Events
Journal Report
Dear CAHS National Members:
Journal Volume 56 Numbers 2 (Summer 2018 cover date) is now at the printers and should be in the mail within the next 10-14 days. Volume 56-3 (Fall 2018 cover date) is now in the proofreading process – the last step before hitting the press. Dependent on the printers’ schedule, if 56-3 catches up with 56-2 there, or at the mailing house, both will be mailed in the same envelope. If not they will be separate mailings. In either case, both should be with you before the Christmas Holiday. As usual, the digital versions of each for online-only members will be emailed shortly after mailing of their printed versions for traditional members has taken place.
Volume 56-4 (Winter 2018) and 57-1 (Spring 2019) are also coming along well – we are on track to get 56-4 in the mail before the Christmas Holiday. 57-1, and at least two of the other three 2019 cover date editions should follow at a similar rate within the first quarter of the new year.
Beyond that, we still have a good range of article submissions in house – some needing less post-submission preparation work than others. Although, this will provide plenty of publishable material for Volume 58 (the 2020 publication year) and beyond, more is always welcomed to help us maintain a wider range of subject variety on a per-issue basis. Authors of aviation-related biographies or singular events, or of operational, industrial, commercial, or technical histories, (examples of all of which are spread throughout Volume 56) are encouraged to get in touch with the managing editor at cahsjournal@aviaeology.com.
Meanwhile, here is a summary of the contents for the current production Volume 56 Numbers 2 and 3:
Journal 56-2 (Summer 2018):
Jet Aircraft Operation:
Early Work on Cruise Control and Computer Flight Planning
Based on his father’s work with Avro Canada, American Airlines, and Aero Performance Inc, Dr. David Waechter summarizes the early advances in flight planning as commercial aviation moved first into the jet age and then the computer age.
Includes an Informational Sidebar item on Avro Jetliner Fuel Consumption
Wooden Wings Over the Wilderness 2:
The Government’s Fokkers on the Hudson Strait Expedition and After
With focus on the aircraft involved, Clark Seaborn continues his chronicle of the wooden-winged Fokker monoplanes. In this instance those initially used by the RCAF on the Hudson Strait Expedition.
Includes a Photo Sidebar item on “The RCAF in Sub-Arctic Canada 1927-28.”
Also includes the first of a series of Scale Drawings (reproduced on the centre spread to 1/48 scale) covering the Fokker Universal and Super Universal series of aircraft.
The Croil Report
On a Visit to Operational Stations by Air 31 August to 4 October 1929
Hugh Halliday reproduces a period report by (then) Wing Commander George Croil, who wrote it after a month-long fact-finding tour to RCAF stations in the north and west.
Includes a Photo Sidebar item on Air Vice Marshal George Mitchell Croil during the Second World War period.
Canadair CL-84 – A Canadian Design Odyssey
Part 2: From Concept and Design to Development
After spending the better part of the 1950’s on a wide range of concepts aimed largely at potential US military contracts, Canadair narrows its for the new decade on a tilt-wing configuration that finally arrives at project number CL-84. By Bill Upton.
Journal 56-3 (Fall 2018):
Twas the Flight Before Christmas:
F/O Don Rollins of 407 Squadron, RCAF, Survives a Nocturnal Mid-Air Collision
Based on his father’s materials and official records, author Doug Rollins pieces together a Christmas story of a different bent – the freak head-on collision of two Coastal Command “heavies” over the target at night. All of the aircrew involved survived the encounter.
Operation Meteor:
Three RCAF NCOs, a Single Fairchild 71, and Six Months of Winter at 60º North
A first-hand account of an early RCAF weather reconnaissance operation, based just above the Alberta – Northwest Territories border, in less than ideal conditions for an extended period of time. By W/C Robert I. Thomas with notes by Carl Vincent.
Includes a Biographical Sidebar item “W/C Robert Idris Thomas and the Operation Meteor Crew” on the three RCAF NCOs and government meteorologist involved in this operation.
Canadair CL-84 – A Canadian Design Odyssey
Part 3: From Mockup to Prototype and Rollout
Bill Upton provides a wealth of rarely-seen photographs to accompany his description of CL-84 prototype CF-VTO-X, and the Canadair Experimental Shop work that produced it.
Includes the Photo Sidebar item “Canadair CL-84 Dynavert – A Prototype in Progress”.
Wooden Wings Over the Wilderness 3:
The Big Order for Standard Universals
More American-built Fokker Universals join the Canadian Civil Aircraft Register, starting with those for Western Canada Airways as it bolstered its bushplane fleet in the years immediately prior to the Great Depression. By Clark Seaborn.
Includes the Photo Sidebar item “G-CAIX – An All-Seasons Radial Fokker”.
