Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

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sidestick stirrer
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by sidestick stirrer »

Aren't we overlooking a Clunk a little closer to home, ODF and Jonny Dangerous?

Snowflake Six...
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Old Dog Flying
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by Old Dog Flying »

There is a Mk3 at the Museum of Flight at Langley Airport.

Hi Scott! aka Snowflake 6
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MichaelP
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by MichaelP »

As a 'foreigner' I too would want to see a CF 100 fly again.
This socialist idea of smashing things to make them unairworthy is a sin against all who respect aviation history and all those who had anything to do with such aircraft.
I've met many Clunk pilots, they're a good humoured bunch with a lot of stories.
Wouldn't we want to see something of ourselves in the air?
Like the Battle of Britain flight, and the CWH Lancaster, it would be great for those that worked on and flew in the cold war Canucks to have their efforts honoured by a flying example.
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sidestick stirrer
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by sidestick stirrer »

One of the nicest restorations of a Clunk was done at RAF Duxford, I saw it torn down in their shop many years ago and now it is hung from the ceiling in their newest building, a place of prominence, and it looks pristine in its authentic camo paintjob.
When I was a PMQ brat over in 4 wing, there was lots of them in the sky in the early sixties, before the Zippers came and scared them all to the dump in Prestwick...
I remember seeing large piles of something on fire, my folks said they were the wingtip rocketpods for the Clunks being disposed of.
An intact Clunk simulator was for sale at a scrap dealer just off the approach end of 06L in Toronto decades ago, don't know where it went.
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BowWow
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by BowWow »

Hi! New to the forum, Googled this thread while looking for CF-100's still flying.

I'm a 409th brat, conceived in Cold Lake and born in Comox in 1956. My dad, Vede Gilchrist, was a CF-100 pilot there. We transferred to Penhold in 1958, where dad became a flight instructor, flying the Harvard. He left the Air Force in 1961. He's still living, and I thought it would be cool to see the CF-100 in flight in person again. I was sad (but not surprised) that there are none currently flyable, so I'm very interested in the restoration project mentioned in the op.

There is a Canuck on a Stick in Nanton, Alberta, at the Lancaster museum there. I haven't visited the museum yet, but as was mentioned previously, it's always helpful to know where they are, just in case.

Here's a CF-100 story for you:

One day my dad was banking into his final approach in Comox during a thunderstorm when a lightening strike on the wingtip fired the missiles. They strafed the runway and hit the fire hall, destroying a brand new fire truck. In the investigation that immediately followed the accident it was determined that dad had never opened the firing switch cover, thereby exonerating him! (He tells it better!)

Anyway, if anyone has any contact information for the fellow doing the restoration, please post. I'd like to learn more!

Thanks!

Steve
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hz2p
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by hz2p »

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Last edited by hz2p on Tue Jan 19, 2010 7:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
shitdisturber
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by shitdisturber »

BowWow wrote: Here's a CF-100 story for you:

One day my dad was banking into his final approach in Comox during a thunderstorm when a lightening strike on the wingtip fired the missiles. They strafed the runway and hit the fire hall, destroying a brand new fire truck. In the investigation that immediately followed the accident it was determined that dad had never opened the firing switch cover, thereby exonerating him! (He tells it better!)
Apparently the CF-100's were prone to stray voltages, which is probably why the armourers in the military to this day do stray voltage checks when they're mounting weapons. An old, retired aircraft electrician I used to work with in my Cool Pool days told us a classic Clunk stray voltage story.

It seems the armourers were mounting rockets on a Clunk in the QRA in Cold Lake one day when a burst of stray voltage did it's thing; causing the recently mounted rockets to fire. Unfortunately said rockets chose to fire just as a Sabre happened to be passing the QRA on takeoff; fortunately though, they missed. With considerable aplomb I'd have to say, the Sabre pilot got on his radio and called; "missed me"!
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fleet16b
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by fleet16b »

Sorry to disappoint you guys but that CF100 will never ever fly again.
First off the spars are cut :cry: , secondly the airframe was drilled into extensively in order to mount it on the pedestal.
I know as I was part of the crew that put her up there.
Thirdly , a friend of mine helped remove it and she is pretty damaged after all her years on the mount.
Also knowing some inside info which I won't divulge publicly, I am dead certain that there was never any real intention to ever get it flying in the first place. Just a bunch of publicity seeking behind that story.
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BowWow
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by BowWow »

