Avro CF-100

Encyclopedia : A : AV : AVR : Avro CF-100

The Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck, (affectionately known as the Clunk), was a Canadian jet fighter used during the Cold War, and was the only Canadian-designed fighter to enter mass-production. The aircraft's first flight was January 19, 1950 [link]. It entered service in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) as a fighter in 1952. The aircraft operated under the U.S./Canadian North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) to protect North American airspace from Soviet intruders such as nuclear-armed bombers. It featured a short takeoff run and high climb rate for its day, making it well suited to its role.

It was the first RCAF jet fighter designed and built in Canada, and the last (its successor the CF-105 Arrow, also Canadian-designed, was judged too costly and so never went into production). Although originally designed for only 2,000 hours, it was found that the Canuck's airframe could serve for over 20,000 hours before retirement. Thus, though it was replaced in its front-line role by the CF-101 Voodoo, the Canuck served with the RCAF until 1981, in reconnaissance, training, and electronic warfare roles.

History

In the early 1950s, Canada needed a defensive fighter that could operate in all weather conditions and day or night. It also needed the long range needed to patrol the vast areas of Canada's north. The Canuck was designed with two powerful engines, an advanced fire contol system, and was manned by a pilot and navigator. Its nose radar enabled it to fly in all-weather or night conditions. The aircraft was used in squadron service across Canada and in Canada's north. Four Canuck squadrons were based in Europe from 1956-1962, and were for some time the only NATO fighters capable of operating in zero visibility and poor weather conditions.

Work on the CF-100 (then the XC-100) started in 1946 under Edgar Atkin. The CF-100 design was subsequently worked on by John Frost formerly of de Havilland who reworked the fuselage design when he joined Avro Canada and Avro's chief aerodynamacist Jim Chamberlin. Frost was replaced as Project Designer for the CF-100 in 1952 by Jim Floyd. The first CF-100s to enter service with the RCAF were in 1952.

Production

In its lifetime, a total of 692 CF-100s of different variants were produced, of which 53 aircraft were delivered to the Belgian Air Force. A number of aircraft still remain across Canada (and elsewhere) as static displays.

A CF-100 is on permanent display in North Bay's Lee Park

Operators

Belgium, Canada

Specifications (CF-100 Mk.5)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[Special]