With thanks to all involved in helping us bring this pair of Journals through to completion,
Terry
Katherine Stinson – Honoured & Remembered
By John Chalmers
CAHS Membership Secretary
A famous American aviatrix who holds a special place in Canadian aviation history has been installed as a member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) in the United States. Katherine Stinson, who flew 259 specially stamped letters for the first airmail flight in western Canada, on July 9, 1918, from Calgary to Edmonton, was honoured at the annual enshrinement ceremonies for NAHF held in Denver, Colorado on September 28, 2019. (Photo via internet)
Flying the one-of-a kind Curtiss Special built for her by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, Katherine set a number of record-setting flights with the unique biplane. This exact reproduction of that aircraft was built over a period of several years by volunteer craftsmen at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton. The aircraft was rolled out at the museum during ceremonies on July 9, 2006, following a re-enactment of the 1918 flight. A second re-enactment of that airmail flight was done on its 100th anniversary, July 9, 2018. Both events were projects of the Alberta Aviation Museum and the Canadian Aerophilatelic Society. The airplane’s V-8 liquid cooled engine and the propeller are original Curtiss equipment. On the wall behind the biplane is a huge image of a painting by Jim Bruce that shows the aircraft in flight from Calgary to Edmonton on July 9, 1918. (Chalmers photo)
In 1959 in Edmonton, Katherine met broadcaster and journalist Tony Cashman, shown here, who aired a story about her. Katherine had first come to Edmonton in 1916 to provide demonstration flights at the Edmonton Exhibition. In 1959 she came to serve as parade marshal and open the 81st annual Exhibition, which marked the 50th Anniversary of powered flight in Canada. Now 96, Tony remembers meeting Katherine as clearly as if it happened yesterday. A natural-born raconteur, Tony flew as a navigator with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, completing a tour of 30 operational flights aboard a Halifax bomber. Post-war, as a writer he has written many books including stories about Edmonton and Gateway to the North, a history of aviation in Edmonton. (Chalmers photo)
Tony’s story about the building of the replica appears in the Summer 2006 issue of the CAHS Journal. The cover image of that issue is the splendid painting by aviation artist, Jim Bruce, depicting Katherine Stinson’s flight from Calgary to Edmonton in July 1918. The original painting was donated by Jim to the Alberta Aviation Museum. A follow-up story by Tony Cashman in the Fall 2007 issue of the Journal includes the talk about Katherine given by Tony at the rollout ceremonies for the aircraft in 2006. The two articles include many photos of the original aircraft, the volunteers who built it, and pictures from the historic 1918 flight.
(Photo courtesy of NAHF)
On September 28, 2019, Katherine Stinson was honoured at the 57th Annual Enshrinement Dinner & Ceremony when she was inducted as a member of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF). Her medal was presented by retired USAF colonel and former NASA astronaut, Eileen Collins, left, a member of the Hall herself, who was the first woman pilot and commander of the Space Shuttle. At centre is David Brixey, NAHF president. At right, receiving the medal on Katherine’s behalf is Jan McKenzie, national U.S. president of The Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots. Jan paid tribute to Katherine Stinson in her acceptance, and the medal for Katherine will be placed in the Texas Air Museum at Stinson Field in San Antonio, Texas.
The Canadian Aviation Moments were submitted by Dennis Casper from the Roland Groome (Regina) Chapter of the CAHS. Spoiler alert - if you read any further than each question, you will find the answer to the questions directly below. Good luck and have fun!
The Canadian Aviation Moments questions and answers for November are:
Question: What was the most dramatic ordnance introduced to the RAF Bomber Command in 1941?
Answer: “However, the most dramatic ordnance introduced to the Command in 1941 was undoubtedly the 4000-pound “cookie” blast bomb. On 31 March this new high-capacity weapon was used for the first time on operations, by Wellingtons against Emden. By the end of May, it was in frequent use. Consisting of nearly two tons of high explosive Ammatol wrapped in a thin metal casing, this blast weapon was particularly destructive when used in conjunction with boxes of 30-pound incendiary bombs. The “cookie” was an extremely adaptable weapon, and one of them could even be carried aboard the Mosquito. In 1943 the “cookie” was augmented by the 8000-pound “blockbuster” and in 1944 by an even larger 12,000-pound demolition bomb.”
Source: NO PROUDER PLACE – Page 42
Question: What did Max Aitkin, who was raised in New Brunswick, contribute to the war effort of WWII?
