Canadian Warplane Heritage

story COURTLAND SHAKESPEARE    photos STEVE UHRANEY

Out on the runway, four powerful Packard Merlin engines are brought back to life with a flash of flame and the resounding thunder of gigantic propellers. They belong to a Second World War heavy bomber known as the “Lanc” (Lancaster). Over 7,000 of them were built during the war, but they are now extremely rare. Only two remain in the world that can still fly. One is here in Ontario, just minutes away, at the Canadian Warplane Heritage museum located at the Hamilton International Airport.

If you’re lucky and can afford it, you could get a ride in her.
Inside the Museum’s 100,000 square foot hangar, there are over 40 other vintage aircraft, many of which can still fly too. They perform in air shows all over North America. That’s what makes the CWH museum so extraordinary. Not only can you see the aircraft up close and in person, but you can get inside many of them and touch the controls. You can go beyond imagination and ascend into the azure firmament, travelling back in time to admire the courage and bravery of our great Canadian aviators.

You do need to be a member of the museum, though, (see membership sidebar) and it’s not cheap, but then, neither is AV fuel or the years of restoration on each project. Then there’s the parts that are almost impossible to find. Once the plane is finished, there is still endless and expensive maintenance to keep up the high standards of the Ministry of Transport regulations. For the true enthusiast, however, the experience is unsurpassed.

The Lancaster just “went through $100,000 in engine overhauls in 2008.” said CWH CEO Dave Rohrer, but before that, it took ten years to make her airworthy in 1988. When she’s flying, she goes through 220 imperial gallons of fuel every 60 minutes and it’s a lot more expensive than regular gasoline.

“We call her Vera,” says crew chief Brian Jackland, “because her radio call sign is VRA.” It’s written on the side of her fuselage in red letters four feet high. The other airworthy “Lanc” is in Lincolnshire at the Battle of Britain Memorial in England, “but you can’t get near her.” says Brian.

   As one of the main heavy bombers of the Second World War, the plane became famous for its role in the “Dam Busters” operation (the bouncing bomb invented by Sir Barnes Wallis). Although the majority of the Lancasters were built by Avro in England, 430 of them were built right here at Victory Aircraft in Malton. My own father is proud to say he worked on one of them while he was still attending high school. He spent the entire summer of 1942 securing rivets to a fuselage before signing up and going over to the war himself.

Each one of the planes at the CWH museum is an amazing example of a unique time in aviation history. The collection includes early biplane trainers such as the deHavilland Tiger Moth and a Fleet Finch as well as Harvards, Yales and a legendary Douglas DC3. There are also some jets including the CF-100 (designed and built in Canada), an F-86 Sabre that served with the Golden Hawks aerobatics team, a CF-101 Voodoo and a CF-5 built by Canadair in Montreal.

My particular favourite is the tiny-winged Lockheed CF-104 Starfighter that is out front of the museum - pointed straight up at the sky like a rocket. There is another 104 inside so you can get up close. The Starfighter was created by my favourite aircraft designer Kelly (SR-71) Johnson back in the ‘50s and set new records for speed and altitude.

The jets, unfortunately, do not fly “mainly due to the cost of operating them” said Pamela Rickards, who is Deputy Director of the museum. They are also equipped with ejection seats that require training which makes it more difficult to offer member flights.

“As a registered Canadian charity and a non-profit organization, we have to raise virtually all of our operating dollars ourselves.” said Rickards. “We receive only 1% from a government operating grant.” and their annual operating budget is almost $4 million.

That may seem like a lot of money, but it really isn’t for what they do. They have over 300 volunteers, but only three full time aviation engineers. All the pilots are volunteers. Many are ex-airline pilots and work at the museum just for the pure love and joy.

   Attendance is approximately 60-70,000 each year plus over 15,000 students in educational classes.

The original, modest plan began with Dennis J. Bradley and Alan Ness, who wanted to restore and preserve some of Canada’s aviation history. They started with a Fairey Firefly, which is the plane depicted in the museum logo and on all their documentation. Today, the museum’s mandate still preserves their original intentions. The museum still wants to acquire more aircraft. At the top of their wish list is an Mk 9 Spitfire and a P51 Mustang. Through flight demonstrations and displays, they want to instruct, educate and entertain the public and encourage Canadians of all ages to become actively involved in the preservation of our historical aircraft and also to celebrate and remember the thousands of men and women who were involved - especially those who did not return.

