Garden Railroading: Bill's Trip to the Air Force Museum in Trenton

Trenton's Air Force Museum

Our very own dispatcher/yardmaster/train operator, Mr. Bill 'Sn3' Scobie recently visited the Air Force Museum in Trenton.

Bill sent along the images you see below and a short story of the reason for his trip.

We thank Bill for taking the time to snap some wonderful images of these fine aircraft!

Of course, we all know this handsome lad aka Mr. "RGS"!

Here was Bill's message my way:

Mike. Last Wednesday while the crew was working at Fred’s I went to the Air Force Museum at Trenton to deliver some paper work of a late friend and to see the Lancaster.

So the paper work was delivered but I did not see the Lancaster as it is under lock and key and the gentleman that has the key was away and would not be back for two or three hours.

So I took photos of some of the air craft and then went home.

While Bill did not send along captions for each image, little old Mike conducted some research on the aircraft residing on the museum floor.

The big insect you see in the picture above is called the "Dragonfly".

The H-5 Dragonfly's main role was in training and they were also used to give RCAF personnel "maintenance experience". They did conduct some limited "search and rescue" operations. Only seven dragonfly helicopters were purchased by the RCAF.

The Dragonfly fleet was in service from 1947 - 1965 and their maximum speed was 166 km/h.

Here we see a rear view of the Halifax, Mark VII.

Not sure if I would sign up for this position as rear gunner! The Halifax could fly at a maximum speed of 450 km/h.

Most impressive! A typical mission saw her fly with a crew of seven.

Here we see the Avro Anson. In the 1930's, the A.V. Roe company of Britain built the Avro Anson as a reconnaissance aircraft for the RAF. The aircraft began its military service in 1936, becoming the RAF's first monoplane with a retractable undercarriage.

The Anson served in the first few years of the war as a light bomber and coastal patrol aircraft. This particular specimen was restored with some parts coming from Saskatchewan where the aircraft had been lying unprotected in a field for some 60 years!

From this aerial vantage point Bill was able to capture the Halifax in totality along with the Dragonfly to the right.

The Handley Page Halifax was a vital component of the RAF Bomber Command's air offensive over German occupied Europe during WWII.

The Yale was used as a trainer aircraft.

At the outbreak of the the Second World War a large number of these aircraft were ordered by the French Armed Forces. When France became occupied by Germany in 1940 many of the aircraft on order were left unclaimed at the factory in California.

The British government agreed to accept them and they were transported to Canada for use in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

With a crew of one instructor and one student, the plane could fly at a maximum speed of 267 km/h.

I'm not too sure about this little puppy. Could it be an aircraft Moe or Bill Nickel would fly by remote control?! 😀😎😁

We spot a Harvard. Hundreds of Canadian pilots learned to fly on the North American Harvard Mark II between 1939 - 1960.

In its role as a trainer aircraft two pilots could travel up to 290 km/h in this yellow beauty.

Its wingspan is 12.81 m and the aircraft's length is 8.8 m.

This particular Harvard was first acquired by the RCAF in 1942 and was used for pilot training by the 411 squadron at RCAF Station Toronto. It also spent time at Trenton, Ontario and Summerside, PEI.

From Bill's perch high in the sky we once again see the yellow-bodied Avro Anson with an interesting red and white aircraft peeking into view at the lower left.

It looks like a chipmunk! Why...it is a Chipmunk! It served as a trainer with a crew of two and a maximum airspeed of 222 km/h. This particular example in the museum was flown by the RAF although Chipmunk aircraft were extensively used by the RCAF and were painted yellow. This little fellow holds the status of being the longest-serving Chipmunk in British Aviation History.

What have we here? This aircraft is known as the Burgess-Dunne. It is a tailless biplane with central floats for water take-off and landing. It was based on a prototype designed by English engineer John William Dunne in consultation with the Burgess Company in 1914. This aircraft played a limited role in observing the enemy's movements on the battlefield. This is the first Canadian military aircraft ever purchased - in September 1914. The Burgess Company was the first licensed aircraft manufacturer in the United States and later became a subsidiary of Curtiss Aeroplane in that same year.

I would like to thank Bill for sending along these awesome images.

It is wonderful to learn that many of these aircraft are preserved in museums like the the Air Force Museum in Trenton.

Some of the specimens you have seen in this blog entry were "resurrected" from near disappearance due to decay in the great "out of doors". They were restored by the dedicated crews of men and women who believe that history should be preserved for all, both young and old.