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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 March are:

Question: What strategic new weapon had emerged during WWI? How did the functions of this weapon evolve?

Answer: “The rapidly changing nature of modern warfare would gradually demonstrate that a strategic new weapon had emerged. Initially, the airplane’s function had been to observe and report on the enemy’s troop movements. This role quickly expanded to include photographing the enemy troops, bombing his installations, strafing his troops and, finally, attacking and destroying both his airplanes and the men who flew them. The famous aerial dogfights did not develop until the spring of 1915. This phase of the air war led to growing losses of pilots and critical need to train replacements.”

Source: Dancing in the Sky - Page 26


Question: How did the RFC/RAF Training Plan in Canada during WWI benefit the Americans?

Answer: “In 1917 the United States, while an industrial powerhouse, was militarily weak, lacking both weapons and the trained manpower necessary for the creation of a modern military establishment. Although capable of raising a powerful citizens’ army, the U.S. air force existed largely on paper. The RFC/RAF Training Plan jump-started the American Air Force, enabling it, in just a few months to compete with the world’s major air powers. Now the world’s most powerful military nation, the United States trained many of its early military pilots at the aerodromes of Canada under British command. Its first aviation schools were modeled directly from the Aeronautical school set up by the RFC at the University of Toronto.”

Source: Dancing in the Sky – Page 12


Question: What was the most successful, important, enduring and endearing of the Bomber Commands twin engine bomber wartime starting stable?

Answer: “The most successful of Bomber command’s wartime starting stable was the Vickers Wellington.” “Initially powered by Pegasus engines, the single engine performance of the earlier Marks was referred to as “a long controlled dive,” but later variants fared much better, powered by either Bristol Hercules or Pratt and Whitney R-1830 radials, both of which were in the 1600 horsepower class. As was the case with Bomber Command’s other twins in early 1930, Wellingtons were hacked down in droves during the early, unescorted daylight raids. In spite of this inauspicious start, the doughty Wellington became by far the most important, enduring and endearing of the twins, serving as the mainstay of the Command until four-engine types appeared in numbers. Although largely obsolete over Europe by mid-1943, the most refined and numerous variant of the type, the Mark X could routinely carry nearly as great a bomb load at 4500 pounds as the four – engine American B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators and it could carry up to 6500 poiunds of ordnance on short-haul missions.”

Source: No Prouder Place – Pages 23-24