Answer: It was the summer of 1940. France had fallen and Hitler's armies were massing for the invasion of England. Prime Minister Winston Churchill knew that only air power could stop the Nazi advance, and Britain was quickly running out of planes. New bombers were rolling out of American factories but delivery by ship across the U-boat infested ocean was impossibly slow. Senior cabinet minister Lord Beaverbrook hatched a desperate plan to fly the new bombers across the sea. Royal Air Force commanders were scathing - few aircraft had ever flown the North Atlantic and none had done it in the fall or winter. The distance was too great, the weather too severe and unpredictable. Beaverbrook was unstoppable. With the help of the world's most experienced aviator, Australian Don Bennett, he organized an all-civilian operation to ferry bombers from the California factories through Canada and across the North Atlantic to Britain. By war's end they had delivered some 20,000 aircraft, turning the tide of victory and opening up the North Atlantic air route which would unite the old and new worlds as never before.
SOURCE: http://www.popeproductions.com/en/projects/ferrycommand
Question: What was the primary agent, in the early 20th century, in dragging both Canada and the United States into the age of modern aviation?
Answer: “At the outbreak of the conflict in Europe, both Canada and the United States had fallen far behind the British and the Europeans in aircraft technology. The Plan” (RFC Training Plan in Canada in 1917) “was the primary agent in dragging both Canada and the United States into the age of modern aviation.”
Source: Dancing In The Sky – Page 12
Greenwood Military Aviation Museum:
outstanding display of history and heritage
by Gord McNulty, CAHS Vice President
Aviation fans who have an opportunity to be in Nova Scotia are certain to appreciate a visit to the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum (GMAM) at 14 Wing CFB Greenwood. I saw the museum for the first time during a whirlwind Maritimes vacation in September and was really impressed. Sunny skies ensured a perfect day to photograph the 10 aircraft and memorial exhibits at the Air Park surrounding the museum. Unfortunately, the museum building was closed by a power outage after post-tropical storm Dorian swept through.
The GMAM has grown significantly since it began in 1992 as an idea initiated by then Greenwood Base Commander Ken Allen. A small, dedicated group of retired and serving military personnel and local aviation enthusiasts formed a society and remain the backbone of the museum. The volunteers have a mission to provide free access, interpretation and display of the history and heritage of Base Greenwood. They deserve full accolades for accomplishing just that.
The Air Park is in a beautiful setting, somewhat like a sunken garden, which is fitting given the location in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. Photographers can take pictures from a slope, enabling photos from a higher vantage point as well as ground level. What a delightful surprise for anyone with a camera!
After seeing a Canadair CT-133 Silver Star mounted as a monument at the main gate of the base, I was drawn to a breathtaking lineup of ‘heavy metal’ maritime patrol aircraft: a Lancaster Mk 10, a rare Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune and a Lockheed CP-140A Arcturus.
The Lancaster, Serial No. KB839 (painted as Serial No. JB226) flew 26 bombing sorties during the Second World War from the U.K. with the RCAF in the Pathfinder role. It sustained damage on two occasions but survived the war and is described as the only Lancaster in Canada today that sustained combat damage. It later flew with No. 408 (Goose) Squadron in Canada in the reconnaissance role in the 1950s. The aircraft was equipped post-war with cameras for Arctic mapping and maritime reconnaissance duties. Last flown on 11 March, 1964, it was retired at Greenwood in 1964.
The GMAM restoration crew returned the Lancaster to its wartime configuration by removing the 31-inch nose extension fitted after the war. Extensively refurbished, the bomber is now painted as “Gutless Gert,” as flown by 405 Pathfinder Squadron during the war. Of 60 operational missions, “Gutless Gert” flew 17 missions with 405 Squadron until sadly, it was shot down on the night of 17/18 November on a raid against Ludwigshaven, a city on the Rhine in the industrial heartland of Germany. “Gutless Gert” is a poignant tribute to the crew flying the bomber on its last fateful mission --- four Canadian, two British and one American member.
The Neptune was the first that I had seen, in RCAF colours, in many years. This attractive aircraft is the only Neptune in Canada and is on loan to the GMAM from the U.S. Navy.
The CP-140A Arcturus was flown primarily at Greenwood for Arctic and coastal surface patrol missions and pilot training. Retired in 2014, it was added to the GMAM in 2016 with a Lockheed CC-130E Hercules and a CC-144 Challenger. Challengers and Hercules flew out of Greenwood.
In fact, 434 Combat Support Squadron at Greenwood used Challengers in an electronic warfare role from 1995 to 2000, predominately working with the Royal Canadian Navy. The GMAM Hercules originally came from CFB Trenton, while the Challenger came from 412 Transport Squadron in Ottawa before it was retired in 2014.
A Dakota in striking RCAF post-war search and rescue colours is, in my view, the most photogenic of all of these significant display aircraft. The park also features another rarity --- a Piasecki H-21/Vertol 44 on display in RCAF search and rescue livery after extensive reassembly and refurbishment; a Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador, representing a versatile helicopter that was significant in SAR; and another Canadair Silver Star.
