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Canadian Warplanes 5: Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan

Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan

Data current to 27 Dec 2020.

(RCAF Photo via Francois Dutil)

Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan (Serial No. 10959), in early service with the RCAF, ca 1960s. This an early version of the aircraft with Napier Eland engines.

Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan (CL-66B), (10), (Serial Nos. 10951-109160); CL-540, CC-109 Cosmopolitan (3), (Serial Nos. 10961, 10962 (ex 10906), 10963 (ex 10907), for a total of 13 aircraft.

The Canadair CL-66 was a turboprop version of the civilian Convair CV-440 Metropolitan. The CC-109 Cosmopolitan or "Cosmo" became the standard VIP aircraft in RCAF and CAF service. After a lengthy career stretching into the 1990s, the CC-109 was replaced by the CC-142 Dash 8 and CC-144 Challenger.

(Griffin Library Photo)

Canadair CC-109 Cosmopolitan (Serial No. 109156), Ottawa. This an earlier version of the aircraft with Napier Eland engines. The Cosmos that were kept by the RCAF were re-engined with a version of the T-56 engine (501-D36), similar to the engines on the Lockheed CC-130 Hercules and the Lockheed CP-140 Aurora today. This aircraft went on to carry the registrations C-FNCV, N987L, 5Y-BNV, 9XR-NC and 3D-ZOE. It seems to have ended its flying career operating with Central African Cargo when its nose-gear collapsed during a hard landing on 3 Apr 2004 at Shabunda airport in the Congo Democratic Republic. (Mike Kaehler)

(DND Photo via Mike Kaehler)