Historical information
The mission of the
Museum is to create a greater appreciation for Canada’s
aviation heritage, demonstrate the vital role of aviation in the lives
of Canadians and illustrate the significance of aviation in the growth
and prosperity of Canada.
When the Canada
Aviation Museum (CAvM) first opened at Uplands airport in Ottawa it
was one of three major collections owned by the Canadian government.
At that time, CAvM's
focus was on bush flying and early aircraft manufacturers in Canada.
A second collection, held by Canadian War Museum,
concentrated on military aircraft from World War 1 to the 1950's, while
the Royal Canadian Air Force collection emphasized military aircraft
related to RCAF history.
Beginning in 1964,
the three collections were amalgamated for public display under a new
name, the "National Aeronautical
Collection", in new quarters at Ottawa's
historic Rockcliffe Airport. The arrangement, which gave visitors a
better perspective on the development and use of aircraft in Canada
over the years, proved to be tremendously popular.
Coming under the
wing of the National Museum of Science and Technology in
1967, the National Aeronautical Collection continued to acquire both
military and civil aircraft important to Canadian
and world aviation history. It has since grown to include more
than 120
aircrafts and countless
artifacts such as engines, propellers, instruments, armaments, flying
gear and wind tunnel models. In 2000, the National Aviation
Museum was officially renamed the Canada
Aviation Museum and remains a component Museum of the Canada Science and Technology
Corporation.
The Canada Aviation
Museum has avoided the tendency to concentrate exclusively on the aviation
accomplishments of a single nation, or on developments within one sector
of the aviation industry. The Canada Aviation Museum is recognized
as having the most extensive aviation collection in Canada and one
which ranks among the best in the world. In 1988, the importance of
the collection was acknowledged in the opening of Rockcliffe of the
first phase of a multi-phase development programme to serve as the
new home of the collection. Instead, the Museum's collection policy
is to illustrate the development of the flying machine in both peace
and war from the pioneer period to the present time. The collection
gives particular, but not exclusive, reference to the Canadian achievements.
Consequently, aircrafts from many nations are represented in the collection,
a fact that has earned it a strong international following.
The collection
AEG G.IV
The AEG G.IV
(see photo nr 99) is the sole First World War German twin engine
aircraft in existence today. It was shipped as a war trophy to
Canada in 1919; its movements over the next 40 years (two 260
hp Mercedes engines were lost) were not well documented. The
aircraft was stored in a warehouse operated by the Canadian War
Museum in the 1950s. In 1968-69, it was restored by No. 6 Repair
Depot, RCAF, with 160 hp Mercedes engines in place of the correct
powerplants |
Me 109 F4
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is one of the greatest fighter aircraft
of all time. When the prototype flew in 1935, it was the most advanced
fighter in the world. Fitted with ever more powerful engines and
weapons, this aircraft remained a formidable opponent even in the
later years of the Second World War.
The Bf 109 served everywhere the German Luftwaffe was engaged and
the type was used by a dozen other air forces. With more than 33,000
built between 1935 and 1956, it can boast a longer history of production
and service than any other piston-powered fighter. Fast and powerful,
the Bf 109F introduced in late 1940 had the nicest flying characteristics
of all Bf 109 versions.
The Museum’s aircraft is a Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 that was
crash landed near the Arctic port of Murmansk, Soviet Union, in
August 1942. Purchased in the mid-1990s by a British restoration
specialist, it was re-finished in its original colours. Such was
the respect of the restorer for the aircraft’s historical
integrity that the original bullet holes were not repaired and
remain visible. A Canadian Forces aircraft delivered it to the
Museum in the early part of June 1999 where it was reassembled
and put on display.
|
Kittyhawk
Despite an unspectacular overall performance and a lack of power
at altitude, the P-40 was the most important American fighter in
the early years of Second World War because it was available in
large quantities. P-40s were flown on almost all battle fronts
and were supplied to many countries, including Canada, Britain,
Australia, New Zealand, China, and Russia. The RCAF operated seven
squadrons of Kittyhawks in Canada and Alaska. Introduced in 1941,
the RCAF retired them all by 1946. A total of 13,750 were built.
