Museum Newsletter CANADIAN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT AND TRANSPORTATION Fall 1992 No. 40

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF FLIGHT AND TRANSPORTATION

13527 Crescent Road, Surrey, BC, V4A 2W1 (604) 535-1115, FAX 535-3292

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 1992/1993

Dines, Don Emerslund, Bill Gardham, Fred Hamilton, Colln 536-5193 Heinemann, Steve Hudak, Anthony Morelli, Carol Robinson, Jane. 536-3287 Vernon, Jerrold E. Vacant position.. 433-4039 298-6374 681-6886 582-3067 590-1855 538-0741 420-6065

LIFETIME DIRECTORS/ GOVERNORS

Jackson, G. Barry… Stunden, Ronald A. Thompson, Bill A. Zalesky, Edward V.. 535-1115 Zalesky, Rose 255-3825 277-3827 883-2445 535-1115

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 1992/1993

President…… Jerrold (Jerry) E. Vernon Vice President……. W. (Bill) A. Thompson Sec-Treas/Executive Director..Rose Zalesky

STANDING COMMITTEES

VOLUNTEER CO-ORDINATOR. Carol Morelli Steve Heinemann .Mark Zalesky RESTORATION Fred Gardham FLYING Mark Zalesky Mel Neidig VANCOUVER ISLAND Peter Knowles COLLECTIONS Jerry Vernon Jerry Vernon RESEARCH BUILDING/MAINTENANCE Ken Danyluk TRANSPORTATION Vacant Vacant GIFT SHOP SPECIAL EVENTS Vancant

COVER PHOTO

Waco ZKS-6 CF-BBQ, Wabowden, Manitoba, 1955, CMFT #222.1 Walt Winberg Collection. Page 2

AD HOC COMMITTEES

HOMESITE Ed Zalesky Rose Zalesky ..Jerry Vernon Bill Thompson HAMPDEN RESTORATION… Fred Gardham

The Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation is a non-profit society dedicated to the preservation of aviation and transportation heritage. Charitable status allows for the issuance of tax-deducible receipts for donations of artifacts, goods and money. It is governed by a board of 15 Directors, 10 of which are elected annually in April.

NOTICE OF MEETINGS

Members meet quarterly, the third Thursday of the month. The Annual General meeting is in April, and members elect a new Board to serve for a year. The July meeting is held in conjunction with an outdoor event such as a barbecue, while the October, January and April meetings are usually held at Yic’s Dining Lounge, King George Highway and 104th St. in Surrey. Guests welcome.

Volunteers are also honoured at a special meeting each year. See elsewhere this newsletter for details of the next event.

FALL GENERAL MEETING/DINNER

Set aside Thursday, October 17th to attend the annual Fall Dinner/General meeting, which will be held at Yic’s Dining Lounge, 13938 104th Ave. (at King George Highway), Surrey.

Time: No-Host Bar at 6:00 (you buy your own drinks), Dinner at 7:00, Meeting at 8:00
Cost: $12.00 per person including G.S.T. If ordered in advance, $15.00 if you show up at the door without a reservation. (Remember that if you reserve but don’t show up, we will charge you the $12.00 cost of dinner)

Please phone in your reservation, and if you wish, quote your Visa or Master Card, or you may pay at the door.

Food is fresh, good, and plentiful, and includes Western as well as Chinese Smorgasbord and dessert.

Volunteer Appreciation Salmon Barbecue at the Museum in July brought together the top 50 volunteers and their guests.

MUSEUM NEWSLETTER

Newsletters are (supposed to be) published quarterly, with “Minis” distributed when members must be advised of notices of meetings or other news.

Contributions are welcomed as are comments and criticism. No payment can be made for manuscripts submitted for publication in the CMFT Newsletter. The editor reserves the right to make any editorial changes in manuscripts which he believes will improve the material without altering the intended meaning.

Editor: Rose Zalesky

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• October 11-exhibits close for the season •
• October 16-Fall Dinner/General Meeting at Yic’s
• January 15-General Meeting –

Other events and any changes to the above schedule will be announced in the “Mini” newsletters.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

Much as we would like to advise each member that his or her membership fee is due, the pressure of daily work precludes doing so.

Your expiry date is listed on your address sticker. Please check it now, and send us a cheque if it’s due or nearly due.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES, FEES

• GENERAL MEMBERSHIP $20 Membership benefits include *Full voting privileges *10% discount on most items in the Gift Shop. *Free admission to the exhibits during open season for you and one guest. *Free admission to special events (provided you have your valid membership card ready). *Invitations to attend all Museum functions. *The opportunity to work with the Museum to make it grow and succeed.
• FAMILY MEMBERSHIP $30 All members of immediate family residing at the same address. When applying please provide all names for card issuance.
• LIFETIME – a real bargain at $300. You get a Tax Deductible Receipt for $300 and a complementary lifetime membership.
• FRIEND $10-for those who want to keep in touch but not become involved. FRIEND members receive the newsletter, free admission to the exhibits during open season, voting privileges, but are not entitled to a discount in the gift shop or other benefits.

WINTER HOURS

Please note new, shorter operating hours at the Museum this winter. Beginning November 1 and extending until spring, the office will be open only three days per week – probably Friday, Saturday and Sunday, or as announced. Hours will be 9- 5. It will also be necessary to close for one or two weeks at a time during this period to allow volunteer staff time off to attend to personal business.

This is necessitated because there is not enough money to hire the full time employees needed to remain open, and full time volunteers are “burned out”. We are very proud of the volunteers we have, especially those who come in week in and week out to perform specific tasks people like Colin Hamilton, Ingy and Chris Wikene, John Nuttall, Larry Niven and Ron McWilliams. Because of their dedication, some facets of the museum’s work are kept up to date, or the backlog is being reduced.

Thanks also to volunteers who help out on an irregular basis. There is always something to do in the office, and, for those who don’t like office work, there is plenty to do in the yard and buildings.

Jobs include Office Assistance, Cataloguing, Janitorial, Grounds Maintenance, Equipment Repair, Exhibits Maintenance, Yard Security, Gift Shop Operations, Clerking, Ticket Selling, Data Entry, Special Events support, and much more.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

A full or part time Volunteer Coordinator could find tasks to fit the time and skills volunteers have to share with us. He/she could organize the tools, equipment and materials needed for each job, and the work would all eventually get done with the occasional and unstructured assistance now offered by volunteers. Carol Morelli, who replaced Mike Gatey as the volunteer Volunteer Coordinator, has been doing a superb job, but Carol is a single mother and has a full time job, a daughter in school, and a household to run, on top of her caretaker duties for the museum. She puts in many, many hours co-ordinating and working with volunteers, but it is much more time consuming than most people think, and she does need help.

Ideally, someone who is good at organizing and at working, who is retired or semi-retired would be ideal. Needless to say, the preference is for a volunteer, but some money could be found to pay a modest amount to the right person.

Or, consider becoming a volunteer co-ordinator along with Carol and Rose. Tasks can be organized so that three or four or more people co- ordinate “departments”, thus spreading the work load, and sharing the responsibility to ensure that needed work gets done efficiently and correctly.

DATSUN SWAP MEET

The Datsun Roadster Association (DRA) organized an All-Datsun Swap Meet on the museum grounds on June 28. CMFT volunteers joined with volunteers for the DRA while people with Datsun parts to swap turned out to make the day a success. Another Swap Meet is planned for next year.

BRITISH & EUROPEAN CAR MEET

The museum will be the site of the 4th annual British and European Car Meet on Sunday, September 13. Hosted by the Old English Car Club and Registry, it is sponsored this year by Wilkinson’s Automobilia.

Car club members bring out their roadable, rare and always interesting cars for the enjoyment of the general public, and to enjoy a relaxing day.

The museum runs the food booth and arranges for special features such as an aerobatic display, fly pasts and helicopter rides (weather permitting) for the enjoyment of the participants and the public. Admission $4 Adult, $3 Youth $10 Family

Top left to lower right: V.P.-Bill Thompson, Volunteer Co-Ordinator. Carol Morelll, “Everything” Volunteer – Norah Klett, Photo Collection Volunteer-Colin Hamilton, Restoration (Waco CF-CCW) Volunteer- Chuck Haigh

ALL NISSAN INTERNATIONAL MEET

This is the 2nd annual meet sponsored by the Datsun Roadster Association and the 510 Club. All models of Nissan and Datsuns are invited to display or attend, and the general public is welcome.

Admission is $4 Adult, $3 Youth, $10 Family for the general public and $5 for exhibitors.

Food service, parking, an aerobatic display. flypasts and helicopter rides (weather permitting) are planned.

HOMESITE SAGA

It has been 21 years since the idea of a BC lower mainland aviation and transportation museum was germinated. It has been 15 1/2 years since the first request for assistance in providing a homesite for the collection(s) from the British Columbia government was made. It has been 5 years and 4 public hearings since the process of obtaining permission from the Agricultural Land Reserve to re-establish on the Colebrook Road 176th St (Pacific Highway, south of Cloverdale) property was instigated, and 2 years since it was received. It has been 3 years since a joint appeal to all three levels of government was made to assist with construction of buildings and site preparation. It has been 3 years since the BC Transportation Museum was set up (at great expense to the taxpayer) and 3 months since its demise.

During all that time, we have, in effect, got nowhere. A succession of politicians mouthed platitudes and express their (verbal) support, while actually giving nothing, or worse still, actively establishing (as in the case of the Transportation Collection in 1978 or so, and the BC Transportation Museum) new, competing organizations. During that time, the economy was sound, and development money was available. Not so now. Disappointing, frustrating, and discouraging, to say the least.

When it was announced that the BC Transportation Museum would close, a great hue and cry arose, and the media decried the terrible thing that was about to happen to the BCTM. CMFT’s suggestions that the sensible and practical course would be to combine the collections on the homesite reserved for the CMFT were blatantly ignored to the point that those of our members and supporters who wrote to their political representatives supporting this view, all received a form letter “thanking them for their support of the BC Transportation Museum”!

Proof that politicians read their mail!

The Committee to Save the BC Transportation Museum, which has all the earmarks of becoming yet another level of bureaucracy is proposing (basically) that the BC Transportation Museum be saved at all costs, at its present location in downtown Cloverdale, and has the support of Surrey Council. If indeed that location is chosen, a more impractical use of taxpayer dollars could hardly be imagined. Rumour has it that the CMFT’s collection would be included at the downtown Cloverdale site. We wonder where, when the present parking lot is now inadequate to take the numbers of cars that we accommodate on our present site for our special events, and the buildings (which realistically have a fairly short life-span) are already full? What about the all-important airstrip? Airplanes take up considerably more space than cars, but have the potential, if special events and exhibitory are properly managed, to be a major tourist attraction at a combined facility.

Are we invisible? Does not our track record of survival in the face of very high odds for over 15 years mean anything? Do they ignore us because we are self-sufficient (sort of) and they only respond to those who waste taxpayer dollars? What can we do to get ourselves and the very good ideas for growth and self-sufficient operation noticed?

