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Home , Autoland, De Havilland Moth, De Havilland Propellers, Flypast, Frank Halford, Geoffrey de Havilland

Volume 40 December 2005 Number 4

http://www.cahs.ca/torontochapter This Month’s Meeting: receiving the DFC. He also holds the Order of Mustangs and Voodoo Military Merit and is ’s most decorated Christmas Special Meeting citizen. In the postwar period he was also the Gift Exchange - Once again meeting attendees CO of RCAF Squadron #411 at Downsview. are invited to bring a wrapped unmarked He later became Chief of Reserves of the Christmas gift to exchange for another. This has Canadian Armed Forces. been a long term tradition for the Toronto He is currently the author of “Generally Chapter’s December meetings. Speaking - The Memoirs of Major-General Richard Rohmer”, his 28th. book. Speakers - We are pleased to have two excellent speakers for this meeting.

Mr. Martin Keenan - Mr. Keenan is a chapter member , past chapter director and a heavy lubricants expert with Petro Canada. He is also an aviation researcher with special interest in high performance and has been published in “Airforce” magazine. All are welcome to come out and celebrate on He will speak on the CF-101B “Voodoo” in the 102nd. Anniversary of Powered Flight! Canadian service. December 17th Meeting starts at 1:00 p.m. sharp.

Chapter News - December 2005 ...... 7 2006 Winter / Spring Meeting Dates ... 7 2006 Schedule ...... 7

Last Month’s Meeting Video --- at Hatfield Reporter: Gord McNulty

Toronto Chapter Secretary-Treasurer Bob Winson presented an outstanding 70-minute colour video, de Havilland at Hatfield, as an Major-General Richard Rohmer - alternative when scheduled guest speaker Allen Major-General Rohmer was one of Canada’s top Stern was unable to attend because of work Mustang photo reconnaissance pilots in WW II obligations. The video combined impressive

1 Flypast V. 40 No. 4 aerial photography with unique archival footage, the thousands. In 1920, Captain de Havilland together with personal recollections from formed the de Havilland Aircraft Co. The luminaries such as chief test pilot John company survived on scarce military contracts Cunningham, Anne de Havilland, granddaughter and overseas orders, but it was the Moth which of Sir , and others in a saved the day. Launched in 1925 as a safe, tribute to the legendary British company that attractive and affordable touring and training influenced the course of aviation for more than two-seater, it became an immediate success. 60 years. Produced in 1996, the video covered Powered first by the 60 horsepower Cirrus the origins of de Havilland, how operations at engine, and later by the long-lived, more Hatfield started, the eventual amalgamation of powerful Gipsy series designed by Frank de Havilland into Hawker Siddley, followed by Halford, the Moth was in demand everywhere, and finally the closing of flown by private owners, flying clubs and air Hatfield itself. forces. Moth aircraft reflected Geoffrey de In 1930, the de Havilland Aircaft Co. of Stag Havilland’s lifelong admiration for the natural Lane in acquired open farmland, 20 world. His granddaughter, Anne, said he miles north of in , to became very interested in the outdoors, birds, establish a new headquarters. Hatfield flowers, butterflies and moths, and it was Aerodrome became the centre for a worldwide reflected in his art. The Moth established de aviation enterprise, producing aircraft, engines, Havilland as a major manufacturer, which propellers, missiles and rockets. There was, as became famous for epic flights in the 1920s. In many of the people interviewed for the video 1926, a new emerged from Stag Lane, noted, a distinctive style to de Havilland’s the three-engined D.H. 66 Hercules which flew designs which made the company’s aircraft a up to 12 passengers on remote air routes for favourite of many aviation enthusiasts. Frank Imperial Airways and in . By the late Vann, who was chief structural engineer, said: 1920s, the de Havilland company was “No one consciously put artistry into it. But established in all corners of the world, with somehow de Havilland aeroplanes always came Moth aircraft and Gipsy engines in huge out looking better than anyone else’s. There was demand. a saying at the company that if it looked right, it was right. De Havilland aeroplanes always did look beautiful.” It all began with Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, who was not only a brilliant engineer but also an artist. He developed an overwhelming desire to fly. With his wife’s support, and some money left by his grandfather, he designed and constructed an aircraft and a specially built engine. His first aircraft crashed within yards of takeoff, but using the undamaged engine, Geoffrey quickly constructed a stronger machine In 1930, in the midst of an economic slump, de and flew it successfully in 1910. This second Havilland purchased 150 acres of farmland at aircraft launched his career as a designer and test Hatfield for a new airfield away from the pilot of famous types such as the D.H. 4, built by congestion of Stag Lane. A training school