Despite its mediocre performance the P-40 was tough and reliable,
attributes essential for operations in the relatively primitive
conditions and harsh climate of Alaska and the Aleutians. In an
attempt to increase performance, especially at high altitude, two
versions appeared with Rolls-Royce Merlin engines.
The best known P-40 unit was the American Volunteer Group in China,
the “Flying Tigers”. The famous shark-mouth decoration
on their aircraft actually originated with the RAF in the Western
Desert.
The Museum example was built in 1942 for the RAF but was delivered
to the RCAF. It operated in British Columbia until 1943, then was
used for training until 1945. Subsequently selected for preservation,
it remained in storage until finally transferred to the Museum
in 1964.
|
Spitfire
Among the most famous aircraft of all time, the Spitfire began
operations before Second World War and was one of the few pre-war
types to
remain in first-line service until the end of the war and beyond.
As the war progressed, the Spitfire received heavier armament
and more powerful engines until it was twice as heavy and powerful
as the original mark. In all, 21 554 were built in 24 different
versions, including some 1 220 Seafires fitted for aircraft
carrier
operation.
The Mk. IX successfully countered the challenge posed by the
superb German Focke-Wulf FW 190. The L.F. Mk. IX ’s lower-altitude
capabilities were enhanced by an engine designed to give its
best power at a lower altitude and, in some cases, by the removal
of
the wing tips to increase the speed and rate of roll.
Built in 1944, the Museum’s L.F. Mk. IX flew with the
RAF, as well as with one RCAF and one Polish squadron. After
the war
it was sold to the Netherlands Army Air Force and sent to the
East Indies.
After further service with the Belgian Air Force and private
owners, it was purchased and brought to Canada in 1961. Flown
privately
from 1962 to 1964, the aircraft was donated by the owner to the
Museum.
|
Avro Lancaster
The “Lanc” was
arguably the best heavy bomber used in Europe in Second World
War. Although somewhat vulnerable to
fighter attack, it was relatively fast, had a high ceiling, and
could carry enormous loads for its size. Victory Aircraft at
Malton, Ontario, produced the first Canadian-built Lancaster,
a Mark X,
first flown August 1, 1943. Many Canadian-built Mark Xs served
overseas with No.6 Group. The Lancaster continued in the RCAF
until 1965 for maritime patrol, photo survey, search and rescue,
and
navigator training.
Wartime crew was a pilot, flight engineer, navigator, bomb aimer,
radio operator and two gunners. Peacetime maritime patrol crew
was two pilots, flight engineer, two navigators, and three radio
officers. A late Mark X, the museum aircraft has a Martin upper
turret with two 50-calibre guns. Maritime patrol versions had no
top turret, and only the front turret was armed with two .303-calibre
machine guns. Drafty, noisy, and uncomfortable on long flights,
the Lancaster was nevertheless strong, reliable, and a delight
to fly. Pilot Officer A.C. Mynarski won a posthumous Victoria Cross
for bravery in a Canadian Lancaster during an attack on Cambrai,
France.
Built in Canada in 1945, this Lancaster went overseas briefly,
before entering long-term storage in Canada later the same year.
It spent most of the following years in stored reserve, except
for a brief period with 404 Maritime Patrol Squadron at Greenwood,
Nova Scotia in 1952. In 1964 the RCAF refurbished this aircraft
and placed it in the Force’s historical aircraft collection.
|
Hurricane
The Hurricane was the first monoplane fighter produced by Hawker,
and was available in substantial numbers at the beginning of Second
World War. Hurricanes played a decisive role in the Battle of Britain
and went on to fly on more fronts than any other British fighter.
Canadian Car and Foundry manufactured 1 451 Hurricanes between
1938 and 1943. With increasingly heavy armament, Hurricanes served
to the end of the war. Hurricanes were used in Canada for training
and coastal patrols.
