Canadian Air Power in View

Winterized Cessna Crane (7945) version of the UC-78 in RCAF service.

Signs such as this became part of the Canadian landscape as schools and airfields opened throughout the nation under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The sign reads “ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE / Service Flying Training School / BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN”. (DND Archives photo PL-3306)

No. 12 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Brandon, Manitoba, exhibit the standard British Commonwealth Air Training Plan airfield layout. (DND photo)

No. 39 SFTS at RCAF Swift Current, Saskatchewan, exhibit the standard British Commonwealth Air Training Plan airfield layout. (DND photo)

Beech SA18D (C-45), 1530, RCAF, Stanley, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1943. Ex CF-BMU donated to the RCAF in November 1939. Returned to CF-BMU in April 1945. The color of this aircraft is not known. Photographs taken on orthochromatic film which can make yellow look very dark and red look black.

Bristol Beaufighter Mk. IIF (R2270), No. 406 "Lynx" (NF) Squadron RCAF, based at RAF Station Aklington, Northumberland, January 1942. R2270 was the first production model, fitted with dihedral tailplanes and equipped with AI Mk. IV radar.

Fairey Battle Mk1 (1628, L5198), RCAF, Ottawa - Rockcliffe, Ontario, Canada, 22 September 1941. Struck off charge in February 1945.

A light observation aircraft, the Taylorcraft Auster IV was introduced by the Royal Canadian Army during the fighting in Northwest Europe in 1945. The primary role of the aircraft was artillery spotting and the aircraft carried a pilot and observer in this role. Two Canadian squadrons were so equipped and were designated 664 and 665 Squadrons. 664 Squadron served in the Canadian Army Occupation Force in post-war activities until its disbandment in 1946.

Taylorcraft Auster, Canadian Army Cooperation operations, Italy.

Armstrong Whitworth Atlas Mk.IAC, RCAF (409), No. 2 (AC) Squadron, Trenton & Rockcliffe, Ontario.

Douglas Digby Mk. I, s/n 740, RCAF, coded R, No. 10 (Bomber) Squadron, RCAF.

Beaufighter TF Mark Xs (NV427 'EO-L' nearest) of No. 404 Squadron RCAF based at Dallachy, Morayshire, in flight along the Scottish coast. NV427 was shot down by anti-aircraft fire during an attack by the Dallachy Wing on an enemy convoy off Midgulen, Norway, on 8 March 1945. (Imperial War Museum photo CH 17869)

Personnel from No. 404 Squadron RCAF pose with a Beaufighter while operating out of RAF Strubby, Lincolnshire. as part of its namesake strike wing during the summer of 1944. Ten of the men seen here were assigned to the strike against the ‘Z-33’.

North American AT-6A Harvard Mk. IIB, RCAF (Serial No. 3034), on skis, 21 February 1941.

North American Harvard Mk. II (Serial No. 2694) from No. 2 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Station Uplands (Ottawa), Ontario. On 27 Apr 1941, LAC F. H. Sproule ground looped it while landing at Uplands. The airframe sustained Cat C2 damage but was subsequently repaired. The aircraft was later transferred to No. 1 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Station Camp Borden, Ontario.

North American NA-66 Harvard Mk. II, RCAF Serial No. 3083), circa 1942.

North American NA-61 Harvard Mk. I, RCAF (Serial No. 1344), FO W.V. Mudray and Sgt R. Hammill, 23 August 1940.

North American NA-81 Harvard Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 3248), V-24, damage, July 1942.

North American NA-61 Harvard Mk. I, RCAF (Serial No. 1321), on skis, 24 Sep 1941.

North American NA-66 Harvard Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 2956), 57, in flight, No. 41 SFTS, 1944.

North American AT-16 Harvard Mk. IIB, RCAF (Serial No. FH126), January 1943.

North American NA-66 Harvard Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 2702), Rockcliffe, Ontario, 12 September 1941.

North American AT-16 Harvard Mk. IIB, RCAF (Serial No. FS965) collision with an RCAF radio control truck, 15 Oct 1943. This Harvard Mk. IIB was from the Test and Development Flight at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario. The accident occurred at 11:25 hours on the 15th, and was the result of a blind spot. The driver, Corporal A. R. Coulter was slightly injured. The two in the Harvard were fine but the aircraft received Cat C3 damage.

North American AT-16 Harvard Mk. IIB. RCAF (Serial No. FS965) collision with an RCAF radio control truck, 16 October 1943.

North American AT-16 Harvard .303-inch machine-gun installation, RCAF, 10 August 1942.

North American Harvard Mk. IIB, RCAF, in hangar, 30 March 1943.

North American NA-66 Harvard Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 2996), BF, wing down, 14 February 1942.