To be sure, CMFT has received, and we are grateful for, Job Creation grants from the Federal and Provincial governments over the years. These were used to restore aircraft, to organize our library and computer system, but no operating money has ever been received from any government source. CMFT has had to support itself the best way it can, and to continually adapt to the times and conditions. While we manage to exist on a day to day basis, we cannot accumulate, without assistance or a really great fund raising idea, enough money to effect a move on to the Colebrook road site. We have no choice but to keep plugging away as best we can, and, in the face of recent developments to seriously look elsewhere for a homesite.

There is one (small) consolation: Since we get no money from government, it can’t be taken away! The museum’s collection belongs to its members.

NEW BOOK GUIDE TO THE COLLECTION

With the help of Jerry Vernon and Rose Zalesky, and summer student Tony Chan on Desktop, we finally have a third revision of the very popular “Guide to the Collection” booklet, which has been out of print since 1987.

It is 105 pages, with a page dedicated to each airplane or major artifact in our collection. It lists what we know about each aircraft, a general description of the type, and in some cases a 3-view. A photo of each is included (where one is available), either of the aircraft in its present state, when it was in its glory, or, in the case where the aircraft is disassembled, damaged, or incomplete, of a similar type.

To save cost, the first run of 100 copies is being photocopied rather than printed, and will sell for $6.95. If quality is acceptable, the next “press run” will be the same, as will the price. If quality suffers, the next run will be printed and the price will have to go up to $8.95. Either way, its a great little book that all members will enjoy.

Phone or send in your order, and include an extra $2.00 for postage. Pay by cheque, money order, Visa or Master Card. Better yet, drop by and pick it up in person.

“PIONEERING AVIATION IN THE WEST” BOOK ⚫ REALLY COMING!

The official word from Hancock House, the publishers for the Museum’s book based on interviews with B.C. aviation pioneers is that the book will be included in the Fall printing, and on the shelves for Christmas, ’92.

Archie Fraser and the 3 Hasegawa museum quality models he has built for the museum.

It has been a long time coming. The writing was accomplished over a period of nearly five years-sporadically, and the rest of the time it has been at the publishers awaiting actual printing.

It is soft cover, with over 330 pages and 150 photos. Please bear with us. It will be worth the wait, so please keep your orders coming in. The book is bigger than anticipated, printing and distribution costs have gone up, and it will sell for $23.95, but we are offering it at the SPECIAL PRE-PUBLICATION PRICE of $18.95 plus $1.33 GST. If to be mailed, add another 1.72 for a total of $22.00. THIS OFFER GOOD ONLY UNTIL NOV. 15, 1992.

sure to leave a Will clearly stating your wishes – the Public Trustee has no heart.

The following thought provoking item appeared on our FAX:

LESSONS FROM GEESE

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates and “uplift” for the bird following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock ads 71% greater flying range than if the bird flew alone.

Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are travelling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly along, and quickly get back into formation to take advantage of the “lifting power” of the bird immediately in front.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go (and be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others).

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.

Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership…with people as well as with geese. We are interdependent on each other.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

Lesson: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging…and not something else.

When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again, or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation, or catch up with the flock.

Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

A SMALL PROBLEM OF IDENTIFICATION

by Jack Meadows

That the Anson on the cover of the Museum of Flight’s fall news letter is called a Mk.II instead of a Mk.I was obviously a typographical error. No- one could mistake that spread of windows and the engine cowlings with bumps over cylinder heads.

But aircraft recognition, particularly in war, has always been a problem. And in Desert Storm US and British Army battle casualties were apparently greater from the attentions of US aircraft than from all other sources put together.

In 1939 aircraft recognition was treated in a fairly basic and not very serious way. Some early mistakes changed things. Hampdens were mistaken for Dornier 217’s and shot down, as were Blenheims for Ju88’s, Hurricanes and Spitfires for Me 109’s, by our own aircraft, sometimes in the heat of battle, sometimes almost in cold blood. That made us take the subject much more seriously.

The Royal Observer Corps became experts perhaps before the air force did. Dozens of scale models hung in pilot’s crew rooms. Silhouettes were displayed on the walls, and aircrew were tested on split second flashes of silhouettes on a screen. Air Cadets became really expert.

Anti-Aircraft tended to shoot at everything, with some justification. Throughout the war all allied Navies shot at sight. There was a story of a Catalina which escorted a convoy all day only to be shot down by it just as it was time to go home.

It was said that on the introduction into 2nd TAF in 1944 of the Hawker Tempest II (with radial engine it looked somewhat like a FW 190) there was a total cease fire ordered along part of the allied lines while Tempest II’s flew up and down to be noted and earmarked as friendly. Next day the US army in the same place shot down two (complete with the distinctive black and white underwing ‘invasion’ stripes).

In the turmoil of the battle it was often difficult not to make mistakes. At night it was harder still. Of course a bomber tail-gunner over Germany the organization, Lori Cockerill, who “ran” one of the booths, John Clark who did the bulk of the banking, Bill Thompson, who, as the “runner” for the busy booth practically crippled himself carting in supplies and whose truck was used for hauling, and to all the volunteers who gave of their time and expertise. Your help is much appreciated.

Snoopy and the Red Baron-part of the entertainment at Wings & Wheels Canada 125

WINGS & WHEELS ’92 BEST YET

The 11th Annual Wings & Wheels, held this year on July 11th and 12th was the usual great success. This year, thanks to the 15th Field Artillery and the Military Vehicles Club, we had tents that did not leak. There were fewer organizations represented, including the last- minute defection of the Military Vehicles Club who went to an event in the U.S. instead. There were a number of new displays including Bill Thompson’s unusual and rare Navy N3N-3 on a single floats, and a gyrocopter. Lots of great cars were on display, and the weather was great.

The air displays were the best ever, and included great competition aerobatic displays by Guido Lepore and Terry McEvoy, flypasts by the Canadian Warbirds and Western Warbirds, the R.A.A.C., Joerg Klant’s Gyrocopter flight display. Neil Holmes in the Chipmunk, and even a 3 pass flypast by Bill Lamberton in the Vampire jet. Other aircraft flew by from time to time, making for an exceptionally enjoyable day.

Our own food booth was put back in operation for this year’s events. We tried contracting out the food service in 1991, but the drop in revenue has convinced us that we should continue to do it ourselves. (Still needed is a gas deep fryer to make it work well). Thanks to the Hudak family for making two manageable sized barbecues out of the museum’s giant and unwieldy monster.

Eileen Kapty and Diane Sanders supervised_the children’s play area. Face painting, colouring sheets and bubble blowing were the order of the day. Snoopy and the Red Baron performed to the delight of young and old alike, and the BC Tel Pioneers orchestra played “big band” music.

Bill Thompson flew his Navy N3N-3 down for display at Wings and Wheels. Getting it in and out of the river is a major undertaking involving a rented crane.

President Jerry Vernon pitches in to help prepare for Wings & Wheels.

There were lots of door prizes provided by local merchants, while the main prizes were a trip for two to Reno from Maverick Tours Ltd, a half-hour helicopter ride from Capital/Westland Helicopters, a sight seeing tour for two from Harbour Air, and Terry Elgood gave a ride in his Tiger Moth.

Parking was handled in the usual efficient manner by 746 Cloverdale Squadron Air Cadets. A very special thank you to them all. They did a great job.

Wings & Wheels is an excellent community event and promotional vehicle, and is becoming better known. The co-operation of the media by providing free promotion for the event, St. John Ambulance, who, year after year, provide a manned First Aid Post is much appreciated. Several different permits are needed for an event of this scope, and the museum has always enjoyed great cooperation from the District of Surrey, the Boundary Health Unit, the Surrey Fire Department and the R.C.M.P. A thank you also to our neighbours, who have to put up with the inconvenience of heavy traffic on Crescent Road.

VISITOR NUMBERS DOWN

Daily visitor attendance is down dramatically. In 1988 we had about 17,000 visitors, including some 7,000 who came for special events only. The count for 1991 was down to 9,000, including 4,432 special events attendees. The season has less than 6 weeks to run, although there are still two more special events.

Why? Possibly because in 1988 admission fees were lower, perhaps there is less tourism promotion this year, or maybe because so many people still confuse us with the Transportation Museum in Cloverdale, and think that we are closed, too. Perhaps there isn’t as much money around for “extras”, or maybe it’s because we have no money to advertise. Whatever the reason, we must find and fix the problem. Like it or not, we must find ways to continue to support ourselves. We do not have the luxury of grants and government support, a situation unlikely to change.

“WALKMAN” TOUR GUIDE

The take-along 30 minute electronic tour guide has very successful, and is offered adult visitors at no extra charge. The tape is produced by Insight Tours, the same people who make the tapes for the Royal B.C. Museum, the Museum of Anthropology, Science World and a growing list of other major attractions.

It is professionally narrated, includes background music. The taped guides you though the exhibits, adding human interest items and historical notes not mentioned on the information sighs. It really adds to the visit. Copies of the tour tape are available for sale at $9.95 each.

LOWER ADMISSION FEES FOR ’93

Rates for 1993 will be $3 Adult (age 16 up), $2 Youth (age 6-15), $10 Family (2 adults and up to 4 kids), Under 6 free. Walkman tour guide will be included with adult admission.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SKYROCKET A JOY

Bill Rooney, Beloeil, Quebec, writes:

During the years 1965 and 1966 I had the great pleasure of flying a wonderful old airplane called a Bellanca Skyrocket, CF-DCE.

I was leafing through a book in a bookstore the other day and to my amazement I found a very fine-printed footnote stating that one Bellanca Skyrocket remained intact and could be seen at the “Museum of Flight” of British Columbia.

I am a captain for Air Canada but flying the Bellanca beat everything I’ve flown so far.

(Editor’s note) The Museum did indeed have the loan of Bellanca Skyrocket CF-DCE for some years, but was dropped when the museum acquired Skyrocket CF-DOH. The badly damaged remains of Skyrocket CF-DOH, which we hope to someday restore at least to static display condition. It, along with many of the airplanes in the collection is not available for viewing. Sorry.)

DeHavilland Mosquitos at Kapuskasing, Ont. WWII

CMFT photo #205.23, Don Campbell Collection

LOTS OF CONTROVERSY

Ron Hunt’s article “They Did Not Grow Old” which appeared in the Fall, 1991 newsletter created a storm of controversy. A few readers took the trouble to write:

A MAGNIFICENT ACHIEVEMENT

Jack Meadows, Surrey, BC writes:

It was sad to read “They Did Not Grow Old” (CMFT 1991 Fall newsletter: no.39), with its grossly distorted picture. Something very strange ‘must lie behind the bitterness that oozes from every paragraph. Whatever that was cannot justify all those half truths and incorrect statements.

