CASPIR Canadian Vickers Varuna

ABOUT
CASPIR Data Archive Mission & Data Sources Significant Canadian Historians Our Team RCAF Assistance CASPIR Volunteering
CASPIR contains documents, images and history of Canada's military aviation. The personnel and aircraft data has been compiled using data provided by trusted Canadian military aviation historians and original source documents. Where possible source documents are linked.
RESEARCH
CASPIR Resources
RCAF Accident Cards (1939-1945)JA Griffin Documents 1968 and 2005 Obtaining a World War II Service File
External Resources
RCAF.info: Research Resources RCAF.info: Finding Your Family Records
Griffin Library, 17 Wing Winnipeg
John Griffin was a significant historian, documenting Canada's Military aircraft
AIRCRAFT
Military Aircraft Associated with Canadians Choose a Specific Aircraft Serial
Lancaster FM213
CWHM flies one of the two airworthy Lancasters in the world. FM213 is usually marked as KB726 honouring Andrew Mynarski, VC.
PERSONNEL
Name or Home Town Search Unit (Squadron) Search Aircraft Type or Serial Search Browse by Letter This Day in History Choose a Day in History
Prisoner of War Evaded Capture Interned in a Neutral Country Catastrophic Losses (Ships Hotels Aircraft)Choose Specific Military Cemeteries (WW1 WW2 and Beyond)
Andrew Mynarski, VC
We Shall Remember Them.
HISTORY
✅ Start Here ✅ Glossary ✅ Canada and World War II ✅ Combatants & First Airmen Casualties ✅ Air Force Operations ✅ Battle of Britain ✅ Women in War ✅ War Artists
"A" Able flying through the Eiffel Tower? (although this event likely happened, this photograph is likely fake.) It is signed by the late Bill Bryant RAF who was the navigator of that aircraft piloted by Bob Boorman RCAF. The caption reads "This Stars Stripes photograph was taken on 14 September 1944 and shows a Mosquito Mk XIII of 409 Squadron RCAF. Pilot - W/O Bob Boorman RCAF Navigator F/S Bill Bryant RAF Flying through the Eiffel Tower."
CONTACT
Click here for Information Requests & Data Submissions
NEW & INTERESTING
Exceptionally Interesting Stories and Aircraft What is new in CASPIR?

Varuna (Canadian: 8 )

Canadian Vickers Varuna

Source: Harold A Skaarup Web Page (Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN 3388223)
Canadian Vickers Varuna I, RCAF Reg. No. G-CYGV, Shirley's Bay, Ontario, 18 Nov 1925

The Canadian Vickers Varuna was a Canadian flying boat of the 1920s built by Canadian Vickers as a twin-engined, unequal-span biplane, with a wooden hull and steel tube structure.

The Varuna was developed in response to a Royal Canadian Air Force requirement for a flying boat to transport men and equipment to forest fires. It was a large-scale twin-engined version of the Vedette.

Most Varunas spent their service in Manitoba operating in their intended role; all Varuna IIs were withdrawn in 1930 and the sole Varuna I was struck off in 1932. Wikipedia

Wkikpedia Wikipedia Canadian Vickers Varuna

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

RCAF Owned (8)

last update: 2021-10-10 18:48:29

Varuna G‑CYGV

s/n

G-CYGV

c/n

CV 30

c/r

G‑CYGV

Known Squadron Assignments:

Prototype Varuna. Being tested at Shirleys Bay, Ontario as early as 18 November 1925. Taken on strength by RCAF on 2 June 1926. Used by No. 3 (Operations) Squadron at Rockcliffe and Shirleys Bay, Ont., till 1927. Successful photo survey work with this unit in 1926 led to order for further Varuna Mk. II aircaft. Detached to La Tuque, Quebec for survey work summer of 1927. Still at Rockcliffe on 16 November 1932, when placed in storage.
last update: 2024-September-22
   1925-October-22 First Flight First flight from St. Lawrence River, by S/L W. R. Kenny 2019-08-20
   1926-June-02 Taken on Strength 2022-02-07
   1932-November-16 Struck off Strength struck off, placed in storage 2019-08-20