North American NA-61 Harvard Mk1, 1331 (61-1513), RCAF, Canada, circa September 1939 to December 1944. 1331 was based in Ontario and Quebec during the war. Scrapped by January 1945. Photo appears to be at a civil airfield and not an RCAF base.

North American NA-64 Yale 3349 RCAF.

A North American NA-64 Yale, RCAF. The remaining 119 undelivered aircraft from the French order were bought up by the British Purchasing Commission and transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan between August and September 1940, and all were operational by November. The type was named the Yale Mk.I following British naming practice of naming trainers after education institutions and US-supplied aircraft after American locations, in this case, Yale University, and were used initially as intermediate pilot trainers taking pilots from the de Havilland Tiger Moth and Fleet Finch to the much faster and more complex North American Harvard, until this category was dispensed with as being unnecessary. They were then relegated for use as airborne wireless radio trainers, along with the contemporary Fleet Fort intermediate trainer in 1943. Prior to service entry, the throttle and engine mixture controls were modified from the system used by the French whereby the throttle was pulled back to increase power, and the mixture control pulled back to lean out the mixture, to the system used on the Harvard. The Yale appeared in the movie Captains of the Clouds. The RCAF sold all surviving examples off as scrap in 1946 but over 30 survive today as a result of a large number of them being bought surplus by a single farmer, with about 15 currently in airworthy condition.

North American Harvard trainer, RCAF. Fairey Battle in right background.

North American Harvard Mk.II 3819 20 RCAF No.41 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), Weyburn, Saskatchewan, 1944.

North American Harvard Mk.I 1335 RCAF, ex-61-1517, at RCAF Station Trenton, Ontario, February 1940. 1335 was taken on strength on 2 September 1939, operating out of Camp Borden and Trenton. It was transferred to Aylmer, Ontario, as an instructional airframe in October 1942, and scrapped in 1946.

The Harvard NA-44 was a one-off prototype that was the first with a metal-skinned rear fuselage. Powered by a 750hp Wright R-1820 (!), she featured the earlier-style outer wings as seen on the BT-9, NA-57/NA-64 & Harvard Mk I, and featured a ‘wet wing’ fuel tank for the centre section. She went to South American for a sales tour, targeting countries looking for cheap attack aircraft. The sales tour led to orders from Brazil and Chile, although those examples were R-1340 powered. In 1940, the NA-44 (and the NA-26 – the prototype retractable gear NA-16 variant) was acquired by the RCAF and given the RCAF serial number 3344. She served the war at RCAF Station Trenton and was known to engage in dogfights with Hurricanes on occasion (and won!), hence the blue/red paint job. After the war, she was slated to be sold off. However, she disappeared before the buyer could collect her at Trenton.

Gunner in rear seat of North American (NA-18) Harvard, RCAF.

North American Harvard Mk.IIB FE287 30 RCAF and FE279 83, No.41 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), Weyburn, Saskatchewan, 1944.

Just hanging out ... Students of No.41 Service Flying Training School, RCAF, Weyburn, Saskatchewan, equipped with both the Harvard and Avro Anson, 1944.

North American Harvard Mk.II 2964 RCAF; forced landing, c. 1942.

North American Harvard Mk.I 1331 RCAF.

North American Harvards 3115, FE843, 3183 RCAF.

A visit to an aircraft factory in Canada. North American Harvard II in background; from 1942, Canada's Noorduyn built 2,557 R-1340-AN-1-powered Harvard IIs under license, paid for by USAAF Lend-Lease funds as the AT-16, but designated as the Harvard II.B. After World War II, many remained in service with the RCAF. The Vlnr R.B.C. Noorduyn, director; Princess Juliana, showing great interest; Mrs. Noorduyn; Bayer, president of society; mr. W. van Tets, private secretary of Princess Juliana; Bell, factory manager; Mrs. van Tets.

In Commonwealth service the type was known as the Harvard. The Canada Car and Foundry built a total of 555 Harvard IVs under the designation NA-186, many of which trained pilots for the RCAF.

RCAF student pilot taking his place in the cockpit of a North American Harvard Mk.I, 1940. Photo likely taken at RCAF Station Borden or Trenton, Ontario.

North American Harvard Mk.I 1323 RCAF Central Flying School based at RCAF Station Trenton. This aircraft was lost on 12 September 1941.

North American Harvard during construction for RCAF.

North American NA-64 Yale 3416 RCAF, which appeared in the movie, "Captains of the Clouds".

Mosquito NF Mark XIII, HK382, RO-T, of No. 29 Squadron RAF, at Hunsdon, Hertfordshire. Lost on 16 March 1945 with No. 409 Squadron RCAF during a test flight in France, crashed killing the Canadian crew, P/O K.S. Brenton Navigator and F/O R.H. Long pilot.

