AVRO Museum

This Sunday, June 14th is our next open house! Our doors will be open from 12-3pm; entrance is by donation and we welcome people of all ages.

During the open house we have tours run by our volunteers to show you our construction of a 60% scale, piloted replica of the Avro Arrow, lots of information about Avro Canada, and a simulator to try out.

For those interested we will also have our shop open the entire time, that way you can take home keepsakes and merchandise. Our entire store is also available online with pictures, prices, and details.

If you can’t make it this Sunday, we have a special open house on Canada Day, Wednesday, July 1st.

Open House: Second Sunday of every month
Location: 20-229 Avro Lane, Springbank Calgary
Email: [email protected]
Website: avromuseum.ca
Online Store: avromuseum.myshopify.com
Research Hub: https://hub.catalogit.app/avro-museum

Get quarterly updates by signing up for our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cRctCX

Did you know that the first woman to break the sound barrier did so with an Avro Canada built Orenda engine?

Jacquie Cochrane was an American pilot who held more speed, distance, and altitude records than any other flyer during her career. She pioneered women’s aviation as one of the most prominent racing pilots of her generation. In 1953, after her request to borrow an F-86A from the USAF was refused, the Canadian government authorised her to fly the Sabre Mk3. With it, she set speed records and was the first woman to exceed the speed of sound.

The 1952 Canadair Sabre Mk.3 was a unique, one-of-a-kind prototype aircraft. Hand-built in Montreal by Canadair to test the newly developed Avro Canada Orenda 3 turbojet engine, its airframe required major structural modifications to accommodate the larger, more powerful Canadian-designed engine. The Orenda 3 produced 6,000 pounds of thrust, delivering a roughly 15% performance improvement over standard F-86E models

The aircraft is now viewable at the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.

Open House: Second Sunday of every month
Location: 20-229 Avro Lane, Springbank Calgary
Email: [email protected]
Website: avromuseum.ca
Online Store: avromuseum.myshopify.com
Research Hub: https://hub.catalogit.app/avro-museum

Get quarterly updates by signing up for our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cRctCX

The ARROW II build continues to make steady progress, with teams focusing on several key areas of development and fabrication. Work has been moving forward on the landing gear systems, flight control components, canopy development, fuel system installation, and engine mock-up.

A major area of attention this month has been the main and nose landing gear. As part of the build process, the team identified the need for a design adjustment to ensure the aircraft sits at the correct operating height when on its wheels. This refinement fits well with the planned rebuilding and preparation of the donor aircraft’s main gear (see pictures) before installation.

Progress is also being made on the elevon actuator system. Design and testing are well underway, and once that phase is complete, the fabrication team will begin building a prototype elevon for further evaluation and refinement.

The cockpit canopy is another area showing solid progress. Prototyping and fitment work continue, with particular attention being given to achieving an effective seal for the canopy system.

The fuel distribution system is nearing completion as installation of the remaining fuel and vent lines wraps up. The next steps will prepare the internal wing tanks for later stages of wing assembly.

Work on the engine installation and support structure mock-up is also continuing steadily, with no major issues reported. Overall, the project remains on track, and the team is pleased with the momentum being maintained across multiple build areas.

Open House: Second Sunday of every month
Location: 20-229 Avro Lane, Springbank Calgary
Email: [email protected]
Website: avromuseum.ca
Online Store: avromuseum.myshopify.com
Research Hub: https://hub.catalogit.app/avro-museum

Get quarterly updates by signing up for our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cRctCX

For those that can't make it on Sundays or looking for something to do this long weekend, we have an extra open house this Monday, May 18th! Our doors will be open from 12-3pm; entrance is by donation and we welcome people of all ages.

During the open house we have tours run by our volunteers to show you our construction of a 60% scale, piloted replica of the Avro Arrow, lots of information about Avro Canada, and a simulator to try out.

For those interested we will also have our shop open the entire time, that way you can take home keepsakes and merchandise. Our entire store is also available online with pictures, prices, and details.

If you can’t make it to our open house feel free to email us as we can always set up a private tour!

Open House: Second Sunday of every month
Location: 20-229 Avro Lane, Springbank Calgary
Email: [email protected]
Website: avromuseum.ca
Online Store: avromuseum.myshopify.com
Research Hub: https://hub.catalogit.app/avro-museum

Get quarterly updates by signing up for our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cRctCX

Our breakfast is 3 weeks away!