Hurricanes equipped 26 RAF squadrons at the beginning of the Battle
of Britain and shot down more enemy aircraft than all other defences
combined. The RCAF received its first Hurricanes in August 1939,
including those flown by Number 1 Squadron RCAF in the Battle of
Britain. Later in the war, Sea Hurricanes were launched by catapult
from ships at sea to defend convoys against air attack. A “tank
buster” version with 40-mm cannons was used in North Africa.
The Museum’s Mk. XII was built in Canada in 1942. The aircraft
was used as a trainer, then the RCAF stored it in various locations
until its transfer to the Museum in 1964. |
Me 163 Komet
As the only operational rocket-powered fighter of Second World
War, the Komet was designed to exceed the performance of conventional
aircraft. Originally tested as a glider, the tailless design incorporated
a wheeled dolly dropped during takeoff, and a landing skid under
the fuselage. The Komet first flew operationally in May 1944. Though
the Komet was not a significant factor in German air defence, the
German Air Force took delivery of 339 and flew them until the end
of the war.
With only 7.5 minutes of full power, the Komet climbed to operational
altitude, then glided to a landing after its fuel was exhausted.
With power either turned on or off, flight at altitude consisted
of gliding interspersed with short bursts of power. Combustion
in the temperamental rocket motor depended upon the critical mixture
of two chemicals which generated extreme heat when combined. The
aircraft was prone to explosion upon landing if fuel remained in
the tanks. Despite exceptional flying characteristics, the Komet
was unsuccessful as an interceptor because of its fast closing
speed and slow-firing, short-range cannon. A pilot had to be very
good or very lucky to hit a target.
This aircraft was assembled in 1945, captured the same year, and
shipped to Canada in 1946. Stored in Calgary, it was sent to Rockcliffe
in 1964. It was refinished in the markings of I JG/400.
|
Lysander
The Lysander was built to a specification calling for a rugged,
short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) aircraft for low-level reconnaissance
and observation. Unfortunately the specification had been drawn
up with First World War in mind. However excellent an airplane,
the Lysander proved too vulnerable to survive modern warfare. After
1940, British Lysanders were used for search-and-rescue, and unusual
missions such as flying spies in and out of the continent. Canadian-built
Lysanders were used chiefly as target tugs at Canadian bombing
and gunnery schools.
Called the “Lizzie”, the Lysander was a remarkable
flying machine with excellent low-speed capabilities. A Lizzie
drifting backward over the airfield as it flew slowly into a
headwind was a remarkable sight at Canadian training bases. Spy
delivery
and pick-up flights were hazardous affairs during which jet-black
Lizzies flew with ladders fixed outside and with the rear cockpits
jammed with operatives. Landings took place at night in open
country inside France or Belgium on improvised landing areas
lit by flashlights
held, it was hoped, by members of the resistance.
The Museum example is a composite made from parts of three Lysanders.
It was restored as a Centennial project by the RCAF and it first
flew in 1967 after restoration. The aircraft was presented to the
Museum in 1968 and last flew in 1970.
|
| More information about each aircraft of the collection
stand here. |
The official website of the museum stands here for
more details on the Canada Aviation Museum.
Museum’s authorities can be contacted here.
Museum's practical
information
The museum is split
into two parts: the first hall (the showroom) with 68 aircrafts and
a second hall with 52 aircrafts under renovation. The second hall can
only be visited with a
guide. The first hall also includes the Robert W. Bradford Gallery
of Aviation Art. The showroom presents the collection in twelve
sections:
| 1. Pioneer Era |
| 2. First Worl War |
| 3. Bush Flying |
| 4. General Aviation |
| 5. The Airlines |
| 6. British Commonwealth Air Training Plan |
| 7. Second World War |
| 8. Naval Flying |
| 9. Helicopters |
| 10. Jet Age |
| 11. Vertical Flight |
| 12. Canadian Aviation Technology |
The showroom also
includes a theatre and a "Seeking safer skies" simulation.
