Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
DWARFED BY THE AMPHIBIAN - CANADIAN WARPLANE MUSEUM
Hangar doors split to send a shaft of golden light across a gleaming surface. Long minutes of rattling commence as the split widens and sunlight bathes cool gloom in hot summer sun. A dragonfly takes advantage of a most dramatic event in his short life and zips into a room of giants. Now slowly, ever so slowly, sunlight is eclipsed as a looming shadow darkens the entrance. In its’ wake creeps a most imposing aircraft that clears the doors with barely a foot to spare.
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum’s PBY-5A Canso amphibian aircraft has entered the building. With its 104 foot wingspan, other planes are dwarfed, people are dwarfed, and that dragonfly that preceded it into the hangar mirrors its form as barely a speck in it’s shadow. My previous experience of war planes is mostly through pictures and it turns out pictures don't do justice to this particular specimen. I stand beneath massive wings and marvel at the technology it took to build this powerful bomber back in 1944. Its sleek lines and massive proportions support a speed of 322 kilometers per hour, powerful bombing capabilities, and the capacity to take off from both water and land. Despite the amphibians impressive specs, it was known as a slow flyer and crews were heard to joke that it took off, climbed, cruised, landed and stalled, all at 90 mph. The museum is also home to the Avro Lancaster - another craft of massive proportions and possibly the most famous Allied bomber of World War II. This plane is exhibited with both the bomb bay and wheel well open for inspection. At 33 feet the bomb bay has the capacity to carry a 22,000 pound Grand Slam “earthquake” for targeting underground and armored facilities. And peering inside the wheel well I see massive struts and a neat maze of wires that speak of meticulous craftsmanship. On this occasion the Lancaster is missing a wingtip and a volunteer provides the story: six feet of wing came loose during flight! My dapper friend in flight overalls tells of the Canadian facility whose hangar doors were too small for Lancasters to exit after manufacture. Wings were made in two sections and assembly was completed outdoors. The result was an inherent weakness that compromised the wingtip on the Lancaster looming before me. This rare mishap has since been rectified by the museum's expert maintenance crew. Meanwhile I marvel that this flying machine, one of only two airworthy Lancasters left in the world, experiences such rare downtime after many years of service. I am not the only person to marvel at the technology and the history of the Lancaster. Others are willing to pay big bucks for the privilege and thrill of four roaring Rolls Royce engines that once rocketed seven brave men through the skys above war-torn Europe. The CWHM offers this powerful flying machine to warplane lovers with a little more change in their pockets than myself - a one hour flight will set you back $2500. With much of the CWHM’s 40-plus aircraft yet to be seen, myself. and my two children fill a most interesting afternoon. Fighters, bombers, transport planes, trainers and anti-submarine planes dominate the hangar. On-going projects remind us of the craftsmanship and dedication required to restore these embattled veterans of the sky . Next we view a collection of wartime artifacts that leave us with a sense of the bravery of many a young Canadian pilot. And both kids climb into the cockpit of the Avro CF-100 - a real jet fighter that once sped across the ocean at over 1000 kilometers per hour. Controls are described by an elderly fellow who knows an awful lot about piloting a jet fighter. A barrage of kid questions are fielded with patience and pride, and rocket launchers are identified with a smile and a caution about the incredible power at kid fingertips. A flight simulator is such an entertainment for my kids who have an odd fascination with buttons, levers, and blinking lights. They come out of the small box of a cockpit after a half hour of piloting and bomb dropping. The educational value may have been lost on them, but a half hour of adult-oriented and uninterrupted museum enjoyment was much appreciated by me. With over 100,000 visitors per year to the 108,000 square foot hanger, the museum requires an army of dedicated workers. While CWHM is staffed by a core group of full and part-time employees, over four hundred regular volunteers also dedicate their time to the restoration of warplanes and the preservation of history. Their beautiful craftsmanship can be seen in every restored crack and well-oiled crevice of every shining plane. Add to that another hundred who join the forces during the CWHM annual June airshow. For most of these volunteers, love of their craft comes from close association - as pilots, aircrew, and aircraft assemblers during the war. Who better to protect our history than those who were a part of it? |
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