Flypast V. 40 No. 4 2 operated by de Havilland made Hatfield a to win the MacRobertson Trophy and 10,000 popular centre for the sporting, free and pounds. Only five Comets were built. The easy-minded pilots of the 1930s. Alan Copas, a winning aircraft survives today after painstaking senior designer with 50 years of service at de restoration. The Comet established de Havilland, noted Hatfield was built as a grass Havilland as leaders in the design of airfield, which enabled pilots to use a no high-performance aircraft, but the Dragons, matter which way the wind was blowing. Top Dragon Rapides, Hornet Moths, Tiger Moths pilots of the day were attracted to Hatfield. The together with the Gipsy engines brought annual King’s Cup Air Race, a social event and financial stability. One of de Havilland’s most test of man and machine, was based at Hatfield beautiful aircraft ever was the Albatross, in 1933. Capt. de Havilland set out in a Leopard intended as a trans-Atlantic mailplane and a Moth, first flown six weeks previously on an flagship of the Imperial Airways fleet. It first 804-mile course. He returned as the popular flew in 1937 and won records for fast airline winner of this prestigious event, at an average schedules throughout Europe. speed of almost 140 miles per hour. In 1934, the building of a large factory was started, and as orders for Moths recovered after the slump, an imposing new headquarters building took shape. It would become the nerve centre for the de Havilland enterprise, and a famous landmark. The company established a Technical School renowned for its training in aviation science. It was also a pioneer in sponsored apprenticeships.

By the late 1930s, ’s engines and de Havilland’s aircraft were being built in ever-greater numbers. Capt. de Havilland’s son, Geoffrey, assisted with test flying. The Technical School produced fast racers as design exercises, such as the TK4, which claimed the life of the company’s chief test pilot in 1937. An early project at Hatfield was the D.H. 88, the Geoffrey de Havilland, Jr., was then appointed famous Comet racer, with the speed and range chief test pilot. The serious business of test to win the 1934 to Australia Air Race, flying appointed John Cunningham, who had and able to give America’s new Douglas DC-2 learned to fly with the RAF Reserve. The a run for its money. The all-wood Comet had a company’s first all-metal type was the retractable undercarriage, flaps, variable pitch Flamingo, but it was development of the propellers, and was very fast. Three Comets, famous “wooden wonder,” the D.H. 98 costing 5,000 pounds each, were privately Mosquito, which further advanced the entered. The team of Charles Scott and Tom company’s reputation. The deHavilland team, Campbell-Black, flying Grosvenor House, thinking of the proven advantages of wood in reached Melbourne in under 71 hours flying time terms of high speed and performance, with ease