Anyone connected with those years, or who has read a reasonable selection of relevant history. will already have seen how wrong the article was. Others must immediately be assured it is neither a fair nor a correct record. The RAF and Allied Air Forces were nothing like the class-ridden incompetently led and fear-ridden shambles using inferior equipment that the article suggests.

The yellow-press knows well how difficult it is to rebut snide half- truths and innuendo. Here the welter of unsubstantiated broad accusations are accompanied by enough patent inaccuracies for the whole article to be shown up as a mockery of the facts. This must be done to put the record straight and give proper honour and respect to all those involved in the magnificent achievements of the War in the Air, 1939-45, the respect and honour which the article appears to try to destroy. “90% of eager applicants (for aircrew) were rejected” it says. There is no basis for this absurd exaggerated figure.

“Navigation aids could often be detected by enemy fighters”. The reference must be mainly to Monica and H2S. The immense early advantages they gave us were certainly later partly nullified by enemy developments, although H2S was used effectively right up to the end. But this was just one aspect of the secret war of burgeoning early electronic knowledge, where first one side has an advantage, then the other, but where in 1939-45 in fact the allies were most of the time well ahead.

“Blenheim, Hampden and Wellington” (why no mention of Whitleys) “were almost as fast as the Lancaster”, just carried less bombs. A considerable overstatement in each case and with no mention of the very important range advantage. And why criticize bomber leaders mentality for wanting bomb carrying capacity when that is what bombers are for?

The Commonwealth Air Training Plan is criticized as providing qualifications that were only marginally helpful on operations. That is absurd; the CATP purpose was mainly to teach men to fly. Operational Training Units later taught how to apply flying skills to war. Even then (ask any soldier or sailor) nothing can prepare a man fully for the real thing, except the real thing. In the end we all have to learn the hard way.

“Until 1943 the Germans held a performance advantage in both planes and pilots” is just not true; some planes were better, more were worse (but remember ‘horses for courses’); their pilots were on average certainly no better.

“The Spitfire was able to survive only because it operated over its own country, had superior radar assistance and 100 octane American gasoline” is absurd rubbish. That gasoline was specified by and contracted for by RAF before the war, and then denied it by a neutral US until some half-way through the Battle of Britain. For the rest, just ask anyone who flew Spitfires in France before the Battle of Britain, or later in sweeps gaining air superiority over N.W.Europe in 1942/3, or in the Middle East, or in France after Overlord.

“What was important to (the pre-war RAF) was the school they had attended, their class, family history and wealth, preferably a private income, and prowess at sports”. Who seriously denies the value of sports in physical fitness, team-work, tactical training, developing guts and stamina. The rest of the statement is patently absurd. In fact pre-war Air Force officers were renowned for being a mixture of all classes, (and commonwealth countries), very few from private schools or ‘the upper crust’ and almost none with any private income.

To compare the RAF (and later USAAF) operational tour system unfavourably with the German system is like the proverbial chalk and cheese. And it is disgraceful to suggest our Bomber crews were so scared they all wet their beds every night.

That Churchill deliberately got relief for RAF fighter airfields in the Battle of Britain by ordering Berlin to be bombed so that Hitler would then order the Luftwaffe to attack only London in retaliation, is a laughable misinterpretation of the facts.

“German war production was not seriously affected by Allied bombing until the American raids escorted by fighters in the summer of 1944”. Again not true, as reference to Goebbels and Albert Speer’s reports, as well as German production records, inter alia, shows clearly.

“The RAF was really two separate forces (Bomber and Fighter Commands), each almost in conflict with the other” is the sort of ignorant criticism that simply does not stand up. Of course every commander strives to get the best for his team, as did also Training and Coastal Commands, Tactical Air Forces in Africa (later Italy) and UK (later France, to say nothing of the Navy and Army. It is for the Air Staff (and the political masters) to keep the balance, in line with strategic needs.

In fact our fighters (although originally designed only as interceptors) regularly escorted bombers into France and the Low Countries but had inadequate range- even with long range tanks – to go to Germany. General worldwide belief had been that long range was only possible with unacceptable loss of fighting ability. It took the magnificent Mustang (originally produced to meet a RAF specification) late in the war to overcome this problem.

The statement that “Hitler forbade” Luftwaffe intruder attacks on our bomber bases because “it was important for German Morale that the shot down bombers should be visible to the citizens” is so full of holes as to be laughable.

RAF commanders are criticized for lacking operational experience, when in fact the senior officers all had distinguished WW1 records-and could hardly have WW2 experience until the war was well under way. They are then castigated for having been blooded in WW1 with “press on regardless”.

There is no need to go on through the article, paragraph by paragraph. Enough evidence has already been given to show the whole piece is a travesty of the facts.

War is never pretty or comfortable or nice. People at all levels on both sides get frightened, get killed, make mistakes. No-one suggests the RAF and allied airforces and their equipment were perfect, always cleverer than and superior to the Luftwaffe. To do the opposite, imply we were a bunch of scared incompetents inadequate aircraft, and led by equally incompetent but blood-thirsty idiots with no regard or concern about their men, no regrets or sorrows about casualties, makes one wonder who won. It is not only a disservice to everyone who took part, at whatever level, but is stooping to the level of the gutter press.

“They Did Not Grow Old” should be clearly marked as fiction lest others later are misled. They must realize who alone in the Western Democratic world for so long held out successfully against Nazism, whose air forces then for several years were the only force taking the war to Germany and tying up an immense part of its efforts in defence; and who then played a major part in its defeat. It was truly a magnificent achievement.

MORE OF THE SAME, PLEASE

Leslie M. Knibbs of Surrey writes:

Congratulations on printing Ron Hunt’s story in the Fall ’91 newsletter. It is very interesting, especially to ex-Airforce people such as this writer. More of this type of story, please.

In this connection, I would like to hear from anyone who is ex-RAF and was trained at any of the British Flying Training Schools in the USA during WWII, especially #5 BFTS in Clewiston, Florida.

Leslie M. Knibbs, 11065 147A St, Surrey, BC, V3R 3W1.

A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER?

Terry Goodwin, of Thornhill, Ontario writes:

Your pleas for help in your Fall 1991 issue may be well taken and I hope it i responded to by those closer. Enclosed is my cheque for $50 for the Hampden. I took my first operational flight in one to Dusseldorf in July 1942.

The real reason for writing however is the disappointing article by Ron Hunt “They Did Not Grow Old”. Much of what he reports is valid, but I do not understand why he has a chip on his shoulder.

You have an excellent local author in Walter Thompson, a lawyer from New Westminster, BC. His book “Lancaster to Berlin” is mandatory [reading on the matter]. He flew on 106 starting just as I was finishing on 61 on the same station.

I was one of those Americans who joined the RCAF in early 1941 – about 50% at that time for aircrew. I got my first flight in a Tiger Moth July 15th and then to Harvards at No. 6 EFTS, where I got my wings on December 5, 1941. I spent Christmas of ’41 in Halifax in a blizzard and then had almost 3 years with the RAF Bomber Command. I flew Oxfords, Hampdens, Manchesters, Lancs I and II, instructed on Wimpies, and went back to do two tours on Mossies with 692 of 8 Group (not PFF, no guns, all bombs). Home in October, 1944, I was sent to instruct on Libs at Abbotsford.

Hunt complains about leadership. I found it excellent both here in Canada and with the RAF Squadrons. Yes, when instructing on Wimpies I did have to test and once or twice wash out the permanent force senior types that came from overseas because they could not cope with the type of flying we had to do, but that had nothing to do with leadership. Almost all of the Operational flight commanders and Squadron Leaders had a tour under their belt by the time I saw them in the fall of ’42. They were fine types. I was lucky, I got 5 trips in with other senior crews before I took a Lanc myself. The loss rate was about 5% per trip, so after 10 trips you had used up 50% of your chances. After 20 trips you had used them all up, yet the tour was 30. There was no compulsion that I knew of to do 30 trips. It was a sort of blackmail on the civil population if they could not look forward to getting “Johnny” home at some time. By 30 trips, most of us were “on our knees” anyway and needed the “rest” of instructing.

I was less than 6 months from Tiger to Wings and operational a year after my first Tiger Moth flight. The training was good, and appropriate. Sure, one learned the hard way. Certainly, crews were lost and one could not know when it would be your own turn-that was the tough part, the really tough part.

When Ron talks about the US 8th Airforce and the fighter escorts as opposed to Bomber Command at night, he is comparing apples to oranges. First, day or night it was often impossible to see the target because of weather or industrial haze or indeed smoke camouflage-therefore the Pathfinder system. Second, when full mastery of the air over Germany was gained at about the time I finished in September, 1944, the main force bombers were sent out in daylight to the Ruhr. I had just landed from a trip to Berlin – my last – when all the aircraft were refuelled and sent out right away to drop “window” in the Ruhr ahead of the main force IN DAYLIGHT. It was strictly a matter of getting enough long range fighters in place to take care of the German airflelds as well as protect the bomber streams. The Americans paid dearly very dearly every time they went beyond fighter protection and that was right from the beginning. Their loss rate at the time I was flying was just over twice ours and their tour therefore at 25 trips was nigh impossible to complete.

The comment on the RAF between the wars is cynical and unnecessary. Certainly these men became the very best of leaders those that survived and enough did survive.

RAF night bombers were weak on attacks from below. All the Lancs that I flew had the basic structure for a mid under turret; there just was not a good enough one designed and available at the time. Some Lanc Ils were so equipped but it seemed to do little good. A dark night is a dark night. Starting in June, 1943, Gerry gradually introduced JU88’s with vertical cannon behind the pilot seat. I did not know of that exact design in wartime. In fact, it was many years later that I read about it while sitting in a barber’s chair. It shook me even then. A radar receiver for Gerry airborne sets did become available in 1944. I even got one on my Mossies during that summer – it was a great help.

By all reason, Germany should have given up after the Hamburg raids in the summer of ’44. That Hitler was a madman is no reflection on the RAF. The proof seems to be that although more people were killed in the fireboming on Tokyo, the immensity of the atomic bomb did show them quickly that the best road was to end the war quickly.

The comment on the London raids by Germany is not quite right. It has been well documented and even shown in part of a film. Gerry bombed the London docks almost in error at least the crew had been instructed not to. Churchill DID order Berlin attacked and the war did escalate. Ron forgets all about Warsaw and Rotterdam. The best guess is that Gerry was losing too many aircraft in daylight raids, be they on airfields or what, that a switch to night was mandatory. At that time, there were few or no RAF defences against night time attack. Ron does a disservice to the [RAF] and to our friends who flew with the RCAF-RAF. It was a total war. The man or woman on the production line was as important as the soldier in the trench or the airman. Yes, we did have to go back time and time again to industrial targets because of the blast walls [the Germans had installed] between machines to limit damage.

It is good that Ron quotes Speer on the extent of the ack-ack defences. It was the second front far more than we realized. The comments on fear are well taken, although I am not sure [that fear] itself actually killed. It is a long subject.

