clarify, the Mosquito had no "wooden surface". Rather, all surfaces that were wood were covered with doped fabric and several layers of paint.
A lot depends on the actual workmanship of the aircraft. A lot of Soviet wooded aircraft had poor fit and finish. A lot of metal aircraft had poor fit and finish from many nations, some look like assembly was done by drunken ship fitters.
Another question is how long was each aircraft out of the shop/factory. This may tend to swap back and forth. A number of metal aircraft tended to dish or oilcan between attachment points/supports. But this doesn't show up for while. The metal aircraft finish (surface smoothness) may deteriorate as it ages but it may sort of hold it's own for a while before really going bad. Wood or wood/fabric may be better for a few months (?) but then have a more rapid decline if not well cared for.
A good wood aircraft may be very close to a very good metal aircraft like the P-51. But the P-51 was better built ( joints, rivets, sealant/sanding) than many other WW II aircraft.
As an 18-year volunteer at a flying museum, mostly WWII aircraft, I have seen a LOT of warbirds. Our museum flies more than 20 on a regular basis.A lot depends on the actual workmanship of the aircraft. A lot of Soviet wooded aircraft had poor fit and finish. A lot of metal aircraft had poor fit and finish from many nations, some look like assembly was done by drunken ship fitters.
Another question is how long was each aircraft out of the shop/factory. This may tend to swap back and forth. A number of metal aircraft tended to dish or oilcan between attachment points/supports. But this doesn't show up for while. The metal aircraft finish (surface smoothness) may deteriorate as it ages but it may sort of hold it's own for a while before really going bad. Wood or wood/fabric may be better for a few months (?) but then have a more rapid decline if not well cared for.
A good wood aircraft may be very close to a very good metal aircraft like the P-51. But the P-51 was better built ( joints, rivets, sealant/sanding) than many other WW II aircraft.
I have never seen one that looked like it was assembled by drunken shipfitters.