A Commemorative Gardens, adjacent to the Air Park, further enriches the GMAM. Impressive cairns and monuments, honoring Greenwood squadrons and aviators who made the ultimate sacrifice, are highlighted by a life-size bronze statue of a Second World War airman. Inviting walkways are lined with more than 400 commemorative granite stones remembering individuals who have served or are serving at CFB Greenwood. The memorial garden is truly moving and reflects exemplary leadership by the GMAM.
The Museum boasts more than 10,000 square feet of indoor display area, featuring six distinct eras in the history of Greenwood. Many exhibits are showcased, exemplified by cutaway engines, artefacts, paintings, photographs and mannequins in period costume.
An Avro Anson Mk II, built at Amherst, NS, in 1941 is among the highlights of the indoor aircraft. A Bolingbroke/Blenheim and a Beech Expeditor are under restoration. The Boly/Bleinheim achieved a major milestone this spring as it reached final assembly of multiple major aircraft structures after 10 years of effort. To date, more than 17,000 man-hours of work have been devoted to restoring one of the last Boly airframes in Canada. Boly 9997 will ultimately be painted in wartime colours representing a Blenheim flown by 404 Squadron out of Scotland with Coastal Command in the early years of the conflict.
The Expeditor will be the 11th aircraft on display. It’s expected to be restored in post-war RCAF colours which always look good.
The GMAM has a vibrant Facebook page, keeping everyone in the loop on all activities. There was some discussion, for example, on the issue of looking into a sprung shelter type facility to protect the aircraft on outside display from the elements. However, the cost would be substantial and the museum would be required, for example, to adhere to the building code for federal government buildings.
I have only scratched the surface with this brief report and I recommend the Facebook connection. I really hope to return to the CASM to see the entire museum next time! Congratulations to the GMAM for delivering so well on “Preserving the Past for the Future.”
Canadair Silver Star monument at Greenwood Military Aviation Museum, dedicated on 50th Reunion of 434 Bluenose Squadron in 1993.
Avro Lancaster Mk X, painted as JB266 with Gutless Gert nickname, was flown by 405 (Pathfinder) Squadron during the Second World War. Sept. 9, 2019.
Lancaster Mk X, Serial No. KB839, flew 26 wartime sorties with 419 (Moose) Squadron and then served postwar with 408 (Goose) Squadron. It was retired at Greenwood in 1964.
Of 60 operational missions, the Lancaster nicknamed Gutless Gert flew 17 missions with 405 Squadron until it was shot down in November 1943.
A plaque describing the Lancaster Mk X, Serial No. KB839, on display at the air park at the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum.
Canadair CP-107 Argus 10717 entered service at Greenwood in 1958 and was struck off strength in 1980 as a permanent monument at the air park.
Lockheed P2V-7 in RCAF colours, loaned to the museum by the U.S. Navy, represents Neptunes that replaced Greenwood’s Lancasters beginning 30 March 1955.
The P2V-7 Neptune at the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum is the only Neptune on display in Canada.
Douglas Dakota at Greenwood air park, painted as an aircraft flown by 103 Search and Rescue Unit from 1946 to 1968.
An informative display at the Greenwood air park on the history of the Dakota.
Lockheed CP-140A Arcturus 140119 was one of three CP-140As ordered in 1991 after the initial purchse of the CP-140 Aurora.
A legacy of maritime patrol aircraft from the Lancaster to the Neptune and Arcturus on display at the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum.
Canadair Challenger, RCAF 144616, served with 412 Transport Squadron and was retired in 2014.
Lockheed CC-130E Hercules, RCAF 130328, acquired from CFB Trenton, represents aircraft flown out of Greenwood by 413 Transport and Rescue Squadron.
Boeing Vertol CH-113 Labrador 11308 in Canadian Forces search and rescue colours.
A concise history of the Boeing Vertol Labrador is outlined on a plaque at the air park surrounding the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum.
Another Canadair Silver Star, in low visibility paint, displayed at the air park at Greenwood.
Piasecki Vertol H-21, H-44 displayed in RCAF search and rescue colours after extensive restoration at the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum.
A life-bronze statue of a Second World War airman in a memorial to aircrew at the Commemorative Gardens at the Greenwood Miitary Aviation Museum.
A memorial dedicated to the crew of a Labrador who died in a tragic crash on 2 October, 1998.
A memorial cairn commemorating the men and women who have served on 404 Squadron since its inception in 1941.
Another impressive monument in honour of 405 Squadron.
A salute to aircrew at the Commemorative Gardens.