AIR TRANSPORT BOOK COMING

Larry Milberry of CanAv Books is preparing another major book “Air Transport in Canada”. He wants to hear from people who have anecdotes to relate or photos to lend relating to the early days of TCA and CPA, the rise of regional airlines in the fifties, airlifts such as the DEW Line, Mid-Canada Line, etc., aerial surveying, RCAF Air Transport Command, etc.

Anecdotes should be in detail with dates, places, correctly spelled names, etc., and photos should be described as carefully as possible. Yarns about aircraft types are also welcomed (eg: DC- 3, C-46, Super Connie, North Star, modern types as well). Bush operations will also be covered.

There is also a need for the loan of photographs showing Vancouver Airport in the mid-1950s (from various angles and heights, ground views of hangars, terminal and flight line, overall aerial views, etc.)

Contact Larry at 51 Balsam Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4E 3B6

QUARTERLY, YOU SAY?

This “quarterly” newsletter appeared only once last year, and this is the first for 1992. There is no lack of news or interesting material to publish; only too much work for one person. Any assistance to help produce this newsletter would be most welcome. We need writers, typists, Desktop publishing (Ventura) and printing assistance. Please call Rose at 535-1115.

SHELTERS FOR EXHIBITS

Visitors often ask why the museum’s best airplanes, such as the Norseman, the Waco INF, the WWI replicas and other fragile types are not on display. The answer is that they were on display, and had to be removed either because they had deteriorated to the point where a complete restoration (again) was needed, because they were rapidly approaching that point, or we couldn’t bear to leave a pristine airplane out in the weather. Visitors are deprived of the pleasure of viewing and photographing these airplanes, but much as we would like to display them, it is not practical.

CGHTY Mooney Mite C-GHIY the newest addition to the museum’s flying aircraft.

While the fund for building a shelter continues to grow slowly, the cost of building the shelter continues to escalate. We still badly need a shelter to hold at least four of the more fragile aircraft now on display, or soon to be on display, but do not have enough money in the fund to start.

Donations of cash are welcome, as are building materials, paint, gravel and blacktop, and of course labour.

MOONEY MITE NEWEST EXHIBIT

A special thank you to Neil Holmes, of Richmond, B.C. who donated his beautifully restored and meticulously maintained Mooney Mite to the Museum last December when he replaced it with a deHavilland Chipmunk. It arrived at the museum in June, when the free hangar storage donated by Laurie Wallace ended. We are very proud to display this outstanding airplane. It is of all wood construction and should not be out in the weather-yet another compelling reason why we must somehow find the funds to build an exhibits shelter.

The Mite was featured on the back of Mini newsletter 39.4, but no credit was given to Neil. Our sincere apologies, Neil.

Following is an excerpt from the “Guide to the Collection” (available for sale In the Museum’s gift shop at $6.95)

The small personal airplane has been the dream of designers since the beginning of aviation.

Al Mooney had been designing aircraft for famous manufacturers such as Travel Air. Beechcraft, Cesna and Culver since the 1920s. In the early 1950s he formed his own company to build the “Mite” (later renamed the “Wee Scotsman”) which was powered by either a 65 hp Continental (Model M-18C) or a 65 hp Lycoming (M-18L).

A tiny, high performance single place airplane, the Mite was geared toward the post WWII business travel market. A typical 220 mile trip took 1.3 hours and cost $4.66, compared to 5.5 hours and $10.56 by car (based on 30c gallon gas in 1954).

The Mite’s small size made it easy to handle and hangar, and its light wooden construction and retractable landing gear gave it amazing performance with a small engine. Even with its high speed, the Mite was a very safe airplane and handled well at 50 mph.

When Mooney introduced the better known four place M20 series, the company was firmly established as a builder of fast, high performance airplanes which, in auto terms, would be equivalent to Corvettes or Porsches.

Mooney is one of the last surviving lightplane builders (as of 1992).

WACO RESTORATION

The Waco AQC-6 restoration project has finally had to be put on hold. After many de-railments, due to our underestimating the scope of the work required and the problems encountered in obtaining parts and information, we simply had to set it aside for a while.

Fred Gardham and Bob Gordon checking the fit of part of the centre section on the Hampden-August 1992.

HAMPDEN PROGRESS

The project has been moved to Jerry Olsen’s new shop in East Vancouver, but Fred Gardham and his small crew carried on with the work through the move. Our sincere appreciation to Jerry and his partner Larry for their continuing support of the project. The space the airplane occupies could certainly be put to revenue producing projects.

Thanks also to lan Morrison who is working up drawings for the airplane, and to Don Dines and Bob Gordon, who help Fred out on a fairly regular basis.

Much more help is needed – it is a huge job. Many people come around offering to help restore airplanes, but because there are no projects planned at the museum in the near future, we always suggest they see Fred. Few do, and of these, only a very few ever actually did more than pay Fred and the project a visit. Fred is extremely knowledgeable and easy to work with. Those of you who really want to work on an airplane please give Fred a call at 681-6886 and offer your help.

FAIRCHILD CORNELL RESTORATION

The next project slated for restoration is the Fleet (Fairchild) Cornell CF-FLY, to be restored to B.C.A.T.P. (British Commonwealth Air Training Plan) colours and markings. No decision as to whether this will be done on site or off site as yet, nor has a firm start date been established.

LEARN OFFICE, COMPUTER SKILLS

The Museum needs a part time person to help with computer work, clerking in the gift shop, and general office duties. Hours are flexible, but since there is a lot of training involved, some commitment of fairly regular hours should be made, whether is 4, 6, or more hours twice or three times a week, or whatever fits into your schedule. No experience is necessary, but typing (50 wpm) is required.

Preference is for a volunteer to take on the job, or money might be found to pay a Grade 12 or university student.

Phone Rose at 535-1115

The Tiger Moth gleams after its first wax job in two years. The Moth was only one of the airplanes that received a much needed bath and wax by this great crew.

ADOPT AN AIRPLANE PROGRAM

The Adopt An Airplane program has been in effect for some years, but response has been disappointing. Occasionally, someone expresses an interest in adopting a pet airplane, but almost never follows through. No sponsors have come forward to fund the paid care of an airplane, although all agree it is a worthwhile effort.

For those who are not aware of the program, and a reminder for those who are, this is how to become involved:

PHYSICAL CARE PROGRAM

Choose an airplane that is on exhibit and keep it washed. clean and waxed. This requires more than one day a year but is not hard work..

SPONSOR CATEGORY

Make one time or regular donations of cash to purchase supplies and hire students to keep exhibit aircraft in good displayable condition. Tax deductible receipts issued for donations over $10.

The informational signs near the aircraft also include the names of donors and sponsors.

RESTORATION FUND PROGRAM

Each aircraft has its own special fund which earns interest towards the time that the money is needed for restoration or repair. Some of these aircraft are on display, while others are stored until there is enough money in the fund to begin restoration or repair.

Tax Deductible Receipts are issued.

EXHIBIT MAINTENANCE WORKBEES

Just about when we thought nobody cared that the exhibit airplanes got very few baths and no waxes in 1991, and that 1992 was going to be a repeat, a work crew of 7 people was organized, and several airplanes were washed and polished during one Saturday in August. The following Saturday the team had dwindled to 3 souls, and since then only Ron McWilliams has turned up regularly.

Come on, persons, (dare not say guys and gals). lets keep up the good work. There are still lots of airplanes to be cleaned, and those that were done will get dirty again. Workbees are every Saturday from 9:30 til about 3:30. Please don’t wait to be called pick up the phone and call 535-1115 to offer your help, or send your donation in any amount and indicate which aircraft you want to support.

How about someone taking on the task of organizing these workbees? It takes a lot of phoning-volunteers need to be asked – but the few people in the office have their hands full and cannot spare the time.

Volunteer Larry Niven and summer student Tony Chan labelling books in the library. Tony and fellow student Lisa Barrett did a great job this summer.

AVIATION MAGAZINE BONANZA!

The Museum has accumulated thousands of aviation magazines, some dating back to the early 1930’s. Volunteer(s) are needed to sort them and ensure that any gaps in our own collection are filled. The remainder can then be offered for sale or trade to help build the permanent library or other urgent need.

The following item is gleaned from a late 1991 “Friends of the RAF Museum” newsletter, and applies to the CMFT as well:

ACCESS TO MUSEUM AIRCRAFT

Probably, over the years, one of the most frequently-asked questions about the aircraft displayed at Hendon is “please can we get on board?” The answer, as many of you will know is NO. This may seem a little hard at times, but the reason is a very good one.

During 1991 it was necessary to carry out a survey of the aircraft on display, so as to establish their condition and to plan for future work that will ensure their long-term well being. It was, perhaps, not surprising that some aircraft were found to have suffered as a result of numerous pairs of feet having walked through or having been placed in their cockpits. Of course, none of the damage was in any way deliberate, or the result of carelessness it was, if you like, erosion from over-exposure. Mindful of the requirement to preserve the aircraft for the benefit of many generations to come, the Museum concluded that no access can be permitted except to the very limited number of people who are involved in maintenance and restoration work on the aircraft concerned.

HUSKY AT YELLOWKNIFE

The great photo (see below) of the museum’s Fairchild Husky CF-EIM was taken in approximately 1947 at Yellowknife, NWT.Photo donated to the museum by Orval Carbin

Note the original equipment two bladed propeller and 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine. The museum’s Huskys both have been modified to take the 545 hp Alvis Leonides engine, which greatly improved its performance.

Since the firewall forward was severely damaged, we are looking for a P&W 450 Wasp Jr. to convert it back to original configuration.

DONATIONS

The Museum gratefully acknowledges the receipt of the following donations of cash, goods and services received since publication of our last newsletter, and covering the period October 5, 1991 through July 30, 1992 (TR4406 – TR4796).

Other donations have been donated during this time, but are awaiting sorting or evaluation, and will be acknowledged in the next newsletter.