3 Flypast V. 40 No. 4 of construction, went ahead without government In 1942, de Havilland entered the jet age with approval on the top-secret project. It was 1939, the development, in great secrecy, of the Goblin and to avoid the risk of air raids disrupting the turbine engine. It powered de Havilland’s first design work, a nearby manor house, Salisbury jet, the Vampire, which first flew in 1943. The Hall, was taken over. The Mosquito was Vampire was another milestone for Hatfield. designed in isolation of the activities at Hatfield The company continued to set records: in and the prototype was completed at Salisbury March, 1944, a Mosquito became the first Hall. R.E. Bishop’s design was a masterpiece. twin-engined aircraft to deck land at sea. A In record time, the design and construction team scaled-down, single-seat progression of the produced a twin-engined fighter- which Mosquito, the Hornet, first flew in 1944. It was exceeded the specifications in every way. It was built of wood and metal, and had all the more remarkable in that conditions at contra-rotating propellers to avoid swing on Salisbury Hall were far from ideal. There was takeoff. It too made a first at sea, in hardly any heating, for instance, but the August, 1945. In December, 1945, the Vampire teamwork was outstanding. People who asked became the first jet to land on an aircraft questions were told that work was being done carrier. In 1944, Capt. Geoffrey de Havilland on “Oxfords.” was knighted for his contributions to aviation. The prototype was taken to Hatfield by road, The war over, exciting new developments and it made it first flight in November, 1940, continued at Hatfield, exemplified by the tailless piloted by Geoffrey de Havilland Jr. More than D.H. 108 --- three of which were built for test 7,000 Mosquitoes were built, including more research in breaking the sound barrier. The than 3,000 at Hatfield and 1,133 by de Havilland company’s chief test pilot of the time, Geoffrey Canada at Downsview. The Mossie served with de Havilland Jr. displayed the D.H. 108, which distinction in its various bomber, day and night in 1948 would become the first British aircraft fighter, intruder and photo reconnaissance roles. to break the sound barrier, at the Farnborough During the war, de Havilland built variable pitch in 1946. Tragedy struck again in propellers for dozens of aircraft types. A licence September, 1946, however, when Geoffrey agreement had been signed in 1934 with junior died in the crash of the second prototype Hamilton-Standard in America, and virtually all when it broke up in preparation for an attempt RAF aircraft flew with de Havilland propellers. on the world speed record. Hatfield was the scene of intense production for Mosquitoes, Tiger Moths, Rapides, and repair activity, which continued amid frequent air raid warnings. In October, 1940, 21 people died and nearly 70 were injured when the sheet metal shop was bombed. After the raid, Mosquito production was dispersed across the country. A very busy test flying period continued. In 1943, Sir Geoffrey’s second son, John, was killed in a Mosquito test flight collision over the home airfield of Hatfield. John Cunningham, flying Mosquitoes as CO of 85 Squadron, The company’s achievements in civil aviation, became a legend. meanwhile, were exemplified in the immediate

Flypast V. 40 No. 4 4 post-war years by the Dove, an eight to three-engine configuration, the project grew 11-passenger, branch-line passenger transport into the D.H. 106 with four Ghost engines that served in 40 different countries, its providing a total 20,000 pounds of thrust. The four-engined counterpart, the Heron, and here in designers produced a sleek, purposeful aircraft Canada by ’s highly known as the Comet. The video showed rare successful Chipmunk and Beaver. In 1947, John footage of the initial testing of advanced Cunningham, who succeeded Geoffrey junior as concepts such as the nosewheel undercarriage. chief test pilot, made the first flight in a Vampire Many observers ranked the Comet ranked as equipped with the company’s new, 5,000-pound the most significant aircraft ever to emerge Ghost engine. It was fitted in the Vampire as from Hatfield, perhaps a bigger step forward part of the development of the Comet --- the than the supersonic would prove to world’s first in-service . Cunningham be two decades later. The Comet’s cruising also test flew a Lancastrian test bed fitted with speed of 500 m.p.h. was extraordinary, both in two Ghost engines. By 1948, terms of speed and the fact that the aircraft was development was gathering momentum at economical. It gave Britain a chance to forge Hatfield. The video included a clip of John ahead on civil aircraft that had been largely Derry, test pilot at de Havilland from 1947 to overlooked during the war ahead. Many 1952, commenting on supersonic research. celebrities from around the world came to Derry died tragically when the first prototype Hatfield to marvel at the Comet’s role in D.H. 110 broke up in a disaster at the establishing the jet age in commercial aviation. Farnborough air show in September, 1952. In Unfortunately, after entering service in 1952 to July, 1948, a formation of Vampires from 54 an enthralled public, tragedy ensued as a series Fighter Squadron, Royal , made the of mysterious accidents led to the grounding of first jet aircraft crossing of the Atlantic and then the Comet and a period of extensive redesign to toured North America and Canada. At Hatfield, regain certification. The problem was traced to new developments included wind tunnel facilities metal fatigue failutre in the pressurized cabin. for testing the ever-larger propellers then coming John Cunningham said that all of de Havilland’s into service. By the end of 1949, there were competitors were sympathetic to the company’s 9,000 de Havilland propellers in service with 300 plight and suggested that they too would have operators. The range extended from the encountered the fatigue problem that de manually variable pitched propeller for 100 Havilland experienced had they been in the horsepower engines up to six-blade same pioneering role that de Havilland was. contra-rotating types for the Shackleton The massive setback resulted in de Havilland and the 17-feet, eight losing its three or four year advantage over blade contra-rotating type for the Saunders Roe rival with its 707. By the time the new Princess . Two new fighters emerged Comet 3 with structural modifications to the from Hatfield in 1949 --- the Venom, which and its production version --- the replaced the Goblin engine in the Vampire with Comet 4, were ready --- Boeing had established the more powerful Ghost, and the two-seater the 707. It wasn’t until 1958 that the Comet 4 night fighter Vampire. made its first flight. The Comet 4, powered by Toward the end of the war, the company four Rolls-Royce Avons, set new standards of initiated a design study for a revolutionary jet performance when it was launched. In fact, a airliner. Originally conceived as a twin-boom, BOAC Comet 4 was the first jet to fly the

