Aircraft Archives
Mustangs over Dieppe
Holly Hills and Freddie Clarke were on their second sortie over France at the time dad was shot down during the air cover over the Dieppe Raid on August 19, 1942. The "flight" that was scheduled to take that flip "respectfully declined" and Clarke and Hills took it on instead. Holly was flying as cover for Dad to do the photo reconnaissance of the road...
North American P-51 Mustangs's of the RCAF
The North American Mustang was the best American fighter plane of World War II. Originally built for the RAF, it was later to be used by the USAAF in large numbers. Ordered by the British Purchasing Commission In early 1940, North American began working on the design of the Mustang in April. In Just over 100 days, the first prototype was built and the...
Consolidated B-24 Liberator's of the RCAF
The Liberators used by Coastal Command were known as VLR (Very Long Range ) aircraft. The term was most appropriate because 12 to 15 hours out of sight of land without the luxury of a Sunderland's galley or the Canso's bunks certainly heightened the illusion of VLR, a term no doubt coined by the first returning crew.
Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks of the RCAF
In the middle of May 1940 Canada had its first look at the Curtiss P-40. At that time a party of American officers flew to Uplands Airport near Ottawa where they saw the XP-40 and a Spitfire I had flown in comparative tests. Wing Commander F.V. Beamish (RAF) and Squadron Leader E.A. McNab were critical of the XP-40, feeling that although it had its...
The CF-5 for CANADA
In the 1960s, Canada unilaterally gave up its nuclear capability, and cut down its European presence to only three Starfighter squadrons. Because of fiscal restraints, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) had been unable to procure CF-104 Starfighters and CF-101 Voodoos in sufficient numbers to replace all the Avro CF-100s and Canadair Sabres in service,...
McDonnell CF-18 Hornet in Detail
The sun shone, the band played, military men snapped rigid salutes, and there were many speeches, but the real star of the event was the airplane - the CF-18. A few minutes past noon on Wednesday, July 28, 1982, the McDonnell Aircraft Co. rolled out the first of 138 CF-18 fighters for the Canadian Armed Forces at its St. Louis, Mo. factory.
The CF-104 for Canada
On July 2, 1959, it was announced that Canada had chosen the F-104 Starfighter as the replacement for the Sabre Mk.6 in service with the RCAF's European Air Division. However, since the Canadian government wanted equipment to be fitted that was specific to RCAF requirements, it opted to manufacture the aircraft under license in a Canadian factory rather...
Catalinas and Cansos of the RCAF
After the RAF, the RCAF was the next biggest user of the PBYS, operating thirteen squadrons; five on the Canadian west coast, six on the east coast and two overseas. In the RCAF, the Catalinas first went into service in Eastern Air Command with No. 116 Squadron at Dartmouth on 28 June 1941. These first aircraft were ten Catalina Mk. Is diverted from an...
"L" for Lancaster
I believe it was Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris who referred to the Lancaster bomber as the "greatest single factor in winning the war". Be that as it may, it is an undeniable fact that the mighty Lancaster was the outstanding heavy bomber to thunder its way across the pages of history in the Second World War. Together with its smaller cousins, the...
Saga of a Thoroughbred
The Harvard has been appropriately described as the aircraft which has defied the rules of obsolescence and ignored its own obituaries. But now, after almost 26 years of RCAF service, its days are drawing to a close. There are many serving and ex-RCAF members who will pause and reflect wistfully on past experiences and associations with this...
Hawker Hurricane's of the RCAF
Without a doubt the name of the Hurricane will be forever linked to the "Battle of Britain" during 1940, where together with the Spitfire it added one of the most glorious chapters to the history of the RAF During this battle the Hurricane shot down more enemy aircraft than did all the other air or ground defences combined. Later it was to carry the...
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