The Canadian Aviation Moments were submitted by Dennis Casper from the Roland Groome (Regina) Chapter of the CAHS. Spoiler alert - if you read any further than each question, you will find the answer to the questions directly below. Good luck and have fun!
The Canadian Aviation Moments questions and answers for January are:
Question: What first of World War II did a tiny force of 10 Squadron Whitleys accomplish during September 3/4 1939? Two Canadians (Robert Stevenson of Victoria BC and John Sproule of Brandon MB) were part of this mission.
Answer: “On the night of ¾ September, Robert Stevenson of Victoria, British Columbia, and John Sproule of Brandon, Manitoba, had each climbed aboard Whitleys as part of a ten-aircraft leaflet raid on German cities. Collectively, this tiny force dropped 5.4 tons of leaflets and assured their place in history as the first to drop material of any nature on Germany during the Second World War.”
Source: NO PROUDER PLACE – Page 26
Question: What was the original home base of the Golden Hawks when they were formed in 1959 and why were they formed?
Answer: “The Golden Hawks were formed in the spring of 1959 as part of the RCAF’s contribution to the commemoration of Canada’s Golden Jubilee of Flight. Their original home base was CFB Chatham. During Canada’s Centennial year, September 17, 1967, was designated as “Golden Hawk Day” in Chatham. In honour of the team, the base unveiled a pedestal mounted F-86 Sabre aircraft in Golden Hawk colours and paid tribute to the team which had made the base well known throughout the country.”
Source: virtualmuseum.ca
Question: Which of the new RAF 4 engine bomber types introduced near the beginning of WWII was disappointing and why?
Answer: “Yet another disappointing new RAF heavy bomber type was the Avro Manchester. Although it appeared to be a twin-engine aircraft, it was actually placed in the four-engine category, since its 1750 horsepower Rolls-Royce Vulture power plants were each a pair of Rolls-Royce Kestrels sharing a common crankcase and propeller. The airframe design was exceptionally sound, but the engines proved to this aircraft’s downfall. The couple engine concept was complex and reliable: its worse faults was a tendency to bearing failures and subsequent fires while airborne.” “Lewis further recalled a Manchester doing an engine ground run-up with pistons flying out the side of the nacelle. As a wartime economy measure, the bearing had been made without silver and thus did not possess the requisite hardness and strength. The large end-bearings would collapse the connecting rod, the piston would fling itself overboard and that would spell the end of the engine.”
Source: NO PROUDER PLACE – Page 41