Women have a
free entrance at the International Women's Day (March, 8). The museum
is free for everyone
at International Museum Day (May, 18).
Photographs taken
at the museum are not to be used with commercial purpose without permission.
Museum's accomodations
Visitors can also
take a tour with a guide. "Wonder of the skies" can be opened up to
children with interactive demonstrations and activities.
Strollers, wheelchairs
and electric vehicles for people with disabilities are available at
the entrance. There is also a shop (the "Aeronautica
Boutique") with souvenirs and gifts for all tastes: a great choice
of scale models, books, posters
and prints. There is a Coffee corner (named "La Vigilance") offering
light meals.
Other activities
1. The Museum proposes
"Aerotech summer camps" for children:
"Get off to a
Flying Start with a week of games, activities, and projects aimed
at initiating
participants in the concepts of flight and aerodynamics
with a focus on fun. The week includes a kite-making workshop, a take-home
hot air
balloon project, a day away at a wave pool and the Canada Science and
Technology Museum, and the grand finale for the week: a flight in a
Cessna 172 (Aerotech 1 for ages 6 to 8). Participants are familiarized
with the principles of flight, airmanship, and aviation, build and
launch
a
rocket-powered
glider, complete a scavenger hunt through the museum's collection,
test their ingenuity in constructing a parachute to save an egg from
destruction in the "Daredevilled Egg" competition and take
off for a flight in a Cessna 172 (Aerotech 2 for ages 9 to 12)".
2. The museum proposes school programme guides from kindergarten
up to secondary cycle.
"Guided tours are
interactive, providing students with many opportunities to ask questions,
make comments and share their experiences. Workshop-style programmes
offer hands-on components where students are able to put theory into
practice follosing the principles of the scientific method. The aim
is to enable students to understand and better appreciate Canada's
aeronautical heritage. The museum's collection of aircrafts forms the
backdrop for programmes that tell the wonderful stories of extraordinary
aviation achievements and how they relate to the broader social and
economic context of Canadian history".
Curriculum links
relates namely to the following sectors: Science and technology, Energy
and control, Earth and space, History and citizenship education, General
history
of twentieth
century.
3. Each year on September
17, there is the Battle of Britain ceremony -including
a special flypast salute- where veterans gather to commemorate the
Battle.
4. There is even
an annual Fly-in Breakfast (August, 26).
Museum's projects
Since its opening
in 1988, the Canada Aviation Museum's collection has grown significantly.
On April 14, 2005, the museum's ability to store and protect artifacts
representing Canada's aviation heritage expanded with the opening of
a new collection storage wing. The Canada Aviation Museum, located
in Ottawa, now looks forward to several important projects over the
next five years. The first task already took place: it
was manoeuvring
the many
precious
aircrafts that have been exposed to the elements for decades into their
new home by the fall of 2005.
The museum also plans
to develop a large restoration facility -an extension of the new collection
storage wing- to continue the important work of restoring and preserving
the aircrafts representing Canada's proud and rich aviation history.
The success of this stage will depend on assistance from both the public
and private sectors.
Finally, the museum
has developped a long-term plan to enhance the international reputation
of this collection leading up to the centenary celebration of Canadian
powered flight in 2009.
Location information
The museum is
located at the intersection of the Aviation and Rockcliffe Parkways
in Ottawa at ten minutes
from
Parliament
Hill:
Canada Aviation Museum
P.O. Box 9724 Station T
Ottawa Ontario
K1G 5A3.
Personal note
.This museum can
be compared with the RAF museum located at Hendon in Great Britain,
it offers a wide variety of aircrafts in excellent state of maintenance.
I appreciated the fact that history of flight is given to younger generations
(this is part of an official "citizenship programme"). Unfortunately
I did not have time to visit the second hangar/storage wing (see photo
nr 4) with the
other
half
of
the
collection
(the
one in
renovation),
a reason to come back! This is a visit I strongly recommend for all
aviation fans and new comers.
