Watt, Robert Samuel (Leading Aircraftman)

The Northrop A-17, a development of the Northrop Gamma 2F model, was a two-seat, single-engine, monoplane, attack bomber built in 1935 by the Northrop Corporation for the U.S. Army Air Corps. When in British Commonwealth service during World War II, the A-17 was called Nomad.

The Royal Canadian Air Force received 32 Nomads that had been part of a French order of 93 aircraft. When France fell in 1940, this order was taken over by Great Britain who transferred 32 of the aircraft to Canada where they were used as advanced trainers and target tugs as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. All were assigned to No. 3 Training Command RCAF.

Nomads were never used operationally overseas. Initially, the aircraft were used at Camp Borden to check out qualified civilian pilots who were offering their services to the air force. In 1941, the aircraft were modified to a target-towing configuration to allow for air-to-air gunnery training at various schools in Quebec and Ontario. In addition to being used by the RCAF in Canada, the Royal Norwegian Air Force trained some aircrew in exile on the A-17A at airports in Toronto and Muskoka. The RCAF Nomads were retired with the cessation of hostilities. The Nomads were not particularly outstanding aircraft, but they did provide reliable training service logging an average of approximately 3,000 flying hours each in their four and a half years of service. Wikipedia and Harold Skaarup web page

Wikipedia Nomad Trainer

Harold A Skaarup Web Page

Northrop Nomad - Kestrel Publications

Aircraft Images

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Nomad (Northrop) 3491

Nomad (Northrop) 3491

Delivered marked NX-N48. With No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category "A" accident on 19 November 1940, near the McLean's farm, 2 miles north of Thornton, Ontario. The a/c was on a cross-country practice trip. This flight was the first solo on the type for the student pilot and the a/c was observed spinning into the ground. The a/c was destroyed by the crash and the pilot and observers, LAC's R.S. Watt and J.H. Whalen, were both killed. At the time of the crash, the total number of airframe hours was just 196:55 hrs.

1940-08-10 Taken on Strength at Trenton, Ontario 2022-01-26
1940-November-19 Accident: 1 Service Flying Training School Loc: Thornton Ontario Names: Watt | Whalen
1940-11-19 Accident Category A 2022-01-26
1941-03-10 Struck off Strength 2019-08-20