Wednesday, March 25, 2009

More From Last Weekend

After spending the day in Tillsonburg, I met up with my friend Steve Tournay at Mount Hope, home of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. The Museum was closed, but we took a few minutes to take some photos of the gate guards.

The CF-104 in front of the CWH Museum. This is Lockheed built CF-104D Starfighter CAF # 104641.



Long time Mount Hope resident is Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck RCAF # 18506.


Two Ontario built classics in one shot. The CF-100 and Steve's Studebaker Lark. (Steve's Lark was built in Hamilton.)

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Harvards in Canada

Last weekend I was up in Canada visiting the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association in Tillsonburg. No flying yet, but a few aircraft were being run up for annuals and other tests.

The CHAA's newest Harvard Mk. 4 CF-WLH RCAF # 20436.



Harvard Mk. 4 C-FWPK RCAF 20242 was also being run up.


Harvard Mk. 4 CF-UFZ "Bessy" RCAF 20321 was pulled apart in the hangar.


Bessy's new engine was looking very slick.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Camouflage RCAF Kittyhawk IV

One of my RCAF "holy grail" searches has been for actual photographic proof that RCAF Kittyhawk IVs (P-40Ns to our U.S. friends) carried camouflage in RCAF service. I have always assumed that they did, but all photos of the aircraft are in natural metal either just post war or during their service as fighter affiliation training "aggressors" with 5 OTU. Then I found this little poorly scanned photo. There it is, a RCAF Kittyhawk IV in camo. How can I tell it is a P-40N? Look carefully at the sliding portion of the canopy. This is RCAF Kittyhawk IV #857/V ex-USAAF P-40N-5-CU with either 133 Squadron or 135 Squadron at Patricia Bay, B.C. Now the question is what is the scheme? Dark Green/Dark Earth over Sky or Dark Green/Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey? Or some odd RCAF only scheme? Anyone have any suggestions or comments?