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

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

YouTube Avro Anson History

YouTube Avro Anson Construction

Anson 8649X, Vidal Anson

s/n 8649X

8649X

Prototype of moulded wooden fuselage Ansons. Built using wings and components of UK built Anson I, RCAF 6013 (ex RAF N9943). To Test and Development Flight at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario on 25 February 1941. Assembly started at RCAF Rockcliffe 30 May 1941, completed late July 1941. Serial number marked "8649X". Distinguished from later Anson Vs by flat fuselage top, and only 2 round windows per side. Fuselage supplied by Vidal Research Corporation of New Rochelle, New York. Retained UK built Cheetah IX engines. Assigned to No. 4 Training Command on 6 October 1941. To Federal Aircraft in Montreal on 20 April 1942. Back to No. 4 Training Command for use at No. 2 Air Observer School at Edmonton, Alberta on 20 May 1942, "for weather testing under severe conditions". Equipped with airline style seating when it arrived there. Deliberately stored outside, to determine weather resistance of the new fuselage. Mostly used for VIP flights, only flying occasionally. To No. 3 Training Command on 3 May 1944. Pending disposal from 1 July 1944. Noted as assigned to National Research Council on 2 October 1944, but this was apparently cancelled. To No. 1 Air Command on 15 January 1945, still pending disposal. Stored at No. 9 Repair Depot at St Jean, Quebec, where it was noted with 1776:40 logged time, never overhauled.
last update: 2024-December-25
   1940-March-11 Taken on Strength de Havilland Canada as 6013 2019-08-20
   1945-June-01 Struck off Strength Struck off, to War Assets Corporation for disposal 2019-08-20
📙 JA Griffin (2005: Smith, Castle): 1968 344