2012 - Canadian Warplane Heritage's 40th Anniversary

CWH Museum · **Posted:** Mon Mar 26, 2012 5:49 pm

2012 - 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Our history continues...

In November 1979, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum acquired the fuselage, a Jacobs engine, and three wings of a rare Fleet Fort aircraft. Although the Fort isn't likely to win any prizes for its beauty, it's claim to fame is that it was the first Canadian designed and built trainer. Fort #3540 is thought to be part of the original prototype Fort that first flew in 1940. It was operated by the National Research Council’s Aircraft Test & Development Centre in Ottawa until it was assigned to No. 2 Wireless School at Calgary in No. 4 Training Command. At Calgary, it served as a wireless trainer with radio equipment installed in the rear cockpit. All Forts were eventually replaced by April of 1944.

Fleet16b · **Posted:** Mon Mar 26, 2012 7:53 pm

Al
Great shot of the Fort.
You should have posted the pics in my photo album I lent you.
They show us towing her home from Trenton.

CWH Museum · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2012 6:30 am

fleet16b wrote:

Great shot of the Fort.
You should have posted the pics in my photo album I lent you.
They show us towing her home from Trenton.

Cam - actually the last posting refers to Fleet Fort #3540 that eventually flies as C-FORT. The photos you loaned us (& thanks again) are of the second Fort recovered in 1983 that eventually ends up as the half and half display in the museum. Here are the photos you refer to:

Fleet16b · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:31 am

thanks

I am really enjoying this hread.....keep it going :drink3:

RobC · **Posted:** Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:29 pm

The CWH gift shop is probably the only place in the world you can get a Fleet Fort hat. As a result, I am probably the only person in Arizona with a Fleet Fort hat

seabee1526 · **Joined:** Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:18 pm **Posts:** 459

Very nice story, thanks for posting.

CWH Museum · **Posted:** Wed Mar 28, 2012 4:19 pm

2012 - 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Our history continues...

Early on in the Lancaster restoration, it is determined that it will be restored in the markings of No. 419 RCAF Moose Squadron to commemorate P/O Andrew Mynarski who was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously. Art de Breyne, the pilot of Andrew Mynarski's Lancaster, writes to Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in 1979 to express his and his wartime crew's interest in the project. To date, this is the most significant example of the kind of interest that has been generated by the Lancaster restoration project. Art is the tall one in the back row.

CWH Museum · **Posted:** Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:34 am

2012 - 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Our history continues...

The formation of CWH's American operation called "Friends of Canadian Warplane Heritage" received its Charter in late 1979. "Friends" then received their first donation, a 1929 Fleet Fawn (N8600), from Scott Smith.

AIRIC · **Posted:** Sat Mar 31, 2012 4:12 pm

Is that the same Scott Smith who owned P-51 GeGe? I know I have a colour shot of the Fawn somewhere in my collection.

Eric

Fleet16b · **Posted:** Sat Mar 31, 2012 6:22 pm

I was working for CWH when we got this Fawn and remember her arrival well.
If I remember correctly , it was originally sponsored by a member( who's name escapes me now)
that owned a BP Service Station in Hamilton.
This was the first Fleet built aircraft I ever worked on. I installed a small radio panel mount in the front cockpit ( still have the diagram and notes I took) . Then I completely cleaned and repainted the entire engine.
It was then decided to repaint her in RCAF colors.

Looking at the picture , I see that she has an incorrect tailwheel, wrong wind screens and a head rest at the rear cockpit which Fleets did not have. Also the rudder is not Fleet Fawn , it is from a Fleet Finch.
All in all she was a great little aircraft that eventually went back to the US and is now in Army Air Corps colors.

I also seem to recall she lost a prop inflight once also.

CWH Museum · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:04 am

AIRIC wrote:

Is that the same Scott Smith who owned P-51 GeGe? I know I have a colour shot of the Fawn somewhere in my collection.

Eric

Eric,

Yes it is the same Scott Smith. I believe he passed away from cancer about two years ago.

Here are a few shots of the Fawn being repainted into RCAF markings and registered as C-FLTI. It was based at Hamilton for several years before being transferred to Niagara Falls, NY, the home base of "Friends".

m charters · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:20 pm

Cam, I don't recall this Fleet losing it's prop, but i do know the Fleet 21 did have the prop depart the plane in flight once before being owned by the museum and force landed in down Toronto way.
The fellow who worked on the Fawn was John Mohiques (not sure I got that spelling correct) who I had lunch with a few years back. He and his German Shepard dog would come up each Saturday.

Fleet16b · **Posted:** Sun Apr 01, 2012 9:17 pm

Mike
Thanks, thats his name

Yes I know about the Fleet 21 incident but recall someone years ago telling me that the Fawn also lost her wood prop.
It was after I left working at CWH, so I am going by what I was told at the time of course the story may have got mixed up (?)

Trying to think way back to then, I think John did fly her as he was the major sponsor of her at first
She was a nice little biplane but not very original
I still have two wing struts from her that were replaced during her restoration.
They hung in my office for years

CWH Museum · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2012 9:32 am

2012 - 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Our history continues...

After a lengthy restoration, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's de Havilland Tiger Moth (8922, C-GCWT) was finally test flown in early 1980. Doing the honour was the previous owner and de Havilland Canada test pilot George Neal. George got into the rear cockpit, took off his hat and placed it in between the front and rear cockpit, where it remained for the entire flight. Afterwards, he recommended some rigging changes to improve the flying characteristics.

In early 1980, Jerry Janes donated a second B-25 to Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. C-GCWJ was based in Vancouver at the Western Wing and is then painted in post war RCAF markings.

On June 1, 1980, Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum entertained its most illustrious visitor to date, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Philip was greeted by CWH President Dennis Bradley, staff and nearly 100 members in uniform. The Prince enjoyed a flypast of Harvards flown by George Stewart, Pete Gutowski and Mike Hutchins.

CWH Museum · **Posted:** Thu Apr 26, 2012 8:21 am

2012 - 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Our history continues...

In May of 1980, four Bolingbroke hulks from Winnipeg were donated to Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. An additional four airframes were acquired later on. Long term restoration began under the leadership of CWH member Wayne Ready. If Wayne had known back then that it was going to take this long to finish, he might have had second thoughts about taking on this project! The target date for the first flight is 2015. (Bolingbroke photos: Steve Tournay)

Warbird Information Exchange

2012 - Canadian Warplane Heritage's 40th Anniversary

Who is online