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 time-honoured trainer.
I beleive 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 Lanc was the outstanding heavy bomber to thunder its way across the pages of history in the Second World War.
Canada's search a replacement for the CC-115 Buffalo had been narrowed down to two competitors, the Lockheed C-27J and the CASA 295.
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.
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.
The purchase of the CF-18s, associated weapons, spare parts and training, as well as new support services and equipment (including electronic flight simulators), formally known as the New Fighter Aircraft (NFA) program, officially got under way in April, 1980.
In search of a more affordable fighter, Canada launched a competition for a lightweight fighter contract. The list of competitors was sort of bizarre, many of the entries being far from lightweight.
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.
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.
The Royal Canadian Air Force had 148 Liberators on its roster between April 1943 and June 1948.
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 maiden flight was made in September 1940.