We hope you enjoyed answering the Canadian Aviation Moments in June. We encourage readers to send in their responses to the Canadian Aviation Moments questions at: info@cahs.ca. Your responses will be included in the following month's newsletter. Here are the correct answers:
Question: What airplane, first acquired in 1927 by the RCAF, made it highly suitable in the ground liaison role? How many in total were acquired?
Answer: Designed for an all encompassing “Army Co-Operation” role, the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas was a two-seat bi-plane. First acquired in 1927, the aircraft’s excellent low-speed handling made it highly suitable in the ground liaison role. Message dropping and snatching techniques were routinely practised. Additional reconditioned examples were purchased in 1934 after financial restrictions imposed for the Depression had eased. Badly outclassed by the eve of the Second World War, there were still sixteen Atlases on strength in the RCAF. The type was therefore pressed into coastal reconnaissance patrols in the Bay of Fundy at the outbreak of the war until they were passed on to No. 118 (Coast Artillery Co-operation) Squadron for brief use prior to their retirement.
Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft – Page 53.
Question: When was the first reported theft of an airplane in Canada?
Answer: It was at an unspecified date in 1917 or 1918, when the Imperial Royal Flying Corps had a large training establishment in southern Ontario. "Two Americans training at Camp Leaside... were particularly enterprising. Having taught themselves to fly, the mechanics proceeded to steal a JN-4. B.J. Auluffe and Oscar Slade of New York City, both 23, hold the dubious distinction of being the first felons to steal an airplane in Canada. The mechanics flew the Jenny to the United States and, wearing IRFC uniforms, gave lectures and collected money, ostensibly for the Red Cross, but in reality with themselves as its beneficiaries. They were apprehended in Roanoke, Virginia, and brought back under guard by the IRFC. The Toronto Evening Telegram reported that the enterprising recruits had collected a large sum of money. The miscreants were court-martialled. Maintaining its policy of secrecy, the RFC did not disclose the trial results."
Source: "Dancing in the Sky -- The Royal Flying Corps in Canada", by C.W. Hunt, published by Dundurn Press, Toronto, 2009, ISBN 978-1-55002-864-5.
Question: What was the average number of Airspeed Oxfords on strength at 32 SFTS Moose Jaw and, what was the time frame the Oxford was on strength at 32 SFTS?
Answer: At Moose Jaw, Ansons and Harvards were used initially, but Oxfords began arriving in late 1942 and eventually built up to a strength of no fewer than 109 by the end of that year. The average number of Oxfords at Moose Jaw was around 100 until the station began running down in the late summer of 1944. It was closed by December.
Source: Windsock – Roland Groome (Regina) Chapter – CAHS – December 2008 – Page 7 – Report by Will Chabun
The Canadian Aviation Moments were submitted by Dennis Casper from the Roland Groome (Regina) Chapter of the CAHS.
The Canadian Aviation Moments questions for June are:
Question: What was perhaps the most important RCAF aircraft of the interwar years? How many were acquired and how long were they on strength?
Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft – Page 54
Question: Who had the highest scores during WWII: the British or the German night fighter crews and why?
Source: CAHS – The Journal of the Canadian Aviation Historical Society – Vol. 46 No. 3 – Fall 2008 – Allied Night Fighting Techniques During The Second World War– By Jack W. Meadows DFC, AFC, AE, W/C RAFVR (ret) – Page 87
Question: What was “OP FRICTION”, what aircraft was used and how was it modified for the operation?
Source: The Observair – Ottawa Chapter Newsletter – Canadian Aviation Historical Society – Pages 1 and 2 – Past Meeting – Ernie Cable – The CH-124 Sea King and OP Friction