Ahhhh. Sad. Mebbe the next time I'm through Nanton I'll have a little chat with them about their Clunk. It sure looks nice and shiny up on that pedestal! It would be great to actually have one flying again, don't you think?
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Road king
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by Road king »

I just happened on this forum and if the project has a chance of survival would be interested in making a contribution. I'm an air force brat and have seen more bases than most - my father (now deceased) was the squadron leader of 425 squadron tasked out of st. Hubert before we made our way over to Europe.
You could say I'm fairly intimate with this plane - you can't adequately describe to people today what it was like being in the air force in the 50's and 60's - an active air base was a way of life for all who lived on it. Many is the night I would watch the squadron take off on patrol past my bedroom window - and then listen to all the in flight stories on the return. Living in Europe when Kennedy was assassinated is it's own story - the snowball came quickly and he was gone for a long time. Anyways - dads flight logs, which are all intact, are a journey through aeronautical history, and I have many museum worthy artifacts which one day will make their way into the public domain. We have a proud history here in canada and I'm glad to see the likes of this dream to get a clunk active again - it is part of our living spirit.
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fleet16b
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by fleet16b »

Road King

My advice to you would be - DO NOT ,I REPEAT DO NOT give anything to the group that has this particular CF100.
There is no intention to ever get it flying and the group is not really an active Museum
Unfortunately this a/c will end up rotting in a field along with a bunch of other old airframes.
Your artifacts would just become lost within an individual personal collection and never be seen again.
Believe me you don't want the heartache.
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Road king
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by Road king »

Thanks fleet. Message received and understood.
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rigpiggy
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by rigpiggy »

I seem to recall that most of the nose radar section and the tailcone would come off. would this be enough to get it thru the gap?
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by shitdisturber »

Deleted cause I didn't realize this thread was reactivated after two years.
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Moose47
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by Moose47 »

G'day

I wish I had a buck for every one of Al's pipe dreams. Just ask him how the Sabre thing turned out. Good luck in getting servicable compressor blades for the Orendas too.

Cheers...Chris
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flyalmaguin
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by flyalmaguin »

I think there is only one CF-100 in North Bay, mounted on a pedestal at Lee Park near the waterfront. I might be wrong.

The other monument which may be the second one being referred to is a CF-101 Voodoo, mounted near approach end of runway 36 at the North Bay Jack Garland Airport (CYYB):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CF_101_Voodoo.JPG

Airshow pilots displaying during the 1990's Heritage Festival & Airshow used to use the CF-100 at Lee Park as a visual marker for the south end of flight line (show centre was the marina).
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Moose47
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by Moose47 »

"I think there is only one CF-100 in North Bay, mounted on a pedestal at Lee Park near the waterfront. I might be wrong."

My office at 22 Wing North Bay is just around the corner from a former 414 'Black Knight' (EW) Squadron CF-100 Mk. 4B/5 (s/n 18500)

We also have an EW CT-133 Silver Star in front of the ops building.

Cheers...Chris
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by single_swine_herder »

Interesting tid-bit about the CF-100 ... I was at the London Airshow in 1957 when one was pushed beyond its structural speed restriction and came apart directly over the crowd on the ramp and idisintegrated with parts landing among the spectators.

The empenage landed about 20 feet from me. My nexxt door neighbour was about 10 feet closer, and fainted when all that metal impacted in front of him.

http://www.avroarrow.org/FFM/Ewart.html
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chu me
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by chu me »

It is sad sometimes the lack of foresight at some of these museums. In the early 90's I offered to the museum 3 x 12.7mm browning machine guns, 1 ejection seat, 1 canopy, 2 chaff dispensors, and various parts from the APG-33 radar and several other lesser parts...all from the CF-100mk. I offered these parts to the CWHM for free...all they had to do was come and get them (a 1hr drive at best). I was turned down...they weren't "doing" a CF-100. So I said maybe you could store these parts for a future project( as this was from Canada's first jets ) or trade them to aquire other parts that they may need for other projects. I was told to stop pestering the museum....so I sold them to a dealer....sad, it would have been fun to contribute to the project.
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Moose47
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Re: Sky-high dreams for an old CF-100

Post by Moose47 »

Road King "I just happened on this forum and if the project has a chance of survival would be interested in making a contribution. I'm an air force brat and have seen more bases than most - my father (now deceased) was the squadron leader of 425 squadron tasked out of st. Hubert before we made our way over to Europe."

Do you actually mean 432 Squadron?

Cheers...Chris
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