Canadair CP-107 Argus

(DND Photo via James Craik) (Source Harold A Skaarup Web Page)
Canadair CP-107 Argus Mk. 1 (Serial No. 20711), No. 404 'Buffalo' (MP) Squadron.

The Canadair CP-107 Argus (company designation CL-28) was a maritime patrol aircraft designed and manufactured by Canadair for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). In its early years, the Argus was reputedly the finest anti-submarine patrol bomber in the world. The Argus served throughout the Cold War in the RCAF's Maritime Air Command and later the Canadian Force's Maritime Air Group and Air Command.

In 1949, Canadair recognized that the RCAF would soon be looking for a replacement for the Avro Lancasters being used in the maritime patrol role and proposed the CL-29, a variant of the North Star, itself a variant of the Douglas C-54 Skymaster or DC-4 transport. When the RCAF issued the specification in 1952, it was for a larger and more capable aircraft, and two proposals were received. These included a Lockheed Constellation variant from Lockheed, however its low speed handling was deemed inadequate by the RCAF, while Bristol proposed a variant of their Britannia airliner but concerns were raised over its floating controls, where they were controlled via servo tabs rather than direct linkages. The RCAF preferred the Bristol proposal, but it would be developed in Canada. Canadair presented two proposals, the CL-28 also based on the Britannia, which was accepted, and a lowest cost design called the CL-33 which was described as a fat Lancaster. It would have comparable to the Avro Shackleton already being operated by the RAF, but significantly lighter, and was to be powered by the same engines as were used in the CL-28, or similar radial engines.

Canadair began work on the CL-28 in April 1954 and at the time it was the largest aircraft to be built in Canada. The hybrid design, initially referred to as the 'Britannia Maritime Reconnaissance', or 'Britannia MR', was derived from the Bristol Britannia airliner, having the same wings, tail surfaces and landing gear except for being "Americanized" meaning that it used the same general design, but changed from British materials, dimensions and standard parts to American ones. Due to the greater stresses from flying at low altitude for long periods of time, even the components taken from the Britannia needed substantial reinforcement, and to meet these demands, extensive use of a locally developed metal to metal bonding was used. The Argus represented the first large scale use of titanium in the structure, as well as structural plastic, which was used to electrically insulate the top of the fin for the sensors mounted there.

The fuselage was completely redesigned by Canadair, going from the pressure cabin used in the Britannia to an unpressurised one with two 18 ft (5.5 m) long bomb bays fore and aft of the wings. The powerplants werre also changed from the Bristol Proteus turboprop engines to Wright R-3350 turbo-compound piston radial engines, which had lower fuel consumption necessary for extended missions at low level. At the design stage the Napier Nomad, another turbo compound engine was also considered, although the Nomad was later cancelled. Wikipedia

Argus Maritime Patrol Bomber

Wikipedia Canadair CP-107Argus

Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Argus 2 20727

Argus on exercises in 'Maple Spring' Lost in Atlantic

With No. 405 (MP) Squadron at RCAF Station Greenwood from 29 January 1959. To No. 2 (M) Operational Traiing Unit detachment at Greenwood on 3 February 1959. To Fairey Aviation for updates on 24 November 1960. Back at Greenwood from 30 May 1961. To Fairey again for furtherupdates, 8 July 1964 to 6 January 1965. With Argus Conversion Unit at Greenwood in early 1965. With No. 404 Squadron, on detachment to Puerto Rico, when it disappeared during night training mission 60 miles north of Puerto Rico on 23 March 1965. First Argus lost. No trace ever found. 15 fatalities, including two civilian scientists. Disappeared at night, some have theorized aircraft may have dug in a wing tip during a low level turn.

