List of aircraft of the Royal Canadian Navy

This is a list of aircraft of the Royal Canadian Navy covering the period until 1968 when all aircraft operations were transferred to the newly unified Canadian Armed Forces, originally with Maritime Command and since 1975 with Air Command, which has subsequently been renamed as the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

Prior to World War II (WWII) the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) did not operate aircraft. During World War I, the Royal Navy Canadian Air Service, a component of the Royal Naval Air Service, used seaplanes to carry out anti-submarine patrols off the Canadian East Coast. After the United States entered the war, the United States Navy established two seaplane bases in Nova Scotia for similar patrols, and the Royal Canadian Naval Air Service (RCNAS) was formed to assume responsibility for these flights; however, the war ended before the RCNAS was ready to operate independently, so it was disbanded and the two bases were deactivated and handed over to the Air Board.

During WWII, Canadian personnel manned the carriers (from 1943 until torpedoed in 1944) and (from 1944 until returned to the US in 1946), with their complement of Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) carrier based aircraft. Canadian naval aviators including pilots of the RCN Volunteer Reserve also served in the FAA aboard carriers of the Royal Navy Pacific Fleet.

With the loan of in 1946, the RCN received its first aircraft, operating Fairey Firefly fighter-bombers and Supermarine Seafire fighters loaned from the Royal Navy. When both aircraft and the ship failed to meet Canadian requirements, was purchased in 1948, along with Hawker Sea Fury fighters and in 1950, Grumman Avenger torpedo bombers.

From then until 1968, the RCN operated a variety of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft. After the Canadian Forces sold off in 1970, Canadian naval vessels operated only Sea King helicopters. The Trackers were transferred to land bases to perform coastal patrols, while the Sikorsky HO4S plane-guard helicopters were retired, and other types still in service were allocated as per their RCAF equivalents.

Aircraft that remained in service after unification are highlighted in blue.

Aircraft

Name1968 CFdesignatorPlace ofmanufacturePrimaryrole(s)Serviceperiod#usedNotesAvro Anson Mk.Vn/a UK, Canada utility/trainer1946–19522Pettipas, 1986, p.9 & 42 ex-Royal Canadian Air ForceBeechcraft ExpeditorUStransport/trainer1952–196010Pettipas, 1986, p.42 & 80 ex-Royal Canadian Air ForceBell HTL-4 & HTL-6n/aUSutility helicopter1951–19678Griffin, 1969, p.495Canadair Silver StarCanadatrainer1955–200216Lockheed CT-133 Silver Star (T-bird) 1955 accessdate: 21 January 2014Pettipas, 1986, p.59 ex-Royal Canadian Air Forcede Havilland DH.82C Tiger Mothn/aUK, Canadatrainer1948–19573 ex-Royal Canadian Air ForceFairey Albacoren/aUKtorpedo bomber1943–19496transferred to RCN but never flownFairey Fireflyn/aUKfighter strike-reconnaissance1946–195376on loan.Griffin, 1969, p.12, 589,ex-Royal Navy Fleet Air ArmFairey Swordfishn/aUKtorpedo bomber1946–194822Griffin, 1969, p.589Grumman Avengern/aUStorpedo bomber/ASW/AEW1950–1960125Griffin, 1969, p.13Griffin, 1969, p.601-602ex-US NavyExtensively modified for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) role, number includes Airborne early warning (AEW) variant.Grumman CS2F TrackerCP-121US, CanadaASW1956–1994100Griffin, 1969, p.13Hawker Sea Furyn/aUKfighter1948–195775Griffin, 1969, p.14Walker, R.W.R. Sea Fury detailed list, 2004. accessdate: 21 January 2014.One FB.10 and 74 FB.11McDonnell F2H Bansheen/aUSfighter1955–196239Griffin, 1969, p.15Griffin, 1969, p.602North American Harvardn/aCanadatrainer1946–195836ex-Royal Canadian Air ForceBuilt by Noorduyn and Canadian Car & FoundryPiasecki HUP-3 Retrievern/aUSrescue/utility helicopter1954–19643Schweizer SGS 2-12n/aUStraining glider1946–19491Pettipas, 1986, p.10 & 25Sikorsky CHSS-2 Sea KingCH-124US, CanadaASW helicopter1963–201841Griffin, 1969, p.17Sikorsky HO4Sn/aUSrescue/ASW helicopter1952–197013Griffin, 1969, p.602-603Supermarine Seafiren/aUKfighter1946–195435on loan.Supermarine Walrusn/aUKutility amphibian1946–19464Griffin, 1969, p.17, 511 & 573Used by No.1 Naval Air Gunner School/743 Fleet Requirements Unit

See also List of aircraft of Canada's air forces

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography Posting War Ship Listings: Postwar Canadian Ship Listing 1945–Present Griffin, John A. Canadian Military Aircraft Serials & Photographs 1920 - 1968. Ottawa: Queen's Printer, Publication No. 69-2, 1969. Molson, Ken M. and Harold A. Taylor. Canadian Aircraft Since 1909. Stittsville, Ontario: Canada's Wings, Inc., 1982. . Walker, R.W.R. [url: http://www.rwrwalker.ca/ Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers], 2004. accessdate: 21 January 2014. Howard, John. Royal Canadian Navy Aircraft Serial Numbers accessdate: 21 January 2014. Pettipas, Leo. Canadian Naval Aviation 1945-1968. L. Pettipas/Canadian Naval Air Group, Winnipeg: 1986, Pettipas, Leo. Aircraft of the RCN. L. Pettipas/Canadian Naval Air Group, Winnipeg: 1988,

External links RCAF.com (Includes aircraft used by RCN) Shearwater Aviation Museum - Aircraft History Canadian military historical aircraft