Avro Anson
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
CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF Owned (4404) RCAF 400 Squadrons (6) Canadian Crewed (259) Canadian Manufactured (3956) Canadian Museum (1)Anson Mk. I R9720
Winter conversion kit installed during assembly at MacDonald Brothers, invoiced cost was $780.02. To No. 4 Training Command on 4 November 1940. To No. 2 Training Command on 1 February 1941, for use by No. 33 Service Flying Training School at Carberry, Manitoba. To MacDonald Brothers Aircraft for overhaul, 5 August to 19 September 1941. To No. 4 Training Command when completed, for use by No. 3 Service Flying Training School at Calgary, Alberta. Noted at the time as one of 15 RAF account single control Ansons exchanged for dual control Ansons with the JATP account. To No. 1 Training Command on 19 August 1942, for use by No. 31 Air Navigation School at Port Albert, Ontario. Category A crash on 25 March 1943. 2 fatalities: pilot Sgt. J.E. Bird, RAF and Leading Aircraftman G.H. Hicks, RAF. To No. 6 Repair Depot for scrapping on 6 April 1943.1940-10-12 Taken on Strength MacDonald Brothers Aircraft 2019-08-20
1943-March-25 Accident: 31 Air Navigation School Loc: Kincardine Names: Bird | Coles | Hicks | Thomas | White
1943-05-12 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20