Avro Anson
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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
CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF Owned (4404) RCAF 400 Squadrons (6) Canadian Crewed (259) Canadian Manufactured (3956) Canadian Museum (1)Anson Mk. I N5353
To No. 1 Training Command on 18 November 1940, for use by No. 31 Air Navigation School at Port Albert, Ontario. Delivered from de Havilland Canada to Port Albert by crew from No. 31 ANS on 19 November 1940. Disappeared over Lake Huron near Goderich, Ontario on 20 June 1941 during a navigation exercise. Sidcot suit and navigators instruments belonging to Leading Aircraftman J.W. Clarkson later found 4 miles off shore, 6 miles south-west of Goderich at 13:00 on 21 June 1941. Had 657:55 time in log book at time of crash. Pilot Sgt. J.G. Jones, Clarkson, and 2 others missing.1940-11-12 Taken on Strength de Havilland Canada 2019-08-20
1941-June-20 Accident: 31 Air Navigation School Loc: Names: Bradbury | Clarkson | Evans | Jones
1941-09-06 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20