The museum is open every day except Christmas and New Year’s Day from 9 to 5. Admission is $11 for adults, $10 for seniors and students (ages 13-17), $7 for children (6-12), children 5 and under enter free. The price includes H.S.T.

There is also a fantastic gift shop full of models, toys, books, DVDs, cool aviator clothing, posters and all kinds great stuff. By purchasing items you are helping support the museum.

For more information and directions, their web site is www.warplane.com. GL

ABOVE:
Lancaster Mk X Heavy Bomber.
7,377 were built during the Second World War between 1943 and 1945.
430 of them were produced at Victory Aircraft in Malton, Ontario.
The wingspan is 102 feet.
The aircraft is 69 feet 6 inches in length
and carried a crew of seven.

Lancaster Pilot's POV

They call her Vera and usually fly VFR (Visual Flight Rules)
at 180 mph at an average height between 2,000 and 3,000 feet.
“She can climb to 25,000 feet, but rarely goes above 10,000”
says crew chief Brian Jackland. She flies on average about 50 hours
a year. This particular Lancaster (FM213) was built in July 1945 and
served as an RCAF Maritime Patrol aircraft until 1964.
It had been on display until 1977 when it was acquired with help
from the Sulley Foundation. It took another 11 years until she was
able to fly again in 1988. It is dedicated to P/O Andrew Myarski
who was awarded the Victoria Cross (the Commonwealth’s highest
award for gallantry in battle) when his Lancaster was shot down.
He attempted to free the tail gunner who was trapped in the
rear turret. The gunner survived, but unfortunately,
Mynarski did not.

Lockheed CF-104 Starfighter
The Starfighter was designed by Kelly Johnson
with wingspan a mere 21 feet 11 inches and length of 54 feet 9.
The aircraft set new records for altitude and speed that are still
impressive today (91,000 feet and 1400 mph).

The Starfighter outside the museum is the “D” model two-seat training
version. The Starfighter inside (#104756) served with the
Sabre Tooth Squadron in Europe and is painted yellow and black
for the Nato “Tiger Meet.”

		Consolidated PBY5-A Canso A Amphibious Bomber/Reconnaissance The “flying boat” or amphibian was designed in the 1930s. The CWH Canso A (#11084) is dedicated to the memory of Flight Lieutenant David Hornell, VC. He and his crew sank a submarine, but were shot down. With a crew of seven, the Canso was used for long patrols up to 14 hours and sometimes as long as 24 hours (with extra tanks). It has a wingspan two feet wider than the Lancaster, but is considered to be a medium bomber. PBYs were used to find the Bismarck in 1941 and the Japanese fleet when they were approaching Midway Island.
	North American Harvard - MK 4 Advanced Trainer Painted in the distinctive yellow of the RCAF Training Command. The CWH Harvard (20213) was found at Lindsay Airport in 1973 and became the second aircraft in the CWH collection. Over 20,000 Harvards were built including 3,370 here in Canada. They first appeared in late 1937 and have served with almost every air force in the world. There’s still a large number of privately owned Harvards flying today. Pictured here is the Harvard 20412 - not owned by the museum. The flight path is called “The Museum Flyby” so photographers can get a good picture as aircraft pass by the CWH hangar.

	A List of some of the aircraft at the CWH
	FIGHTERS Fairey Firefly MK 6 Supermarine Spitfire MK XVI Hawker Hurricane Hawker Sea Fury TRAINER & TRANSPORT Avro Anson IV Beech D18S Expeditor Cessna T50 Crane Douglas DC-3 Dakota Grumman G-44A Widgeon FIGHTER JETS Canadair CF-104 Starfighter Lockheed T-33 Silver Star deHavilland Vampire Lockheed CF-104D Starfighter McDonnell CF-101B Voodoo Canadair CF-5 Freedom Fighter Avro CF-100 North American Canadair Sabre 6	BOMBERS Avro Lancaster Bristol Bolingbroke North American B25-J Mitchell Consolidated PBY 5A Canso ANTI-SUBMARINE Grumman CSF-2 Tracker ARMY CO-OPERATION Westland Lysander III Auster Beagle TRAINER SINGLE ENGINE Boeing Stearman PT-27 Kaydet deHavilland DHC-1 Chipmunk deHavilland 82C Tiger Moth Fairchild PT-26B Cornell Fleet Finch Fleet 21K Fleet 60K Fort North American Harvard IV North American NA-64 Yale