Western Canada Aviation Museum
Encyclopedia
The Western Canada Aviation Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
. It is the second largest aviation museum in Canada. The collection is housed in an original Trans-Canada Air Lines (today operating as Air Canada
) hangar dating from the 1930s.
The aircraft on display reflect the history of aviation development in Winnipeg
, Manitoba
and Canada and include examples ranging from bush plane
s to transport, military, private, and commercial aircraft.
to watch the landings and takeoffs at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport is one of the other attractions. The collection is housed in an original Trans-Canada Air Lines
aircraft hangar and includes a recreated terminal departure centre and several one-of-a-kind aircraft such as Canada's first helicopter, the CL-84 "Tilt-wing," Avrocar "flying saucer" (full-scale movie model), historic military jets, bush planes, and commercial aircraft.
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The Museum also houses an exhibit on Canadian Women in Aviation, flight simulators, a Black Brant Rocket (built in Manitoba by Bristol Aerospace), and other aviation memorabilia, such as a collection of first airmail covers (i.e. envelopes, including one signed by Charles Lindbergh
and Orville Wright).
One item in the archives is a rare, five-minute film of Amelia Earhart
embarking on her solo, trans-Atlantic flight from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, on 21 May 1932.
The library is open to the public on an appointment basis and photos, films, and audiotapes are loaned or copied on request.
Mark V (CF-MAG) aircraft in May 2002.
Current projects include the restoration of a Bellanca Aircruiser, Fairchild Super 71, Waco, and Harvard.
The Museum has facilitated the recovery of several aircraft, including the "Ghost of Charron Lake" - a Fokker Standard Universal that has taken more than 30 years to locate. It is currently in a recovery and retrieval phase, after which it will begin its restoration.
, Canadian Heritage Information Network
, and the Virtual Museum of Canada
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the second largest aviation museum in Canada. The collection is housed in an original Trans-Canada Air Lines (today operating as Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
) hangar dating from the 1930s.
History
Incorporated in 1974, the Western Canada Aviation Museum has grown into an award-winning heritage institution dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Canada's aviation history.The aircraft on display reflect the history of aviation development in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and Canada and include examples ranging from bush plane
Bush plane
A bush airplane is a general aviation aircraft serving remote, undeveloped areas of a country, usually the African bush, Alaskan and Canadian tundra or the Australian Outback...
s to transport, military, private, and commercial aircraft.
Exhibits
A fully enclosed flight deckFlight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopters and other VTOL aircraft is also referred to as the...
to watch the landings and takeoffs at Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport is one of the other attractions. The collection is housed in an original Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines was a Canadian airline and operated as the country's flag carrier. Its corporate headquarters were in Montreal, Quebec...
aircraft hangar and includes a recreated terminal departure centre and several one-of-a-kind aircraft such as Canada's first helicopter, the CL-84 "Tilt-wing," Avrocar "flying saucer" (full-scale movie model), historic military jets, bush planes, and commercial aircraft.
Specific display aircraft
- Canada's first helicopter (built by the Froebe brothers in Homewood, Manitoba);
- The most complete Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
in the world (which flew out of the hangar that now houses the Museum); - A replica of CF-ARM, the Junkers Ju 52Junkers Ju 52The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
/1M that flew out of the Brandon Avenue base of Canadian Airways Ltd. Known as the "Flying Boxcar," this ungainly plane was the largest single-engine aircraft operated in North America. - The Avrocar (aircraft)Avrocar (aircraft)The Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar was a VTOL aircraft developed by Avro Aircraft Ltd. as part of a secret U.S. military project carried out in the early years of the Cold War. The Avrocar intended to exploit the Coandă effect to provide lift and thrust from a single "turborotor" blowing exhaust out...
- A replica of the flying saucer that was built by a secret contract between the American military and Avro CanadaAvro CanadaCommonly known as Avro Canada, this company started in 1945 as an aircraft plant and became within thirteen years the third-largest company in Canada, one of the largest 100 companies in the world, and directly employing over 50,000...
during the Cold War years. - A CF-101 VoodooCF-101 VoodooThe CF-101 Voodoo was an all-weather interceptor aircraft operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force and Canadian Forces between 1961 and 1984. They were manufactured by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri for the United States Air Force , and later sold to Canada...
fighter jet with training simulator - A Canadair F-86 Sabre
- A Bellanca AircruiserBellanca AircruiserThe Bellanca Aircruiser and Airbus were high-wing, single engine aircraft built by Bellanca Aircraft Corporation of New Castle, Delaware. The aircraft was built as a "workhorse" intended for use as a passenger or cargo aircraft. It was available as land, sea or ski plane. The aircraft was powered...
- In 2005, the Museum acquired a very significant Tiger MothTiger mothTiger moths are moths of the family Arctiidae.Tiger moth may also refer to:*de Havilland Tiger Moth, an aircraft; an aerobatic and trainer tailwheel biplane*de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth, an earlier monoplane produced by de Havilland...
(designated a Canadian Heritage aircraft by the federal government) and the only Fokker Super UniversalFokker UniversalThe Fokker Universal or "Standard" was the first aircraft built in the United States that was based on the designs of Dutch-born Anthony Fokker, who had designed aircraft for the Germans during World War I. About half of the 44 Universals that were built between 1926 and 1931 in the United States...
aircraft left in the world.
The Museum also houses an exhibit on Canadian Women in Aviation, flight simulators, a Black Brant Rocket (built in Manitoba by Bristol Aerospace), and other aviation memorabilia, such as a collection of first airmail covers (i.e. envelopes, including one signed by Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
and Orville Wright).
Archives and Library
The comprehensive aviation reference library housed at the Museum is one of the largest in the country, with holdings of books, magazines, technical manuals, and drawings, as well as some 40,000 photographs, films, and audiotapes, many of which cannot be found anywhere else.One item in the archives is a rare, five-minute film of Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
embarking on her solo, trans-Atlantic flight from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, on 21 May 1932.
The library is open to the public on an appointment basis and photos, films, and audiotapes are loaned or copied on request.
Recovery and restoration
The Museum has an active Restoration Department and has returned many bent and twisted aircraft to full display condition. A team of volunteers completed a full-scale replica of a Canadian Vickers VedetteCanadian Vickers Vedette
-References:NotesCitationsBibliography* Milberry, Larry. Aviation in Canada. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-07-082778-8.* Molsen, Kenneth M. "The Canadian Vickers Vedette." Canadian Aeronautics and Space Journal, October 1964....
Mark V (CF-MAG) aircraft in May 2002.
Current projects include the restoration of a Bellanca Aircruiser, Fairchild Super 71, Waco, and Harvard.
The Museum has facilitated the recovery of several aircraft, including the "Ghost of Charron Lake" - a Fokker Standard Universal that has taken more than 30 years to locate. It is currently in a recovery and retrieval phase, after which it will begin its restoration.
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with the Canadian Museums AssociationCanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, Canadian Heritage Information Network
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and the Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.