404 (MP) Sqn Ready to Fight ("Buffalo")

History of the Squadron during World War II (Aircraft: Blenheim IV, Beaufighter IIF, XC, XIC, Mosquito PR Mk VIC)

The squadron formed as the RCAF’s second, and first coastal, squadron formed overseas in WWII. It was a Coastal Fighter unit, formed at Thorney Island, Hampshire, UK in April 1941 as part of No 16 Group of RAF Fighter Command. Shortly after its formation, it moved to Scotland, where it spent most of the war, as part of No 18 Group Coastal Command. Initially the squadron was equipped with Bristol Blenheim Mk IV aircraft (unit code was EE). Its function was to attack enemy shipping along the Dutch and Norwegian coasts, and also later to provide long-range fighter cover for Coastal Command aircraft operating over the Bay of Biscay. The squadron flew from Castletown and Skitten, in Caithness, Scotland between July and October 1941, before moving to Dyce, Aberdeenshire, until December. In October “B” Flight of the squadron was based at Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands, and the remainder of the squadron joined them in December 1941. They were there until March 1942, when they moved to Dyce until August, when they returned to Sumburgh for 6 weeks. Then it was back to Dyce again until January of 1943. In September 1942 the squadron had re-equipped with Bristol Beaufighter IIF aircraft. In January 1943 the squadron moved to Chivenor in Devon as part of No 18 Group, and flew from there until they moved back to Scotland in April 1943, this time briefly based in Tain, Ross-shire before settling at Wick, where they remained until May 1944. From March to December 1943 they flew Beaufighters Mk XIC and then from September 1943 they flew the Mk XC. In early May 1944 the squadron moved to Davidstow Moor, Cornwall to assist with the D-Day landings. On the afternoon of D-Day itself, the squadron was involved in an action against 3 German destroyers which sought to intrude in the invasion fleet. They were equipped with rocket-firing Beaufighters and were part of a strike force that sank all three of the enemy ships. At the end of June 1944 they moved to Strubby, Lincolnshire, as part of No 16 Group, before returning to Scotland. This time they had a short stay at Banff, before moving to Dallachy, Moray, where they remained until April 1945 as part of the Dallachy Wing. They returned to Banff and were re-equipped with de Havilland Mosquito PR MK VIC aircraft, which flew as part of the Banff Wing . The squadron was disbanded there in May 1945.

In the course of hostilities, the squadron flew some 3144 sorties, for the loss of 35 aircraft and 79 aircrew, of whom 77 were killed or missing. They were credited with destroying 8 aircraft, with 6 probables and 10 damaged. They dropped 32 tons of bombs on ships, 319 18-inch torpedoes and 1602 25-pound rockets, and were credited with 4 vessels sunk, 4 damaged, and had a share in 37 ships sunk and 14 damaged. They also shared in damaging 3 U-boats. The squadron members were awarded 2 DSOs, 45 DFCs, 3 Bars to DFC, 3 DFMs, 1 GM and 19 MiDs. Battle Honours were: Atlantic 1941–45, English Channel and North Sea, 1941–45, Baltic 1944–45, Normandy 1944, Biscay 1943–44. Wikipedia, Kostenuk and Griffin

Maps for Movements of 404 Squadron 1941-45

MAP 1: 404 Squadron Movements 1941-45 (right-click on image to display enlarged in new tab)

MAP 2: 404 Squadron Movements in Scotland 1941-45: Detail of Map 1

404 Sqn History Summary 1941-45

404 Sqn History Summary 1941-45 Page 2

History of the Squadron Post-WWII (Aircraft: Lancaster X, Neptune, Argus I & II, Aurora)

The squadron was re-formed as No. 404 (Maritime Reconnaissance) Squadron at Greenwood, Nova Scotia on 30 April 1951, flying Avro Lancaster Mk. X aircraft. It was re-designated No 404 (Maritime Patrol) on 17 July 1956. The squadron was the second of four formed in Maritime Air Command, and flew on East Coast maritime duty. The aircraft used were Lancaster X until 1955, then Lockheed Neptune until 1960, then Canadair CP-107 Argus. On 1 February 1968 the squadron was integrated into the Canadian Armed Forces. Once the CP-140 Aurora aircraft became available, the squadron was designated 404 Maritime Patrol and Training Squadron. The current title is 404 Long Range Patrol and Training (LRP&T) Squadron, and it serves as the Operational Training Unit (OTU) for Aircrew and Maintenance personnel who work on the CP140 Aurora. It remains based at Greenwood, NS.

Government of Canada RCAF Website