Handley Page Hampden, coded EQ, No. 408 Squadron, RCAF, with Sgt. A.W. Wood, Sgt. H.D. Murray, Sgt. D.L. Henderson and Sgt. W.M. Fraser.

Mustang Mk I flown by Lt Jack Taylor of the RCAF hit a power line and brought back 62 feet of it wrapped around his wing. Luckily not sheering his wing off.

North American NA-66 Harvard Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. [?]210), SS Shulemson, No. 14 Service Flying Training School, winter 1942.

Testing the port side Merlin of KB 424 (Canadian built) de Havilland Mosquito. Sent to UK and delivered to 608 Squadron. KB 428 in background was retained in Canada and taken on charge by RCAF, 14 Sep 1944.

Blackburn Shark II target tug, 122 (K) Squadron, RCAF, Patricia Bay.

RCAF Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina Amphibian. RCAF serial number 9771 just barely on the water. This particular airplane operated in British Columbia during WWII.

North American AT-16 Harvard Mk.IIB FE3279 No. 41 SFTS RCAF, 1944.

North American NA-61 Harvard Mk.I 1339 and 1348 RCAF.

North American AT-16 Harvard Mk.IIB FE346 No. 41 SFTS RCAF, 1944.

Wireless equipment on an RCAF North American NA-66 Harvard Mk.II, 30 July 1941.

North American NA-61 Harvard Mk.I 1321 RCAF; on skis, February 26, 1941.

North American AT-16 Harvard Mk.IIB FH126 RCAF; January 1944.

North American Harvard Mk.I RCAF being refueled; February 1940.

North American NA-75 Harvard Mk.II RCAF being pushed into place in the snow.

A beautiful in-flight shot of a Royal Canadian Air Force Canso in flight in January 1942 in the Temperate Sea Scheme.

Every detail of the advanced training of Royal Canadian Air Force pilots is studied closely by Great Britain's Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Winston Churchill, shown here alongside a Harvard as he visits No. 2 Service Flying Training School, Uplands, near Ottawa. He is with Major the Honourable C.G. Power, M.C., (left) Canada's Minister of National Defence for Air, and Wing Commander W.R. MacBrien (right) Commanding Officer of the Station, 1941.

The first North American NAA-64-P2 NX13397 before delivery. Due to the fall of France, this aircraft would instead be delivered to Canada as a Yale Mk.I. The NAA-64-P2 was built for the French Armée de l'Air and Aéronavale in 1939–1940, which ordered 200 and 30 respectively. Of these, 111 had been delivered before France surrendered to the Germans after the Battle of France. In France, the NA-64, like the NA-57 before it, was known as the North, and was designated as NAA-64-P2 (abbreviated from North American Aviation modèle 64 perfectionnement, 2 places (North American Aviation model 64 advanced trainer, 2 seats)) but were sometimes attached to reconnaissance units. A small number escaped the Germans to be used by the Vichy French Air Force. Two examples in North Africa survived into the postwar years, having been operated alongside NA-57s, the last only being retired in 1949. The NAA-64s (NA-57s) captured from the French were used by the German Luftwaffe for all types of flight training, from basic flying to advanced fighter tactics. Dive bomber schools and target tug units, and even combat squadrons all used the NAA-64, as they were designated by the Luftwaffe, from the French examples’ tail markings. The Zirkus Rosarius used at least one to familiarize German aircrew with American aircraft’s handling before they evaluated captured aircraft.

Waco Hadrian Mark I, FR579, “Voo Doo,” arriving at Prestwick after being towed, in a series of stages, across the Atlantic from Canada. FR579 served with No. 21 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit and the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment.

RCAF Lancasters being loaded at Silverthorn, England, 21 April 1945.

Consolidated Canso, Canso Wing, RCAF Station Tofino.

RCAF Training with a Lysander at RCAF Station Jarvis, Ontario, 1943. Royal Canadian Air Force Station Jarvis was a Second World War British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) station located near Jarvis, Ontario. The station was home to No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School and is usually known by that name. Bombing and Gunnery schools trained Air Gunners, Wireless Air Gunners, Air Observers, Air Bombers, and Navigator-Bomb Aimers. These airmen served as aircrew on bombers and maritime patrol aircraft. The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan was a temporary wartime measure that ended on 29 March 1945. No. 1 B&GS opened 19 August 1940 and closed on 17 February 1945. During this time 6,500 airmen were trained at Jarvis.

Consolidated Canso, Canso Wing, RCAF Station Tofino.

Supermarine Stranraer of the RCAF. The Stranraer was used by the RCAF on both the West and East Coasts during WWII. This shot may have been taken at Dartmouth, NS where 5(BR) was based. The RCAF had 40 of these biplane flying boats on charge between 1938 and 1946.