LARGE ARTIFACTS Woodworth, Harmon Zalesky, Ed & Rose Board of Canada Air Cadet Sqn New Westminster Bain, William J. Hornsby, Cathy Kenton, Morris Bowles, Stan BOOKS, MAGAZINES, Klainchar, Ed Cooper, Astley Devisser, John LOGS, BROCHURES MEMORABILIA Klett, Inky & Norah Krywiak, Ron Glenn, Mr. & Mrs. R. Ad Astra Books Lalonde, R.J. (Bob) Lawrence, Michael Gordy, Steve Grove, Stan Air BC Alexander, Lorraine Lundstrom, Dean Halpenny, Eric L. Appling, George Mackenzie, Ross Mary Jayne’s Railroad Hampton, Bert Holmes, C.G. Assaf, Bob Barnes, John Barry, Doug Begg, Mrs. Don Specialties Inc. McComb, Norm McConaghy, K. Brian Kerr Krywiak, Ron Lawson, Wilf Lindair Belcher, Ruport Blakey, Richard McKeachie, Jim McRae, H.V. Mackenzie, Steve Boeing Aircraft Company Brooks, Robert Merrikin, Shirley Rankine, N. Moreau, David Stevens, Frank Burnaby Hobbies Morrison, lan Watson, Basil & Chris Yuill, Gordon & Colleen Burns, Ed Morrow, John Niven, Larry Burrell, Basil Canada’s Aviation Hall No.6 RCAF Bomber Group SMALL ARTIFACTS of Fame Norman, R.O. Nose Art Anderson, Evelyn Canadian Aviation Biscoe, Roy Historical Society Cards of Knowledge Nuttall, John Oliver, Berna & Frank Broese Van Groenov, Arnold Carswell, Ernie CFB Shearwater Palmer, Frank Clark, John Champniss, Murray Clark, John Papenfus, John Pequis Publishers Clark, Peter J. Drinkwater, T. Enns, Edward CMFT Giftshop Plaiston Pictorial Danyluk, Ken Polynynas Press Johnston, Grant Jones, Harold Dick, Pressman, Saul Dundern Press Protherg, Dr. Bert Lannon, Walter Dupont, Gordon Rankin, Doug Logan-May, Bunny Maskell, Mark Fane, Roly Reed, Ernie & Ruby Flea Market Rideout, Samuel McCuaig, A.L. McRae, H.V. Frankish, Richard Rowell, F.N.A. Gale, R.E. Rozen, Ed Papenfus, John Garcia, Richard Sambrooke, Donna Prothero, Bert Rankin, Doug Jr. Gatey, Mike Schreiden, Claudette & Raoul Gerow, Earl Sesia, David Rideout, Samuel Gibson, Jack Swain, Skolleborg, Jens Goudreau, E. UBC Library c/o Graham Turvey, Jack VanDoren, Clay Gov’t of Canada Veterans Elliston Affairs Unitrade Associates Vernon, Jerry Vogel, Eric Graham, Keith Vernon, Jerry Graves, Ted Vintage Video Wilkes, Bing Wilson, George A. Hampton, Bert War Museum Historic Sites & Monuments Warner, A.M. Page 18 Ken Tony

Spencer, Maxwell PHOTOS, PRINTS, VIDEOS, AEROPHILATALY Abbotsford Air Show Society Aerodrome Press Airplane Supply Center Blair, Alex Blakey, Herb Blakey, Richard Blue Heron Films Bray, Harry Braddell, E.S. Craven, H.M. Drinkwater, T. E.L.T. Sales Ferland, Michael Horton, Tim Kidd, Arnold McBurnie, Frank McLeod, Mr. & Mrs. E.W. Reed, Ernie & Ruby Zalesky, April Irving. British Ceremonial Burns, Ed Butchart, Mrs. M. CMFT Giftshop Connor, Peter Cruickshank, Ryan Desmazes, Michael Drinkwater, T. Eustis, Al Fane, Roly Foster, Ed Francis, Margaret Gardham, Fred Genn, Robert Haigh, Chuck Heakes, Bob Heinemann, Steve Lawrence, Jack Lomcevak, Merch MacGowan, Michael Mary Jayne’s Railroad Specialties Merrikin, Shirley Metcalfe, David Miller, Louis E. Morrison, lan Parry, Michael Powley, Dennis Racy, John & Joan Red Deer Airshow Committee Rempel, Brian Royal BC Museum Sellers, Art Smith, Bill Smith, Lois Stevens, Mark Teague, Bill Thompson, W.A. Vandeyck, Pam Waters, Bill Zalesky, Ed TOOLS, EQUIPMENT, FURNITURE, FIXTURES, CONSUMABLES Alcott, Rod Alnor Landscaping Anderson, Cliff BC Tel Pioneers Bond, Bob Brookfield, Kieth Clark, John Cullen, Harold Delco Fireplaces Dines, Don Geist, Max General Paints Girrard, Dave Hannah, Larry Hooper, Alan E. Horman, Paul Industrial Formulators Jarvis, Fred Klett, Norah & Inky Krywiak, Ron Meadows, Jack Morrison, lan Parsons, L.D. Powley, Dennis Quirk, Bill Dr. Martin Rolls, Don Ryan, Gene Shipley, Steve Simpson, Keith Telephone Pioneer Surplus Store Van Humbeck, G. Vernon, Jerry Webb, Harvey Willis, Roy CASH Anderson, G. Edward Barry, Doug BC Heritage Trust Bricklebank, Bernie Carbin, Orval Clark, John Coates, Walter Cook, Dorette Davies, Spencer & Beatrice Farren, Malcolm Fast, Roy Foster, Éd Fraser, Archie Gardham, Edna Gardham, Fred Goodwin, Terry Gordy, Steve Gurry, Dave Hampton, Bert Arthur Kamm, Richard & June Kenney, Harold Klett, Norah & Inky Langford, Mike Logan, Jeff MacDougall, Mr. G. Mackenzie, Ross Malo, Paul Meadows, Jack Moffoot, A.G. Morelli, Carol Morrison, lan Neldig, Mel Niven, Larry Orphan, Mel Pickup, Dr. Jack Pilgrim, Robert Pirozek, Matt Priebe, Eckehart Rowntree, Susan & Steve Sanderson, Victor Simpson, Fred Skeher, Peter Spilsbury, Jim Stevens, Marc Tarnowsky, Mars TECF Telephone Employees Community Fund Thompson, Wilma Tobias, Cyril Trott, J. Vernon, Jerry Wallace, Kenneth Watson, Basil & Chris Webb, Harvey Page 19 UNIFORMS, MEDALS, TROPHIES, CRESTS Aerowear Air BC Barnes, John MODELS, PLANS, DRAWINGS MAPS Blair, Alex Cedar Creek Trading Post Morrison, lan Rankin, Doug Jr.

SERVICE Air Canada Heakes, Bob Hotel, Brian Narvey, S. & N.

NEW MEMBERS

A warm welcome to the following new members who have joined since the publication of our last newsletter. (#1829- 2073)

A special thank you also to those of you who continue to renew your membership year after year – some for the 15th time.

See elsewhere in this newsletter for membership application and details.

Adams, Robert C. Aerodrome Press Aerophilatelic Federation Air BC, Training & Standards Alcott, Rod Alexander, Lorraine J. Anderson, Evelyn Anderson, Keith Antique Airplane Association Arbuthnot, John R. Assof, Rob Bachand, David & Cathie Ballantyne, Robert Bale, Samuel & Patsy Balzer, Murray Bannister, Gordon Bannister, Kurt Barker, Mrs. Barnes, John R. Basar, Steve, Paula, Paul, Christian Begg, Don Belcher, Rupert Blair, Alex Blakey, H.A. Blakey, Richard Blatherwick, John Bond, Robert G. Bowles, Stan Braddell, E.S. Brandlmayr, Patricia Brett, Anthony H. Brookfield, Keith Brown, John Brown, M.J. Brown, Robert Bruce, Jim Burke, Brian Butchart, Margaret Carbin, Orval W Carey, Robert I. Carolsfield, Wolfgang. & Darlene Carswell, Ernie Jr. Cave, Tom Cedar Creek Trading Chapple, Gerry Chol, Y.S. Clark, Peter J. Claxton, Arthur C. Cliffe, Jim Climo, Ben Connor, Peter N. Cooper, Astley Coutts, John Couvreur, Victoria Crosse, John A. Cullen, Harold Dalton, Mathew Davies, Frederick G. Delco Fireplaces Ltd. Delta Cable Television Demazes, Michael Dick, Oly Drinkwater, T. Dundurn Press Duthie, James W. Edwards, Harold Emery, Ralph Enns, Edward Eppler, Albert Evans-Davies, Robert & Ruth Fairlane Fire Prevention Fane, Roly Fawkes, George Fenby, Glen Fenwick, Ed Fleet Club, The Franklin, Brian Freiman, Warren Gardiner, Bill Gartner, Frank Gaudreau, Ernest Gawler, Robin Geist, Max General Paint Genn, Robert Gibson, Jack Globbe, Michael Glenn, Mr. & Mrs. Gordon, Scott Graham, Keith Graves, Ted Green, Bill Goodwin, Terry Grove, Stan Guy, John C. Habgood, Nigel, Mathew, Khara, Liz Haigh, Charles (Chuck) Halpenny, Eric L. Hannah, Larry Hansen, Julie Harris, Fred Harris, S.E. Heinemann, Stephan, Gwyn, Graig, Lynda Heuring, Derek Hiscocks, Richard Hobbs, E.W. (Ted) Horman, Paul G. Horton, Tim Industrial Formulators of Canada Insight Tours Irving, Arthur Jagger, A.G. Jervis, Fred Johnson, Grant & Sharon Jones, Harold Jordan, Dan, Jamie, Chris, Amanda Justensen, Henry Kamm, Richard Kandalov, Andrew I. Kaysser, Norbert Kendall, Jamie Kenton, M. Kerr, John Kibble, Gordon Kidd, Arnold Klainchar, Ed Langford, Mike Lassesen, Kenneth Lawrence, Jack Lawrence, Michael Lawson, W. Leaseway Corporation Ltd. Logan-May, Bunny Lundstrom, Dean MacDougall, G. Mackenzie, Steve Mackie, Tom MacLeod, Rod MacLeod, William, Ceinwen, Brenley, Sumari Mahon, Bryan Marchant, Harris Maskell, Mark B. McConaghy, Brian K. McInnis, Nelson Page 20

Moore, Doug Morelli, Carol Morrow, John Morse, Ron Moyle, Barbara Muir, Douglas Murphy, Holly Nadort, Ed A. No.6 RCAF Group Bomber Command Reunion Nuttall, John Oliver, Frank & Berna Ontario Bushplane Heritage Osterby, Nils E. Palmer, Frank Papenfus, John C. Paquette, Andre J. Pedersen, Eldon Perkins, Claudia Phillips, Thomas Pincott, Robert A. Pinz, John Polynyas Press Powley, Dennis Pressman, Saul Priebe, Eckehart Quigg, Frank Quirk, Bill Racey, John & Joan Rankin, Doug G. Jr. Rankine, N. Ray, Martin RCAF Association Ridout, Samuel (Jim) Rolls, Donald A. Roskell, Rick Rowell, Fred Royal Canadian Legion Br.8 Royal Canadian Legion Br.265 Rutledge, Margaret Ryan, Gene Rygnestad, Bjorn Sanderson, Victor J. Saunders, Ken Sawchuk, Edward Sayle, John Scambler, Dale Skolleborg, Jens Shipley, Steve & Shirley Shortridge, Gerald R.H. Silver, Steve Sirman, Bob Smith, Lois Stevens, Jack & Elaine Stevens, Mark Stiekle, Brent Strang, Don Tobias, Cyril H. Trailing, Greg Treadwell, Pat Trerice, Diane Trott, J. Turvey, Jack Vancouver Island Military Museum Van Den Ham, Bert Van Doren, Henry C. Jr. (Clay) Van Groenou, Broese A. Vogel, Erik Walkley, TerryWaters, Bill Wayne, Bob Webb, Harvey Wells, Brian Western Aero Space Museum Ltd. Western Propeller Whipple, Dave White, M.J. Willis, Roy Wilson George A. Wilson-Brown, Paul Wolchock, Sid Woodward, Harmon H. (Wow Designs) Woodworth, Harmon World Airline Historical Soc. Yuill, Gordon & Colleen

VOODOO ARRIVES AT LAST

By Jerry Vernon

After 4 or 5 years of negotiating and waiting, Voodoo 101052 finally arrived at CMFT in early January, somewhat the worse for wear since we first examined her in 1987.