5 Flypast V. 40 No. 4 Atlantic by jetliner in October 1958. It beat Pan identity was regretted by many. However, Am with the 707, which flew the Atlantic three Hatfield continued to thrive as a major weeks later. However, the victory was aerospace centre. A larger and more advanced short-lived. The 707 could carry 100 more version of the Trident, the Trident 1E with passengers a greater distance and 100 miles per more powerful Spey engines and more than hour faster, and together with the Douglas DC-8 twice the range, was developed for the world it largely cornered the market. market. A Trident sales breakthrough was made The military contracts involved the Sea Vixen, a in . Another major commercial success twin-boom, twin-engine fighter developed from was the D.H. 125 executive jet, first flown in the D.H. 110 which entered service with the 1962. The D.H. 125, originally known as the Royal in 1959. It was equipped with Jet Dragon, was designed to replace the Dove advanced and guided missiles such as the and went on to become a classic example of the de Havilland Firestreak --- Britain’s first company reaching the right market at the right operational air to air missile. The main fuselage time. It proved to be the last aircraft to bear the structure for the , originally intended famous de Havilland name. as an intercontinental ballistic missile, was built With the death of Sir Geoffrey de Havilland in at Hatfield. Although the ICBM plan was 1965, it seemed that the de Havilland era was cancelled in 1960, the Blue Streak formed the finally over. But a unique pride still existed at basis of a launcher in a joint venture Hatfield. In 1977, the major manufacturers in with and Germany. By the end of the U.K. aviation were nationalized, and British 1950s, Hatfield was the centre of an Aerospace was formed. At Hatfield, a new organization which employed 37,000 people regional jet, the BAe 146 powered by four worldwide. , was introduced in 1981. It was Government policy at the time, however, was nicknamed the “Whisper Jet” because it was so that aircraft companies should merge, and in quiet. The aircraft proved to be yet another 1960 de Havilland became part of the Hawker success, serving large and small airlines alike, Siddeley Group. One of the first projects was the and proved to be the last aircraft assembled at D.H. 121 Trident, a three-engined jetliner Hatfield. Once a year, open houses were held at originally conceived in 1956 for a British the site to help preserve the legacy of Hatfield European Airways requirement. The first and to demonstrate the aircraft to company Trident for BEA, powered by employees, de Havilland retirees and people three Rolls-Royce Spey turbines, made its first interested in aviation. By the late 1980s, the flight in 1962. The sleek aircraft, though a success story of Hatfield was drawing to a delight to fly, safe and successful in the close. A worldwide drop in demand for commercial market, was somewhat commercial aircraft resulted in drastic overshadowed by its larger three-engined rival, rationalization, and in 1992 the closure of the the . The Trident, fitted with an site was announced. The award-winning system, became the world’s workers at Hatfield realized that the regional jet first commercial airliner able to land in . In market could not sustain the site. In 1994, on a 1963, the legendary de Havilland name windswept April day, the disappeared from the and Club arranged a final bittersweet open house to became incorporated into the Hawker Siddeley celebrate the many accomplishments of de Group. The loss of the historic company’s Havilland in world aviation and aerospace, in

