Avro CF-100 Canuck Mk. 3B

General Description

The CF-100 Canuck was Avro Canada’s response to a 1946 requirement put out by the RCAF for a two-seat, all-weather jet fighter/interceptor. Affectionately known as the “Clunk” the prototype of the CF-100 was first flown in January 1950 and became the first fighter aircraft to be designed and built in large numbers in Canada.

With its Canadian designed and built Orenda engines, its performance was exceptional for its era, including its ability to achieve climb rates of nearly 9000 ft/min. With Avro chief test pilot, Jan Zurakowski at the controls, the CF-100 Mk 4 reached a speed of Mach 1.1 in a dive from an altitude of 45,000 ft. This was the first time a production straight-winged jet aircraft had ever broken the sound barrier; a proudly Canadian moment in aviation history. In the early 1950’s a swept-wing version of the CF-100, designated the CF-103, was in development with the intention of creating a fighter capable of transonic speeds, but development was soon halted. Avro Canada went on to design the now famous Avro CF-105 Arrow, which was developed using the experience Avro gained from previous projects like the CF-100 and the CF-103. The Avro Arrow was an aircraft ahead of its time, and more advanced than any airplane of its day, but in 1959 the project was cancelled by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker before its true capabilities were able to be proven.

The CF-100 Canuck Mk 3 was different from the more common Mk 4 mainly in having a more pointed nose cone, and having the lower-powered Orenda 8 engines which generated 6,000 lb. thrust each, versus the 6500 lb. thrust that the Orenda 9 engines of the Mk 4 could produce. Another differing feature was that the Mk 3 was armed with an eight .50 cal. machine gun pack mounted under the nose. Once the Mk 4 became available in 1954, most of the Mk 3’s in service were either used at the Operational Training Units or converted to dual control trainers.

In military service the CF-100 was primarily used by the RCAF, but Avro Canada sold 53 CF-100 Mk 5’s to the Belgian Air Force to replace their aging Gloster Meteor fighter jets. The Belgian Air Force used the CF-100’s until 1964 when they were replaced by the faster and more modern F-104 Starfighter.

In RCAF service the CF-100 Canuck served in the defense of Canada and the United Sates from Soviet intruders as part of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD). 4 RCAF squadrons of CF-100’s were also based in Europe between 1956 and 1962. They were there as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and served to protect Europe from the threat of Soviet attack from the east. At its peak, the RCAF had 9 squadrons of CF-100’s stationed from Comox, BC on the west coast to Shearwater, NS on the east coast, and 4 squadrons deployed to Europe. Before its retirement Avro Canada had built 692 examples of the CF-100 Canuck. Nowadays, there are 30 examples of CF-100 Canucks preserved in Canada, Belgium, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Most examples are in museums, but some are displayed on poles serving as memorials.

Our CF-100 Canuck Mk III

RCAF 18138 was taken on strength by the RCAF on 7 May 1953. It was given code SA 138 and served with 445 “Wolverine” Squadron at CFB Uplands, Ontario. In 1954 it was transferred to 440 “Bat” Squadron stationed at RCAF Bagotville, Quebec. Later it served with No. 3 AW(F) All-Weather Fighter Operational Training Unit in North Bay, Ontario. In 1955 it was one of 56 converted from a Mk 3B to a Mk 3D dual controls trainer.

18138 was struck off RCAF strength in May of 1963, and it made its way to the Pacific Vocational School in Burnaby, BC. Upon acquisition the wings and rear fuselage of the jet were sold for scrap. Later the Canuck was moved to their campus at Vancouver International Airport and then the school changed their name to the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT). The CF-100 was used as a training aid for aircraft maintenance students. With their instructors showing them how, these students kept the big fighter in running condition while at the school and they used it for engine run-ups.

Prior to donating RCAF 18138 to the Canadian Museum of Flight in 1987, BCIT acquired a set of replacement Canuck Mk 5C wings, a new tail section, as well as a set of wing tip tanks. The wings and tail section came from Canuck RCAF 18766, while the tip tanks came from Canuck RCAF 18791 and were all purchased through Crown Assets Distribution Centre. When it arrived at the Canadian Museum of Flight’s Surrey homesite it was reassembled and put on outdoor public display. Interestingly, it wasn’t until Canuck RCAF 18138 arrived at the Canadian Museum of Flight, that it was discovered that the ejection seats never had their explosive charges removed. This mean that the whole time that the airplane was used for engine runs, had a student unintentionally pulled the ejection handle, they could have been propelled out of the cockpit. Upon discovery, the CMF team removed the explosive charges.

Our Canuck is a complete airframe with both engines and all cockpit instrumentation. Despite having been displayed outdoors for nearly 40 years, due to its completeness, it is a candidate for eventual restoration to flying condition. This kind of project will only be possible when funds permit.