The McDonnell F-101 Voodoo was developed in the early 1950’s, as an outgrowth of the earlier XF-88 Voodoo penetration fighter of 1948. The bombers. Contracts were awarded by Strategic Air Command in mid-1946 for the development of two prototypes each of the McDonnell XF-88 and the Lockheed XF-90 heavy long range. penetration fighter concept was intended to provide long-range escort for the Boeing B-47 jet bombers, in much the same way as the Mustang acted as a “little friend” to the World War II fighters.

The XF-88 first flew on 29 Oct 48, powered by a

pair of 3,000 lb thrust Westinghouse J-34 engines. Although the original 1946 design had called for a straight wing, the revised version that appeared flew with a 35 degree swept wing. Less than 2 months after the first flight, production orders for 239 F-88’s were cancelled, and funds were diverted to the F-86D all weather interceptor. However, following early action in the Korean War, where the unescorted B-29’s were badly mauled by the MIG’s, the program was hastily reinstated in late 1950. The 2nd prototype flew as the XF-88A, with some additional power provided by short afterburners.

After a competition with the XF-90 and also the North American XF-93 (basically an oversized Sabre), the McDonnell design was declared the winner…..but no production order resulted. A 2nd competition, with additional competitors, resulted in another win by the XF-88A, but still there was no money available for production orders until at least late 1951.

The Voodoo arrives at the museum in January, 1992-a big hauling job

By now, it was realized that the F-88A was severely overweight and underpowered, and that it would be obsolete before it was produced. McDonnell Aircraft re-designed the F-88A into the F-101, increasing the power to a pair of 14,500 lb thrust Pratt & Whitney J-57’s, which also upped the speed from a disappointing 641 mph to Mach 1.5. Also, the gross weight increased by nearly 30,000 lbs, to over 52,000 lbs. Several years of refinement and negotiation resulted in a contract in May of 1953 for the first 29 pre-production F-101A’s. Production of the various Voodoo models eventually totalled 807 aircraft, of three basic types…..single seat Strategic Fighter (F-101A and F-101C), single seat Photo Reconnaissance (RF-101Aa and RF- 101C) and the two-seat Interceptor (F-101B and F-101F).

In 1957, an F-101A set an absolute world speed record of 1,207 mph. McDonnell delivered 480 F-101B’s to the USAF, which were used to form 17 home-based interceptor squadrons in 1959 and 1960.

The RCAF and Canadian Armed Forces flew only the two-seater Voodoo, in the interceptor role, including a handful of dual control CF-101F models. The Voodoos were delivered in two batches of 66 aircraft each, plus the unique “Electric Voodoo” high speed electronic counter-measures aircraft leased from the USAF for 414 Sqn. at the end of the Voodoo years. CMFT’s 101052 is one of the dual control CF-101F’s, with an original USAF designation of TF-101B.

The initial batch of Voodoos was obtained by the RCAF In late 1961, as replacements for the CF-100, following the cancellation by the Diefenbaker Government of the Avro CF-105 Arrow interceptor.

Initially, the Ottawa politicians had felt that Canada could be defended by two squadrons of Boeing Bomarc ground-to-air missiles, sited at fixed locations at North Bay, Ontario and La Macaza, Quebec (how about the West, fellows??) After it was too late, and the Canadian aircraft industry had gone down the tube, it was realized that there was still a role in air defence for the manned interceptor. Enter the Voodoo.

The initial 66 Voodoos, consisting of 56 CF- 101B’s and 10 duals, were provided in late 1961 by the USAF at no cost, in exchange for Canada’s financing 16 Pine Tree Radar Line sites. This deal was carried out as “Operation Queen’s Row”. They were equipped to carry two nuclear tipped MB-1 Genie missiles, plus a pair of AIM-4 Falcons. Later, of course, nuclear weapons became politically unacceptable to subsequent Ottawa thinking. These initial 66 aircraft were “slightly used”, although from the final Voodoo production batch of 93 aircraft, and included the very last Voodoo built (RCAF 17483).

Besides the missile armament, the first batch of aircraft was equipped with the Hughes MG-11 fire control system, hooked in by Data Link to NORAD via the SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment).

These 66 aircraft served with five RCAF squadrons…..409 (Comox), 410 (Uplands and Bagotville), 414 (North Bay), 416 (Uplands, Bagotville and Chatam) and 425 (Bagotville). Ten aircraft were lost in Canadian service, and the remainder were “traded in” to the USAF in 1971. Some of the high time ex-CAF Voodoos were scrapped or cannibalized in Arizona, some were re-issued to various Air National Guard units, 22 were converted to RF-101B’s for low level photo reconnaissance (Nevada Air National Guard), while 5 have ended up on display across the U.S.

The deal on the 66 “new” Voodoos was that they were actually older aircraft, but had lower airframe time than the ones that had been flogged around Canadian skies for ten years. They had been in long-term desert storage in Arizona, and were ferried to Bristol Aerospace, at Winnipeg, for conversion to Canadian standards. This exercise was named “Operation Peace Wings”. At Winnipeg, Canadian engines, after-burners, ejection seats, navigation and radio equipment, etc. were swapped between the old and new aircraft, on a one-for-one basis, and the old ones were then flown back to the U.S., where the upgraded Hughes MG-13 fire control system was installed, along with a new autopilot and the infra-red detector ball, located on the upper nose, in place of the air-to-air refuelling probe.

As before, there were 56 new CF-101B interceptors and 10 new CF-101F duals. By 1971, there were only 3 Voodoo bases left…..Comox(409 Sqn.), Chatam (416 Sqn.) and Bagotville (410 and 425 Sqns.). Prior to the operational retirement of the type in 1985, about 18 to 20 were written off in crashes, hangar fires, etc., while a further 9 high-time airframes had been ferried to Mountain View for cannibalization to provide spares. These 9 Voodoos, plus several others sent to Trenton, were intended for Aircraft Battle Damage Repair Training, a fate that also awaited most of the other aircraft after their final flights were made.

Eventually, only the “Electric Voodoo”, plus 101006, a dual for pilot training, remained In service, while virtually every major flying base across the country gained a pair of Voodoos for the Aircraft Battle Damage Repair Training program. Engines, afterburner cans and other critical items were stripped from the grounded Voodoos, and stockpiled at North Bay for the final pair. And then there were none…..the last official Voodoo flight took place in April of 1987, and the all-black ECM Voodoo was returned to the USAF, where it has gone on display, in its Canadian markings, at the Minnesota Air National Guard Museum.

After 1985, three Voodoos remained at CFB Comox. CAF 101057 had been painted as the 2nd “Hawk One” in 1984, for the RCAF’s 60th Anniversary, and it was retained In this scheme for the Comox Air Force Museum’s static display park. In the Spring of 1992, it was repainted and hoisted onto a pedestal at the CFB Comox main gate. CAF 101030 and 101052 languished out on a remote part of the airfield, awaiting the depredations of the Aircraft Battle Damage Repair Training. ABDR Training consisted of using explosive charges to knock holes in obsolete aircraft, and then training the troops how to make field repairs to “keep ’em flying”. Fortunately for the remains of the Voodoo fleet, this program ground to a halt before too much damage had been done to the airframes. CAF 101030 eventually made its last flight, from Comox to Royal Roads Military College, slung underneath a 442 Sqn. Labrador helicopter. This left only ‘052 for disposal, and it was slated for scrapping in 1991.

Voodoo 101052 was built in 1960, as USAF s/n 57-400, the 724th Voodoo built. At this time, It’s USAF history is unknown. As noted earlier, it was one of the 10 dual control alrcraft In the second Canadian batch. However, externally, there is little other than the serial number to differentlate the duals from the regular interceptors, as they were retro-fitted after production with minimal back seat flying controls, and still maintained their full operational mission capability by way of fire control systems and missiles.

Following USAF service, it had been stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, in the Arizona desert. In 1970 or 1971, it was removed from storage, test flown, and ferried to Winnipeg, where the Canadian-owned vital components were swapped out of one of the Initial Canadian batch. It was then ferrled to Ling-Temco-Vought, at Greenville, North Carolina, for Installation of a new radar system, upgraded autopilot, and painting in CAF markings.

101052 was the last of the duals delivered to Canada, and is known to have served with 416(F) Sqn., Chatam, New Brunswick, prior to flying out its remaining days at Comox with the 409 Sqn. “Night Hawks”. A published Illustration of ‘052 shows that it carried out at least one mission of mercy while with 416 Sqn., when it acted as a transport for that old Air Force tradition of a station lobster feast. This role was commorated by a large lobster painted on the dive brakes.

034 CF-101 Voodoo after landing at CFB Comox 409 “Nighthawk” Sqn CAF. CMFT photo 379.22 Brian Burke Collection

101052’s last flight with 409 Sqn. ended up with a bang…..the starboard main gear collapsed, and some minor damage was done to the gear doors, wingtip and rear fuselage. ‘052 was then retired from service, as repairs were not warranted when the Voodoo fleet was nearing the final standdown. No doubt ‘052 became the Comox Hangar Queen, starting a downhill process which has resulted in the fairly empty hulk that now lies at CMFT’s site.

By 1987, CMFT and the folks from the fledgling Comox Airforce Base Museum had begun talking about a swap…..one of the spare Voodoos to CMFT’s two large Vertols. Comox had (and still have) the “hots” for a Vertol, as this type had flown for many years with 121 KU and 442 Sqn., prior to the arrival of the Labradors. Not only that, but Comox would have arranged to carry out swap by air, as a heavy lift helicopter exercise. About the only bad news was that we would probably get the damaged Voodoo (101052), rather than the “good” one, once it had been determined that they were no longer required for ABRD Training. Unfortunately, this was not to be, as the powers-that-be in Ottawa would not allow Comox to carry out this trade with CMFT, nor would they give CMFT a chance to have ‘052 for display. This standoff continued for over 4″ years.

Jerry Van Humbeck and Gary Moonie bring home the Voodoo.