Flypast V. 40 No. 4 6 wartime and in peace. Our thanks to Bob 17-18 OttawaOttawa, Ontario Winson for making this fine video available. 21 Trois-Rivieres, Quebec 24 Oshawa, Ontario Chapter News - December 2005 25 Borden, Ontario 28 Cobourg, Ontario Folded Wings July Sadly during November, we learned of the 1 , Ontario passing of two chapter members, J. B. 20 Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan Pendergast (4094) and Jack A. Ryan ( 3764). 22 Yellowknife, Northwest Territories Gentlemen you will be missed. 24 Fort Smith, Northwest Territories 26 Dawson Creek, British Columbia Aviation Calendars 29-30 Lethbridge, Alberta Chapter member Norm Etheridge (4000) has for August sale his excellent 2006 Historical Aviation 2 Williams Lake, British Columbia Calendars. The calendar is a 14 page tribute to 5-6 Oak Bay, British Columbia the CAF / RCAF and is to the same high 11-13 Abbotsford, British Columbia standards as Norm’s previous calendars. All 16 Rocky Mountain House, Alberta proceeds go to the Cancer Assistance Service. 19-20 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Those wishing to purchase a calendar can 26-27 St-Catharines, Ontario contact Norm at 30 Brantford, Ontario (905) 876 - 1584. They are also available at the September Toronto Aerospace Museum and the Canadian 2-4 Toronto, Ontario Warplane Heritage Museum and seven other 9-10 Halifax, Nova Scotia aviation museums across Canada. 13 Gander, Newfoundland & Labrador 16-17 Summerside, Prince Edward Island 2006 Winter / Spring Meeting Dates 20 La Tuque, Quebec Our meeting dates for 2006 are Feb. 11, March 23-24 Sarnia, Ontario 11, April 8, May 13 and June 10. All meetings October are to held at the Toronto Aerospace Museum 13 15 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan starting at 1 PM. Meeting information: (416) 745-1462

2006 Snowbirds Schedule May 17 Kingston, Ontario 20-22 North Bay, Ontario 24 St-Thomas, Ontario 27-28 Virden, Manitoba June 3-4 Portage la Prairie, Manitoba 7 Thunder Bay, Ontario 10-11 Quebec City, Quebec 14 Riv du Loup Riv du Loup, Quebec

7 Flypast V. 40 No. 4 By Taxi: Take the TTC Subway to the Downsview Station and take a taxi from there. It will cost around $8 one way, but it is by far the most convenient option for tourists, because the cab will take you right to our front door, whereas the TTC - unfortunately - doesn't! By Car: From the 401 East or West, exit at Keele Street North. Turn right on Sheppard Ave, and follow Sheppard the entrance to Downsview Park. Turn right into the park (onto John Drury Road) until you reach Carl Hall Road. Turn left at Carl Hall and continue east over the railway tracks to the Museum, which is on your right hand side. By TTC: From the Downsview TTC station take the 108 Downsview, the 86 Sheppard West, Westbound or the 84 Sheppard West, Westbound bus and ask the driver to let you off at the Downsview Park entrance (it is well past the DRDC and Idomo buildings). Walk into the park entrance and follow John Drury Road until you reach Carl Hall Road. Turn left at Carl Hall Road and continue east over the railway tracks to the Museum, which is on your right hand side. Approximate walking distance is 0.7 km.

CAHS National Website : www.cahs.com Meetings and news from all the chapters, journal back issues, and more! Toronto Chapter Meetings - 2nd Saturday of the month 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. Toronto Aerospace Museum, 65 Carl Hall Road TAM is in the former deHaviland building in Downsview Park Near Downsview TTC Station All Welcome

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