Avro CF-100
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| CF-100 Canuck | |
|---|---|
 |
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| RCAF CF-100 Mk 5D | |
| Type | Interceptor |
| Manufacturer | Avro Canada |
| Designed by | John Frost |
| Maiden flight | 19 January 1950 |
| Introduced | 1952 |
| Retired | 1981 |
| Primary users | Royal Canadian Air Force Belgian Air Force |
| Number built | 692 |
The Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck, (affectionately known as the Clunk), was a Canadian jet fighter serving during the Cold War. It was the first and only Canadian-designed fighter to enter mass-production.
In the early 1950s, Canada needed an interceptor (fighter) able to patrol the vast areas of Canada's north and operate in all weather conditions. The two-seat fighter crewed by a pilot and navigator, was designed with two powerful engines and an advanced radar and fire control system housed in its nose that enabled it to fly in all-weather or night conditions. For its day, the CF-100 featured a short takeoff run and high climb rate, making it well suited to its role as an interceptor.
On 18 December 1952, S/L Janusz Żurakowski, the Avro company chief development test pilot, broke the sound barrier flying the CF-100 Mk 4 prototype, albeit in a dive from 30,000 feet. The CF-100 is not considered to be truly supersonic as it could not exceed the speed of sound in level flight.
[edit] Design and development
Design of the XC-100 to meet a RCAF specification for an all-weather fighter was initiated at Avro Canada in October 1946. Chief Engineer Edgar Atkin's work on the CF-100 was subsequently passed to John Frost formerly of de Havilland who, along with Avro's Chief Aerodynamacist Jim Chamberlin, reworked the original fuselage design. The CF-100 Mark 1 prototype, "18101," emerged out of the factory, painted gloss black overall with white lighting bolts running down the fuselage. The CF-100 protoype flew its maiden flight on 19 January 1950 with Gloster Aircraft Company Chief Pilot S/L Bill Waterton at the controls. Waterton was on loan from the Gloster firm, another member of the Hawker Siddeley Group. The Mark 1 was powered by two Avon RA 3 turbojets with 28.9 kN (2,950 kgp / 6,500 lbf) thrust each.
The second prototype, 18102, was also powered by Rolls-Royce Avons, although subsequent pre-production and production series aircraft used the Avro Orenda turbojet. Five pre-production Mk 2 test aircraft were produced (18103-18107) all fitted with the Orenda 2 jet engines; one was fitted with dual controls and designated a Mk 2T trainer. The first production version, designated Mk 3, incorporated the APG-33 radar and was armed with eight 0.5 inch guns. The Mk 3CT and Mk 3DT were again dual control versions supplied to operational training units.
[edit] Production
In September 1950, the RCAF ordered 124 examples of the Mk 3 version; the first of these entering Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) service in 1953. The definitive version rocket-armed Mk 4A was based on prototype Mk 4 (a modified Mk 3) first flying on 11 October 1952. The nose housed the much larger APG-40 radar with wingtip pods each containing up to 30 Mighty Mouse FFAR (folding fin aerial rockets). As the last 54 of an order for the Mk 3 were changed into the Mk 4 in 1954, total orders for the Mk.4 rose to 510. The Mk 4B version had more powerful Orenda 11s.
A total of five versions, or Marks, were produced, ending, from 1955 onwards, with the high-altitude Mk 5 that featured a 1.06m (3 ft. 6 in.) extended wingtip and enlarged tailplane. The proposed Mk 6 was to have mounted Sparrow II missiles and been powered by afterburning Orenda 11IR engines in an effort to provide an "interim" fighter prior to the introduction of the Avro CF-105 Arrow. A projected transonic swept-wing CF-103 was built in mock-up form in 1951, but was considered obsolescent even before the CF-100's demonstrated ability to exceed the speed of sound in a dive.
[edit] Operational service
The Canuck was affectionately known in the RCAF as the "Clunk" because of the noise the front landing gear made as it retracted into its well after takeoff. Its less attractive nickname was the "Lead Sled." The aircraft operated under the US/Canadian North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) to protect North American airspace from Soviet intruders such as nuclear-armed bombers. Additionally, as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO, 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.
The CF-100 served with nine RCAF squadrons at its peak in the mid-1950s. Four of these squadrons were deployed to Europe from late 1956-1962 under the NIMBLE BAT ferry program, replacing squadrons equipped with Canadair Sabre day-fighters to provide all-weather defense against Soviet intruders. Canucks flying at home retained natural metal finish, but those flying overseas were given a British-style disruptive camouflage scheme- dark sea gray and green on top, light sea gray on the bottom.
During his Avro Canada years, the Chief Development Pilot, S/L Żurakowski, continued to fly as an aerobatic display pilot, with spectacular results, especially at the 1955 Farnborough Air Show where he displayed the CF-100 in a "falling-leaf." He was acclaimed again as the "Great Żura" by many aviation and industry observers who could not believe a large, all-weather fighter could be put through its paces so spectacularly. His performance likely led to Belgium purchasing the CF-100.
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. 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 414 Squadron of the Canadian Forces at CFB North Bay, ON, until 1981, in reconnaissance, training and electronic warfare roles. A number of aircraft still remain across Canada (and elsewhere) as static displays.
Its successor, the CF-105 Arrow and its sophisticated Orenda Iroquois engine, both Canadian-designed, were cancelled in 1959 in a controversial decision by the Canadian government.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (CF-100 Mk 5)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2, pilot and navigator
- Length: 16.5 m (54 ft 2 in)
- Wingspan: 17.4 m (57 ft 2 in)
- Height: 4.4 m (14 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 54.9 m² (591 ft²)
- Empty weight: 10,500 kg (23,100 lb)
- Loaded weight: 15,170 kg (33,450 lb)
- Powerplant: 2× Avro Canada Orenda 11 turbojets, 32.5 kN (7,300 lbf) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 888 km/h (552 mph)
- Range: km (mi)
- Service ceiling: 13,700 m (45,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 44.5 m/s (8,750 ft/min)
- Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)
- Thrust/weight: 0.44
Armament
- 2 wingtip pods of 29 x 70-mm (2.75 in) "Mighty Mouse" fin-folding aerial rockets
[edit] Further reading
- Baglow, Bob. Canucks Unlimited: Royal Canadian Air Force CF-100 Squadrons and Aircraft, 1952- 1963. Ottawa: Canuck Publishing, 1985.
- Lyzun, Jim. CF-100 Canuck. Ottawa: SMS Publishing, 1985.
- Milberry, Larry. The Avro CF-100. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1981.
- Page, Ron. Canuck: CF-100 All Weather Fighter. Erin, Ontario: Boston Mills Press, 1981.
[edit] External links