This Sunday, May 10th is our next open house! Our doors will be open from 12-3pm; entrance is by donation and we welcome people of all ages.

During the open house we have tours run by our volunteers to show you our construction of a 60% scale, piloted replica of the Avro Arrow, lots of information about Avro Canada, and a simulator to try out.

For those interested we will also have our shop open the entire time, that way you can take home keepsakes and merchandise. Our entire store is also available online with pictures, prices, and details.

If you can’t make it this Sunday, we have a special open house next week on Victoria Day, Monday May 18th.

Open House: Second Sunday of every month
Location: 20-229 Avro Lane, Springbank Calgary
Email: [email protected]
Website: avromuseum.ca
Online Store: avromuseum.myshopify.com
Research Hub: https://hub.catalogit.app/avro-museum

Get quarterly updates by signing up for our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cRctCX

Part 2 - Mike Cooper-Slipper - Avro Canada Test Pilot

Early in the CF-100 program, Mike tested the high-altitude pressure suit, flying at 40,000 feet. If the cabin depressurized for some reason, it would have been catastrophic to the pilot. The pressure suit would inflate in such an emergency to give the pilot enough time to descend to a safer altitude. There wasn't adequate instrumentation to test the suit with someone in it, so they: had to conduct live trials. At the Center for Experimental Flight Testing in Dayton, Ohio, Mike experienced the stresses of pressure chamber testing and explosive decompression at altitudes equivalent to as much as 65,000 feet.

In 1954, sadly, Mike lost all of his wartime and test logbooks and his pressure suit in a fire at Avro which claimed the jet Lancaster, the flight test Sabre and some CF-lO0s. In 1955, Mike was appointed chief test pilot at Orenda for the new Iroquois engine on the CF-105 Arrow.

The only suitable engine test bed aircraft was a B-47 powered by six jet engines and loaned by the USAF to the RCAF, then assigned to Orenda. In late 1956, Mike and his crew learned to fly the B-47 at a Strategic Air Command base in Wichita, Kansas. With the large Iroquois nacelle attached to the aft fuselage, the B-47 was sensitive to variations in pitch and lacked longitudinal stability among other issues. Designated the Canadair CL-52, it was a challenge to fly.

Conclusion of the article is in the comments...

Open House: Second Sunday of every month
Location: 20-229 Avro Lane, Springbank Calgary
Email: [email protected]
Website: avromuseum.ca
Online Store: avromuseum.myshopify.com
Research Hub: https://hub.catalogit.app/avro-museum

Get quarterly updates by signing up for our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cRctCX

Part 1: Mike Cooper-Slipper - Avro Canada Test Pilot

(Excerpt from CAHS' FLYPAST, V. 56 NO. 4, "The Flying Career of T.P.M. "Mike” Cooper-Slipper, DFC" From a presentation by Chris Cooper-Slipper and edited by Gord McNulty.)

By the end of the war, after 7 ½ years of continuous flying, Mike had enough. He left the RAF in 1946, with an enviable combat record across four theatres of combat. In the fall of 1947, interested in Ontario government incentives for skilled technicians, he emigrated to Canada aboard a DC-4 headed for Malton. He soon joined Avro Canada, working with Avro test pilot Don Rogers, who had Mike's logbooks. Avro had a contract to overhaul RCN Sea Furies based in Halifax and Mike was the ideal person to fly the Sea Furies.

He became Avro's first post-war test pilot, flying a variety of aircraft including Lancasters, Mitchells and Venturas. Mike gained valuable experience flying Avro's modified Lancaster FM209 test bed, reconfigured with two Orenda jet engines to replace the two outboard Merlins. On several occasions, the crew played cat and mouse with 'weekend-warrior' P-47 Thunderbolt pilots of the USAF from the Niagara Falls ANG base. They never were able to catch FM209.

Part 1 continues in the comments...

Open House: Second Sunday of every month
Location: 20-229 Avro Lane, Springbank Calgary
Email: [email protected]
Website: avromuseum.ca
Online Store: avromuseum.myshopify.com
Research Hub: https://hub.catalogit.app/avro-museum

Get quarterly updates by signing up for our newsletter at http://eepurl.com/cRctCX