When this writer first inspected ‘052 at Comox in 1987, the aircraft was still assembled, standing on its gear, and in fairly intact shape. Some ABDR Training was then done, but this resulted only minor external cosmetic skin damage. Later, the aircraft was offered to the Abbotsford Air Show Society, but rejected as being “too far gone” for restoration. By late 1991, the rear fuselage and wings had been hacked off, the weapons bay door and numerous small panels had disappeared, and the aircraft was lying on the ground, where it had now become a nuisance and a safety hazard for the Base. Rejecting all of CMFT’s reminders of our ability to “make honey out of bear droppings” (viz: the Hampden restoration, etc.), Ottawa decided that this useless hulk should be sold by Crown Assets as scrap metal and removed from Comox ASAP.

Fortunately, CMFT were able to make the successful bid in late 1991, at minimal scrap metal value, and became the proud owner of several tons of aluminum, titanium, steel and fibreglass. Thanks to the efforts of Jerry Van Humbeck, Gary Moonie and their crews, and some of the CFB Comox personnel, the Voodoo was scraped up, loaded and transported by truck and ferry to Surrey, where it now awaits the next step. Hopefully, before too long, the 4 major pieces will be re-assembled, so that it will stand on its own gear again, while the hunt goes on for the missing pieces. In case you know of any sources at the right price, we are, in particular, looking for a weapons bay rotary door, canopy, ejection seats, afterburner cans, engines, engine cowls, leading edges and just about everything imaginable that goes inside a CF-101B.

TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR DONORS

The Canadian Museum of Flight and Transportation is registered as a Charity with Revenue Canada. It relies on its authority to issue tax deductible receipts to donors as a way of raising funds or acquiring artifacts and other goods.

Your accountant can advise you on how to save tax dollars by giving to the Museum. Why give your money to Ottawa when it can help here?

DONATIONS OF CASH

Eligible for tax-deductible receipt.

DONATIONS OF SERVICES

A construction firm, or other provider of a service product can bill the Museum for labour and materials, and the Museum pays the full amount. The donor can then endorse the payment cheque or issue their own cheque, and receive a tax-deductible receipt for the cheque.

DONATIONS OF GOODS

With a few exceptions, the donor of goods can be issued a tax-deductible receipt for the fair market value of goods – the amount that the item could reasonably be sold to an interested buyer. See note*

CORPORATE DONATIONS

Companies do not need a tax-deductible receipt to write off a gift. They can claim it as a cost of business, usually as promotion expense. This applies to cash, goods and services. The company may wish a receipt, and if they do, it can be issued.

*Note: Potential donors sometimes approach us with items for which they want a small cash amount as payment, or a much larger tax-deductible tax receipt instead. This is illegal and the Museum will not enter into such an arrangement. However, it is possible to receive some cash as part payment by returning a portion of the sale price. For example, if you have an airplane that is worth $10,000, but you can only donate $5,000, and provided that the Museum is in a position to so do, the Museum can pay you the full amount, and you then return $5,000 to the Museum, for which you can receive a tax-deductible receipt.

Excerpted from the Voluntary Action Directorate newsletter, with some additional notes of our own.

TRUST FUND DOUBLES MONEY!

Organizations such as the Vancouver Foundation can match funds donated to an Endowment Fund. Such a fund can grow at an astonishing rate, and help to ensure our future.

To set up an Endowment Fund, we need only to take your initial deposit to a trust company or bank to set up the formalities. The pledged amount need not be large, but it builds up quickly if small amounts come in once or twice a year. regularly.

Consider also about providing for the Museum in your Will, with either a donation to the Endowment Fund (remember the matching grant), or by passing on aviation related items that you may have in your possession.

Discussing your Will and finances is not a popular subject but remember that rarely are a potential donor’s wishes carried out unless specific written instructions are made.

Whatever your decision, and whether or not you plan to provide in some way for the Museum, be

The CMFT’s travelling gift shop visits airshows and other functions to promote the Museum and to raise funds.

MUSEUM GETS OUT

Museum members set up a small display and sales booth at the VANCOUVER AIRLINE EXPO at the Delta River inn on May 23, and at the RENFREW LIONS CLUB MODEL SHOW in Vancouver on June 13.

John Clark, Laila Bird, and other members manned the museum’s portable gift shop trailer at the DELTA AIRPARK FLY-IN on July 4 (rained out), and at LANGLEY AIRPORT DAY on June 20. The museum will also be attending the CHILLIWACK AIRPORT DAY on September 12.

The museum was used as a broadcast site for the noon weather on Channel 8 BCTV Cable 11 with Jennifer Mather this summer, which brought out many new visitors.

The museum and the Hampden were the subject of several articles appearing in British aviation magazines, and more are coming. Wings & Wheels received a good revue in the Peace Arch News, while other papers and radio and television community service ads went out for our special events. Unfortunately, through a mix-up, our spot on Tourism BC’s very powerful “Inside BC” radio tourism promotional program was aired in January, so we missed out on the big boost in attendance it generated when it was aired during the summer of 1991.

John Clark (Mark Zalesky supervising) working on the winters wood supply.

ABBOTSFORD AIR SHOW

This year, the Abbotsford International Airshow Society contracted out souvenir and food sales to a commercial concession organization. Gone were the rows of assorted shapes and sizes of food booths with equally assorted choice of food. Gone also were the assorted souvenir stands. Instead, good looking, but uniform booths were set up in the new infield viewing area, and each uniform booth served up uniform food and uniform souvenirs, as seems to be the trend with all larger airshows in the U.S. and Canada.

The Museum, along with about 32 other non- profit organizations, provided volunteers each day to help staff the booths, with two large. souvenir booths assigned to the museum. One was in an excellent location and in spite of rain on Friday and Saturday, sales were good. The booth was large enough that display tables could be pulled in out of the rain. There was also room enough for visitors to crowd in under the shelter of the roof- a mixed blessing as they were there mainly to watch the show and keeping dry.

As in the past, a portion of the profits (not yet determined) will be divided up amongst the participating non-profit associations. In years past, the amounts received have provided major funding for the museum.

Special thanks go out to the 20 volunteers who left the museum at 6:00 A.M. each day. This years’ crew included Laila Bird who helped with never needed to doubt the aircraft on his tall as a Hun. But for our Night Fighters over our own territory it was another matter.

The rules stated clearly “you must first make a positive visual identification” even if control told you the target was a ‘bandit’ (hostile) rather than a ‘bogey’ (unidentified). Friendlies had IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) which gave a distinctive blip on ground and airborne radar. But a ‘friendly’ might have forgotten to switch it on (for obvious reasons it was off over enemy territory) or it might not be working. And though I never heard of a case, there was always the possibility the enemy might have installed one.

On a clear moonlit night there was little problem. On one such night over Belgium on New Years Eve 1944, with my own radar unserviceable, ground control gave such a good interception I ended up 50′ under the Ju88, so close I could read his number – much too close. I could have Identified him from 1/2 mile away which I would have preferred!

But on a dark night it was a different matter. Slowly overtaking from below on one’s radar operator’s instructions, eventually a dim shape, or perhaps tell-tale exhaust flames (which would reveal the number of engines) would appear ahead. Then it would be necessary to creep close enough to get the faint silhouette of the target and try to identify it before it saw you and shot you down or took evasive action into the darkness.

Night fighter crews all have many stories about the problem. Here are a few of those which I know.

A later colleague, when in North Africa in a Beaufighter, was one night twice told his target was hostile although he identified it as a B17 Fortress. There were lots of them about but no known hostile 4 engined single ruddered aircraft reported as operating In the area. On the other hand there were stories of the Italians operating captured B17’s against us. Finally, on ground control insisting it was hostile, he shot it down and in the flames saw the Fascist Italian emblem on it. When he landed he was told a warning had just come in that the Italians would soon start to use Piaggio 108’s-ringers for Forts – in the area. To complete his relief, an Italian rear gunner was picked up in the sea.

After D-Day our Mosquitos had the job of protecting the beach-head at night. The USAAF Black Widows had just arrived in S. England to begin to learn the ropes and play their part. One of our Mosquitos on patrol heard on the radio another night fighter being directed by control on to a bogey, heard an excited American voice shout ‘I see him, he’s a Hun I’m gonna shoot the bastard down’ (all quite unnecessary, in fact contrary to good radio practice). The ‘Hun bastard’ was in fact that same Mosquito night fighter whose pilot was next heard saying rather testily “Stop shooting you fool, it’s me, it’s a Mosquito, a friend, you’re shooting at” as he took violent evasive action in the dark night. “I’ve got the bastard, he’s in flames, he’s crashed in the sea, I’m going home” said the Black Widow pilot while Ted Smith, returned to base on one engine, cursing his allies. Only the presence of US .5 calibre bullets in the defunct Merlin engine finally persuaded the tyro US night fighter of his error.

In September 1944 one of my most experienced crews returned from a sortie over Belgium claiming a Ju188 destroyed at low level. Both he and his radar operator had positively identified it, the latter also using night glasses to make absolutely sure. They also warned it had invasion stripes on it; the enemy must be using them to confuse us. This made the intelligence officer suspicious. He showed them untitled silhouettes of Ju188’s, Mosquitos, Ju88’s, other twin engined single-fin aeroplanes. Each time they correctly picked out the Ju188 as their victim and finally he was satisfied.

Then 2 Group reported losing an intruder Mosquito in exactly the same spot, and its wreckage was identified. It was miles off track, should not have been there at all, had been identified and handed over to my crew by control as absolutely and positively and definitely hostile, and to make things difficult it was at a low level. Nonetheless my crew should not have shot it down. The pilot was due to leave next day on promotion to S/Ldr. He went in unfortunate disgrace to another job, unprompted, although in the circumstances a court martial was avoided.

604 was the first allied nightfighter squadron into France after the invasion and we operated first from Cherbourg then from an airfield carved out of the bocage by the US army near Picauville. On defensive patrol one night the Navy (could have been anybody’s) tried to shoot the hell out of me for trying to protect them. Another night US heavy AA guns shot at me not far from home, the bursts being close enough to hear the bangs over the noise of twin Merlins and for all our electric to be ‘shocked’ into unserviceability.

Next night we were patrolling at 15,000′ over Falaise. It was dull, peaceful, boring. My regular radar operator had been sent off on rest and I was flying for the first time with a great character, Neb Elliott, who had a wooden leg. He reckoned this enabled him to scramble quicker from bed than the rest of us because he already had one shoe on, tied up on his leg which was ready in his pants, and they all came on together when he put his foot through the other leg.

Blood-thirsty and upset by the lack of activity, he kept muttering “Fifty Thousand Huns in the brothels of Paris, come up and fight, you bastards, come up and fight.” I was quite happy as we were.

Eventually we were warned of a ‘bogey’ and vectored towards it. Neb got it on our radar and guided me in. The night, although very dark, was clear enough for there to be no problem in seeing it was twin-engined with a single fin and rudder, clearly larger than a Ju88 but clearly not a Heinkel 111 (wrong wing shape). I was sure it was a Wellington. “No, it’s a He 177, shoot the bugger down” said Neb.