📙 JA Griffin (2005:Smith, Castle): 1968 197

Varuna G‑CYZP

s/n

G-CYZP

c/n

CV 49

c/r

G‑CYZP

Known Squadron Assignments:

last update: 2024-November-25
1927-August-08 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1927-September-19 Struck off Strength Struck off, after Category A crash at Shirley's Bay, Ontario on 19 August 1927. 2019-08-20

📙 JA Griffin (2005:Smith, Castle): 1968 200

Varuna G‑CYZQ

s/n

G-CYZQ

c/n

CV 48

c/r

G‑CYZQ

Known Squadron Assignments:

Ferried from Montreal to Rockcliffe on 30 June 1927 by Tuddy Tudhope. Used at Cormorant Lake.
last update: 2024-September-22
1927-August-04 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1930-December-12 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20

📙 JA Griffin (2005:Smith, Castle): 1968 200

Varuna G‑CYZR

s/n

G-CYZR

c/n

CV 47

c/r

G‑CYZR

Known Squadron Assignments:

Operated from Ladder Lake, Saskatchewan in 1929. Probably struck off by 1930, but no date known.
last update: 2024-September-22
1927-June-13 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20

📙 JA Griffin (2005:Smith, Castle): 1968 200

Varuna G‑CYZS

s/n

G-CYZS

c/n

CV 46

c/r

G‑CYZS

Known Squadron Assignments:

Operated throughout Western Canada by No. 1 (Operations) Wing out of Winnipeg, Manitoba, seen at Cormorant Lake.
last update: 2024-September-22
1927-May-27 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1930-December-19 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20

📙 JA Griffin (2005:Smith, Castle): 1968 200

Varuna G‑CYZT

s/n

G-CYZT

c/n

CV 38

c/r

G‑CYZT

Known Squadron Assignments:

Operated throughout Western Canada by No. 1 (Operations) Wing out of Winnipeg, Man. At Cormorant Lake in 1927. Also reported as Category B on 21 July 1930.
last update: 2024-September-22
   1927-May-11 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
   1930-October-09 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07
   1930-December-15 Accident Category B SOS after Category B accident 9 October 1930 2019-08-20

📙 JA Griffin (2005:Smith, Castle): 1968 200

Varuna G‑CYZU

s/n

G-CYZU

c/n

CV 37

c/r

G‑CYZU

Known Squadron Assignments:

Operated throughout Western Canada by No. 1 (Operations) Wing out of Winnipeg, Man. Sank in Cross Lake, Manitoba, while attempting down wind landing following loss of aileron control.
last update: 2024-September-22
1927-May-11 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1927-October-18 Struck off Strength Struck off, after Category A crash on 9 June 1927, see comments. 2019-08-20

📙 JA Griffin (2005:Smith, Castle): 1968 200

Varuna G‑CYZV

s/n

G-CYZV

c/n

CV 39

c/r

G‑CYZV

Known Squadron Assignments:

Stationed at Dartmouth Air Station, with No. 4 (Operations) Squadron from 27 March 1927. Only Varuna based on the East Coast. Shipped there by rail. Photo surveys over Nova Scotia from Dartmouth and Shelburne, NS. Was ferrying back to Ottawa for the winter at time of crash.
last update: 2024-September-22
1927-March-12 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1928-March-14 Struck off Strength Struck off, after crashing at Fredericton, NB on 9 November 1927. 2019-08-20

📙 JA Griffin (2005:Smith, Castle): 1968 200

Griffin Library, 17 Wing Winnipeg

Lancaster FM213

Andrew Mynarski, VC

Canadian Vickers Varuna

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:

Varuna G‑CYGV

Varuna G‑CYZP

Varuna G‑CYZQ

Varuna G‑CYZR

Varuna G‑CYZS

Varuna G‑CYZT

Varuna G‑CYZU

Varuna G‑CYZV

Cookies