Anson (Total: 4,817, Canadian: 1, Group 1)

Avro Anson

Avro Anson Mk. V
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Museum's Anson Mk. V was built by MacDonald Brothers in Winnipeg in 1944. It flew with No. 7 Photographic Wing and No. 414 Squadron in Ottawa on photo survey work until the late 1940s. In 1956, it was purchased by INCO and used for mineral surveying until 1980, when it was donated to the Museum. The exterior is painted in the yellow colour common to all BCATP trainers and is in its same wartime RCAF markings.

The Avro Anson was known by a number of nicknames including "Faithful Annie" or "Flying Greenhouse". It was the first aircraft to be flown by the Royal Canadian Air Force to have a retractable undercarriage, which was a comparative novelty in 1936. In 1940, a Canadian government owned company, Federal Aircraft Limited, was created in Montreal to manufacture the Anson for Canadian use. Nearly 3,000 Anson aircraft were produced and, in the early days of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), the Anson was the standard trainer for many pilots, observers (navigators), wireless operators and bomb aimers. More than 20,000 aircrew received training on the Anson. In Canadian service, the aircraft was substantially re-designed with the substitution of North American engines and many other airframe and equipment changes. Harold Skaarup web pages

unvetted Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube Avro Anson History

YouTube Avro Anson Construction

Anson 7069, Mk. II

s/n 7069

m/d 652A

Federal Aircraft

7069

May have been first Canadian built Anson completed. Wing built by CC&F. To St. Hubert, Quebec for assembly 5 July 1941. First flight at St. Hubert 21 August 1941 by J. Bruce Douglas of RAF Ferry Command (after 7070 had flown at Amherst, NS). Taken on strength at the Test and Development Establishment at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario on 3 September 1941. To No. 3 Training Command with the Establishment on 1 November 1942. Used to test emergency skiis built by Peterborough Canoe Co. to RCAF design. Taxied into a parked Harvard at Rockcliffe 5 January 1943, repaired. To Central Aircraft at Crumlin, Ontario for overhaul, 16 August to 5 November 1943. To storage with No. 4 Training Command when completed. Issued from storage on 5 February 1944, for use by No. 7 Service Flying Training School at Fort MacLeod, Alberta. To storage on 21 September 1944. To No. 2 Air Command on 1 December 1944, still in storage. Pending disposal from 23 July 1945. Stored at No. 101 Reserve Equipment Maintenance Satellite at Fort MacLeod, where it was noted with 823:10 total time, 553:20 since overhaul.
last update: 2024-December-25
   1941-August-21 First Flight First flight, see comments 2019-08-20
   1941-September-03 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
1943-January-05 Accident: T & D ESTABLISHMENT ROCKLIFFE, ONT Loc: Rcaf Stnorth Rockliffe Names: Costello | Harkness
   1946-August-16 Struck off Strength Struck off, to War Assets Corporation for disposal 2019-08-20
📙 JA Griffin (2005: Smith, Castle): 1968 319