We argued for five minutes as I manoeuvred around below, from side to side, trying to get a clearer view of that dim shape and risking unwelcome attentions from a tailgunner if he saw us. The more we did the more certain I became that it was a Wimpey, while Nev continued to insist it was a He 177. As pilot I had the last word (as well as the finger on the trigger!) and we left it flying peacefully Westwards on whatever business it might have. I suspect Nev never forgave me.

SO THAT FOOLS MAY FLY

by W. R. A. Walters

Reprinted from November, 1937 Popular Flying

WEver since the earliest days of flying (and before), remarkable inventions, claimed to be about to revolutionise the science of flight, have from time to time been halled by the Press in large headlines. Some of these wonders of the moment have subsequently been applied with certain modest success, though probably only after further years of patient perfecting; some even have proved a “good thing” for their inventors and of great benefit to those who fly; but the majority of these front-page inventions of the newspapers have never been heard of again.

Almost every suggested improvement to the balloon ever made was subject to wild prophecies in the Press of its day; yet in reality the balloon obstinately resisted development from the time gas was substituted for hot air till the time the petrol engine made airships possible. Of the early attempts to fly with heavier-than-air machines, too, all must have made far more money for the publicity people of the day than they ever made in development royalties for their inventors.

The first intimations of the birth of the aeroplane were just other Press headlines to make people wonder for a day, then dismissed as merely another wild rumour, till the Wright brothers suddenly demonstrated that there was truth in the rumours for once and that, after much quiet experiment, heavier-than-air flight had at last become a fact.

Then came a new phase of experiment in aviation. Not only did those few who were already experimenting with the problem of flight find inspiration for new efforts, but many who had little understanding of the principles involved tried to build something that would fly, and the result was the appearance of all manner of weird freaks and the first claims of “fool-proof” aircraft, which only proved to be so in practise because they were quite incapable of ever experiencing the hazards of flight.

One, at least, of these much-vaunted freaks which were each in their turn to revolutionise the infant science of flight did actually embody sound principles. This was the Dunne tailless biplane of 1911, which had its wings set backwards towards the tips in the plan of a “V”, and its only drawbacks as a practical machine were its excessive weight and fragility in those days of low power and piano-wire. But a similar machine built on modern lines in America a few years back showed this principle for a stable, unstallable machine to be of value, while in this country the Hill-Pterodactyl machines built on much the same principle have demonstrated their efficiency and have certain practical advantages, in addition to increased safety, over the orthodox machine. Even among the early experimenters along the lines of soundest experience, however, all manner of devices were tried in order to make their machines “foolproof” to fly. The Wrights themselves-obviously the most orthodox of early designers brought out many patents (besides those claiming rights to almost every individual principle used in their machines, even such direct coples of nature as wing warping – (a copyright that simulated the invention of the more satisfactory system of ailerons by other constructors), all of them designed to make their machines foolproof. One of the most interesting of these was the Wright Automatic Stability Invention of 1913 (an early ancestor of “George” the automatic pilot now fitted In many service machines and airliners). The compressed air to work this device was supplied by a pump diven by what must have been one of the earliest examples of a small windmill fixed in the slipstream of the machine, later so widely used for generating electricity in aeroplanes. This air was released as required to operate the front elevator (then in fashion) through a small compressed air motor, by a valve controlled by a horizontal van suspended in the line of level flight. The wingtip controls were operated, so as to prevent the machine from rocking from side to side, by a separate compressed-air motor and a valve governed by a pendulum. This ingenious device had it moment of publicity, but nothing more seems to have been heard of the idea till modern gyroscope- controlled stabilizers appeared.

On the other hand, there was one school of pre-war designers who opposed on principle the idea of having “gadgets”s for making unstable machines stable, and aimed at making their machines inherently stable. Apart from these extreme examples, which sacrificed everything to stability in the air, as in the case of Duinne’s tailless machines, some designers – notably Handley Page in this country and Etrich in Germany produced remarkably stable machines merely by sweeping the wings backwards at the tips in imitation of the wings of birds. The war soon showed that the really inherently satbla machine was too slow and clumsy in manoeuvre for most purposes, and it fell out of fashion.

During the war the demand for efficiency in the air and speed – no matter if undercarriages were sometimes smashed in landing. Strictly orthodox machines were the order of the day, with more and more powerful engines installed and increasingly clean lines rather than safety devices hung all over them.

This demand for performance continued after the war, though by then experience in construction had increased the safety of machines to a great extent at the same time as their performance, in spite of abnormally high landing speeds having become almost universal. Peace, however, soon revived he quest for foolproof flying, though now most often without consenting to any sacrifice of performance, and once more wonderful inventions began to be proclaimed in the Press from time to time.

With vast numbers of service types of machines cumbering hangars and almost given away to anyone who could find a use for them, inventors at first concentrated on safety devices for these old machines, which had to be used up before there was any real demand for new designs.

Most of the inventions for a time consisted in protecting pilots and passengers from the result of a mistake in flying or the failure in flight of these over-powered, heavy machines rather than in trying to make them foolproof to operate. Hence, such inventions as huge parachutes attached to aeroplanes; brave schemes for automatically jettisoning passengers, each complete with a parachute, or for abandoning the whole passenger cabin to the care of a single large parachute In the event of accident; fire-proof and unbreakable petrol tanks; devices for dropping the heavy engines overboard without making the machine uncontrollable in the event of engine fallure all loudly proclaimed as doubtful attractions for would-be air travellers.

In 1920, an old “Sopwith Camel, fitted with what was claimed to be an unburstable petrol tank was dropped bodily from the Airship R.33 but the demonstration must have been appreciated as a spectacle, for petrol tanks still burst sometimes. More recently a fire-proof model aeroplane was demonstrated by having it put in a fire while it contained some white mice, which survived the experiment; while, in France, an aeroplane with its cabin suspended inside the outer shell of the fuselage was built recently and the claim made that it provided complete protection for its occupants in the event of a crash. The inventor of the latter machine, when the authorities refused him permission to take it up and nose-dive it to earth, had it pushed over a cliff with himself inside without coming to any harm.

But quite apart from these experiments aimed at taking the sting out of accidents, it was not many years after the war before the freak machine, with its claims to be foolproof, reappeared, together with various devices for increasing the safety of ordinary aeroplanes; and, owing mainly to great advances in the science of aerodynamics, the claims forecast for many of these new wonders have, to some extent at least, materialized.

In the renewed quest for the inherently stable or unstallable machine, many of the old ideas reappeared and generally with far better success, some of them now showing distinct advantages over the ordinary aeroplane from the point of view of safety. Besides the various tailless machines, headed by the successive developments of the original 1926 Pterodactyl, the tail- first type of machine (known in pre-war days as “canards”) reappeared in Germany in 1930 as a remarkably stable machine, both in the air and on the ground, for in the Focke-Wulf “Ente” the German word for duck) all the former difficulties of control and manoeuvre of its early French namesake had been overcome.

The helicopter, too one of the oldest conceptions of a flying machine, dating from drawings by Leondardo da Vince, if not earlier has had many adherents in recent years and almost every experiment has been heralded by prophecies of a new era in flying, but so far, the helicopter can hardly be said to have proved practical, though many undercarriages have been smashed by those which have actually left the ground.

Perhaps the most interesting suggestion yet to appear as regarding helicopters was that put forward by an Italian inventor named Vittorio Isacco, who had spent many years on the problem, and who proposed to drive the lifting vanes by small motors and propellers mounted on the vanes themselves. Although the possibilities of this idea seemed to be very highly rated some years back, and a report even appeared that the British Air Ministry had ordered one of these “Helicogyres,” as they were called, to be built by a well-known aircraft firm of East Cowes, yet nothing more seems to have been heard about the venture.

Another wonderfully named invention was that of a Frenchman and called the “Helicostat.” This combined the principles of the airship with those of the aeroplane, but, though it flew near Paris in 1931, it also faded from the headlines as quickly as it appeared there.

A very interesting and apparently quite new suggestion for a fool-proof machine was the Cyclogiro,” which, it was claimed, would be capable of hovering, rising or descending vertically, and even of flying backwards. This machine was, moreover, to dispense with the use of propellers by making its wings to rotate in the manner of paddle- wheels on either side of the fuselage. It was announced some four years ago that a design drawn by the German aeronautical engineer, Dr. Rohrbach, was being examined at the National Physical Laboratory and that a fullsize machine using the principle was contemplated. Bit though the idea seems to have its possibilities, at least as a safety measure for aiding slow landings, as anyone will realise who has thrown a ruler into the air and watched it (comparatively heavy as it is) descend in a gentle glide by spinning rapidly about its line of centre, perhaps the hopes for success of this type of machine have been overshadowed by recent developments of the autogiro.

The autogyro is of course undoubtedly the most outstanding example of a safe machine so far. It has had many moments of wild publicity-the first when it appeared hovering over Paris rather more than ten years ago-but at the time its great Spanish inventor, the late Senor de Cierva met his death in an airliner accident recently, it has steadily developed since its first conception in 1917, to such a remarkable degree that it had practically fulfilled all the wildest prophesies. It can now leap vertically into the air, hover and descend in a very confined space, besides being a quite efficient rival to the aeroplane in most respects.

Of the other kind of invention for safety flying- that for ‘fool-proofing” ordinary aeroplanes – one of the first to be developed after the war was the rear-edge wing flap, operated either automatically by springs whenever the machine lost speed so as to increase the lift of the wings, postponing the stall and allowing slow landing. or else operated from the cockpit by the pilot. After an enthusiastic reception, this device fell into disfavour, except by the manufacturers of the Fairey aircraft, which have almost all been equipped with flaps for many years. But recently, automatic flaps have been adopted again by many constructors and proved their value.

One of the greatest life-saving devices yet produced has been the Handley Page slot. After secret development from shortly after the war, this invention suddenly came into the headlines in 1927, and the praise lavished on the new wonder was hardly too extravagant.

More recent safety inventions have chiefly taken the form of the automatic pilot and other devices to aid navigation and “blind” flying, including many suggestions of instruments- electrical and others to facilitate landing in fog. But, though design is constantly improving and very safe aircraft are now built, it is a long road to perfection, so that there is still scope for inventors of machines that “fools may fly.”

Vice President Bill Thompson and Sec’y- Treas. Rose Zalesky look on while Past Pres. Ed Zalesky takes the mike at the volunteer salmon barbecue.

Fairchild FC-2 of General Airways of Rouyn, Quebec, c1928. No other details known. CMFT photo #227.12 Lillian Sawyer collection

ABOVE: Don’t forget CMFT’s gift shop and book store – one of the best anywhere – when you’re looking for gifts for that special person (or yourself). Choose from posters, drawings, aviation art prints, including limited editions, tee shirts, sweat shirts, chidren “bomber jackets” wall plaques, lapel pins, woven crests, a huge selection of model airplane kits (balsa, plastic and paper, kites, and books of all kinds including non-fiction, fiction, modelling, children’s books and much more.