Mustangs of the RCAF ... & a few other beauties

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7824

Beautiful photos from a country that knows how to take beautiful aircraft photos.

Members of the Warbirds Society of Edmonton fly in formation in their Harvards and one Mustang during the Canadian Armed Forces Day Air Show at CFB Edmonton.

Mustangs on line and taxiing to take off point prior to air show and fly past at Downsview Airport, Toronto. Presumably, the Mustangs were from either 420 Sqn at London or 424 Sqn at Hamilton.

The RCAF's Winter Experimental Establishment uses Watson Lake YT as one of their bases of operation for the testing of fighter and interceptor aircraft. Shown is one of Winter Experimental Establishment dispersal points at Watson Lake, YT.

Mustang aircraft fires a rocket near Trenton, Ont.

All the aircraft in the above two photos are from No. 424 'City of Hamilton' (F) Squadron (Auxiliary). The AMES-11 convoyable radar is from No. 2424 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron also based at Mount Hope. This was an auxiliary unit that worked alongside No. 424 (F) Squadron. No. 424 (F) Squadron was part of Air Defence Command until being transferred to Air Transport Command effective the 1st of April, 1960.

Preflight

Tragically lost in an accident

Mustang lineup at Trenton.

9257 North American Mustang TF Mk. IV
NA-122 122-41399
first date: 10 January 1951 - Received second hand from US.
Ex USAF P-51D-30-NA serial number 44-74859. Used at RCAF Station Uplands, Ontario. Crashed at Carlton Place, near Uplands, on 9 November 1951. Reported delivered to Israel with other damaged RCAF P-51Ds. Reported delivered to IDFAF, their serial 39. To Sterling Aircraft Supply, 1964. To Pioneer Aero Service, Burbank/Chino, CA on 2 December 1964. Registered as N7079V. Restored as TF-51D, Chino, CA, 1988-1990. To Doug Arnold/Warbirds of Great Britain, Biggin Hill/Bournemouth, UK, 1990. Stored, Bournemouth, 1992. Id reported transferred to N50FS, which is listed on US Civil Register as "44-74839-59". Remains of 44-74859 reported stored, North Weald, UK.
last date: 9 November 1951 - Struck off after Category A crash.

Arrival of 417 Squadron Mustangs at Trenton ready to fly at the CNE.

Mustang Fighters of the Royal Canadian Air Force is shown above ready to take-off from the airport at Grande Prairie to intercept "enemy" bombers.

403 Sqn. Mustang

Seven Hawks and a Stang.

OTU 4 B-25 with an escort.

rcaf_100 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 19, 2017 6:35 am

Great photos, Mark! :-D

Mark Allen M wrote:

Members of the Warbirds Society of Edmonton fly in formation in their Harvards and one Mustang during the Canadian Armed Forces Day Air Show at CFB Edmonton.

That would actually be the Western Warbirds Association, which are still going today: http://westernwarbirds.ca/

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On note to myself is the Harvard on the far left. It is CF-UFZ (ex-20321 aka 'Bessy') and was owned by Tony Swain at the time of the photo.
CHAA acquired UFZ back in 2005 and have been flying her ever since.

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I carefully removed the green 'Deltas' in 2012 as well as re-arranged the tail markings.

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We have been fundraising for a few years now to get her repainted into proper RCAF markings.
http://www.facebook.com/signbessy

Mark Allen M wrote:

All the aircraft in the above two photos are from No. 424 'City of Hamilton' (F) Squadron (Auxiliary). The AMES-11 convoyable radar is from No. 2424 Aircraft Control & Warning Squadron also based at Mount Hope. This was an auxiliary unit that worked alongside No. 424 (F) Squadron. No. 424 (F) Squadron was part of Air Defence Command until being transferred to Air Transport Command effective the 1st of April, 1960.

These two photos were take from the roof of the RCAF Hangars at RCAF Station Downsview (also the home of de Havilland Canada)

Mark Allen M wrote:

Mustang lineup at Trenton.

This photo was take from the wing of one of the 100 T-6D's loaned to the RCAF from 1951-54 in order to fill the training gap while new Harvard Mk 4's were being built. The Texans only served at RCAF Stations Trenton and Centralia (both in Ontario)

:partyman:

Courier Sportster · **Joined:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:03 am **Posts:** 319

This might seem like a silly thing to note, but I really like the font that the RCAF used. It stands out. Very dramatic looking. I like the spacing. I was a sign-man.

k5083 · **Posted:** Tue Dec 19, 2017 9:41 am

Great photos. I like the font, too. So much so that I built a TrueType version of it that has seen some use by artists, decal makers, and warbird restorers. It resembles the font used on a lot of US highway speed limit signs, and also the logo and crawl font of MSNBC.

The Mustang shown with the Goldilocks Harvards, in photos that look to have been taken in the 1970s, was a private warbird. Looks like Jumpin' Jacques to me.

CF-LOR shown with the Golden Hawks is the one that crashed in Colorado a few years ago.

August

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7824

A few in color. The RCAF was/is quite a fantastic outfit. I've had the pleasure of meeting and corresponding with a few retired RCAF pilots. Year class gentlemen.

Dave Hadfield · **Joined:** Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:31 pm **Posts:** 1672

I had the great good fortune to fly this, last summer.

And this, with a much-missed gentleman in the center.

RCAF 442 markings

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7824

Stunning photos of one of the RCAF Sabres. What a beauty.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7824

Canadian Sabre MK 2 19188 photographed at Keflavik, Iceland enroute to Europe as part of Operation 'Leapfrog 1'

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7824

Thanks kindly Dave and the rest of you who are posting in this thread. Great to learn some of the RCAF's history. Great stuff indeed from a great Air Force.
And if you have a "lot" of time on your hands and do facebook you can see many more of these wonderful RCAF photos in the links below. Really fantastic stuff. You may have to ask to join, but it's well worth it IMHO. So nice to bring some attention to the RCAF.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/467558623599713/photos/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/223067654570060/photos/

Mark

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7824

400 Sqn. lanc.

RCAF Rescue Lanc 104

RCAF Air Transport Command Lanc 976

C VEICH · **Joined:** Sun Nov 15, 2009 12:40 pm **Posts:** 1471

k5083 wrote:

The Mustang shown with the Goldilocks Harvards, in photos that look to have been taken in the 1970s, was a private warbird. Looks like Jumpin' Jacques to me.

Might just be my poor eyesight but I only count three blades. Also appears to be quite small. I'm guessing a scaled replica of some sort.

PS- That Lanc in ATC colors is gorgeous!

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7824

RCAF Albatross 9301 sitting serenely in the water. (RCAF photo via Fred Paradie)
Time for another trip up to Canada to go fishing.

RCAF Albatross 9301 during a take-off run. (RCAF photo via Fred Paradie)

9307 over Halifax

9309 over Winnipeg

9301, 305, & 306

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7824

Watch your eyes ...

RCAF T-33 Red Knight aircraft

RCAF T-33 21057 as the Red Knight flying over Saskatoon

RCAF T-33 21118 as a target tug

ignomini · **Posted:** Tue Dec 19, 2017 4:54 pm

Wonderful photos. Love the Lancs in the air. Thanks all for posting.

JohnTerrell · **Posted:** Tue Dec 19, 2017 6:24 pm

The Mustang in the first photo appears to likely be 45-11381 (N5471V/C-GRLR). http://www.mustangsmustangs.com/p-51/su ... l/45-11381

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Mustangs of the RCAF ... & a few other beauties

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