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 AX166
Still at Aircraft Repair on 4 December 1941, noted then as being transferred from RAF to JATP, as a replacement for JATP aircraft loaned to the RAF in North America. To No. 4 Training Command on 2 December 1941, for use by No. 7 Service Flying Training School at Fort MacLeod, Alberta. Category B damage at Fort MacLeod at 23:00 on 18 January 1942. Still with this School when it crash 4 miles north of Granum relief field, Alberta on 15 June 1942. Collided with Anson 6528 during formation flying. Leading Aircraftman Alexander John McLaren, 21, RCAF killed in this aircraft. Scrapped by No. 10 Repair Depot.1941-11-17 Taken on Strength Aircraft Repair 2019-08-20
1942-January-18 Accident: 7 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Bixby | Eilertson
1942-June-15 Accident: 7 Service Flying Training School Loc: Granum Main Aerodrome Names: Mclaren | Olson
1942-11-27 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20
Anson 6528
Anson Mk. I 6528
Ex RAF W2218. To No. 4 Training Command on 29 May 1941, for use by No. 7 Service Flying Training School at Fort MacLeod, Alberta. Category C5 damage at MacLeod aerodrome at 10:50 on 13 August 1941. Aircraft landed gear up following a tire burst on takeoff. Still with No. 7 SFTS when it suffered a Category A crash at 09:00 on 15 June 1942, 4 miles north of Granum, Alberta. Collided with Anson AX166 during practice formation flying. Leading Aircraftman O.E. Olsen (or Olson?) killed in this aircraft. Scrapped by No. 10 Repair Depot.1941-05-01 Taken on Strength Aircraft Repair 2019-08-20
1941-August-13 Accident: 7 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Aspregren | Uptigrove
1942-June-15 Accident: 7 Service Flying Training School Loc: Granum Main Aerodrome Names: Mclaren | Olson
1943-03-12 Struck off Strength Struck off, reduced to spares and produce 2019-08-20