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| CF-100 Canuck |
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Length: 15"
Wingspan: 16 3/4"
Scale: 1/48
Includes desk stand.
The Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck (affectionately known as the Clunk) was a Canadian jet fighter serving during the Cold War. It was the only Canadian-designed fighter to enter mass production.
The CF-100 is not considered to be truly supersonic since it could not exceed the speed of sound in level flight. However, on 18 December 1952, S/L Janusz urakowski, the Avro company chief development test pilot, broke the sound barrier flying the CF-100 Mk 4 prototype in a dive from 30,000 feet.
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.
CF-100 MK 5D (18476) former CFB Namao and No. 414 Electronic Warfare (EW) Squadron #100476 painted as No. 440 Squadron RCAF Mk 4B serving in NATO and on display at the Alberta Aviation Museum.
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 lightning bolts running down the fuselage and engines. The CF-100 prototype 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 machine guns. The Mk 3CT and Mk 3DT were again dual control versions supplied to operational training units.
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