Canadian Warplanes 2: Canadian Vickers Vancouver

Canadian Vickers Vancouver

Canadian Vickers Limited was an aircraft and shipbuilding company that operated in Canada during the early part of the 20th century until 1944.  A subsidiary of Vickers Limited, it built its own aircraft designs as well as others under licence.  Canadair absorbed the Canadian Vickers aircraft operations in November 1944.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3198910)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II flying boat, RCAF (Serial No. 906), No. 4 (Flying Boat) Squadron, over English Bay, British Columbia, 1936.

The Canadian Vickers Vancouver was a Canadian transport/patrol flying boat of the 1930s built by Canadian Vickers. It was a twin-engine, equal-span biplane. The hull was of metal and the rest of the structure of fabric-covered wood.

The Vancouver was developed as a replacement for the Varuna in response to a Royal Canadian Air Force requirement for a flying boat to transport men and equipment to forest fires. The main difference from the Varuna was a duralumin hull and more powerful engines. The two flight crew were located in two tandem open cockpits, forward of the wing. The main cabin could accommodate a firefighting team of six men and all the required equipment. Five aircraft were delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force, one was later converted into a coastal patrol aircraft.

In the mid-1930s, the Vancouvers were modified as coastal patrol aircraft by the installation of machine guns and bombs. After the outbreak of the Second World War, Vancouvers served with No. 4 Squadron, RCAF at Jericho Beach Air Station until withdrawn from service in 1940. After a brief period of service in training duties, they were finally withdrawn and struck off in 1940. None of the aircraft saw service after 1940. (Wikipedia)

Detailed records of all known RCAF and Canadian-built aircraft may be viewed on line in the Canadian Aircraft Serials Personnel Information Resource (CASPIR). The  CASPIR website is researched, coded, and maintained entirely by Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWHM) volunteers with only one staff assisting periodically. This work has taken several years and is unlikely to be finished as continuing research leads to “new finds” and rediscovered Canadian aviation heritage and history.  The CWHM volunteer team looks forward to continuing to update and correct the record as additional information and photos are received. Check here for the Vancouver.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3580999)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver, RCAF (Serial No. 903), No. 4 (Flying Boat) Squadron, 19 Aug 1936.

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. I (1), (Registration G-CYXS), Mk. II (5), (Reg. Nos. G-CYVK), (later 902), G-GYVR (later 903), G-GYVS (later 904), G-CYVT (later 905), and G-CYVU (later 906), for a total of 6 aircraft.

The registration G-CXXX was on all civil aircraft in Canada until about 1929 when it was changed to CF-XXX.  Then in the early 1970s the prefix was changed to C-GXXX and C-FXXX.  Ultralight aircraft were marked C-IXXX.  (Barney Dunlevy)

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3201822)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 903), 19 Aug 1936.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3205706)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver II flying boats of No. 4 (GR) Squadron, RCAF, 11 March 1938.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3580998)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 903), 19 Aug 1936.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3580997)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver, RCAF (Serial No. 903), 16 Aug 1936.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3580877)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver, 30 Aug 1934.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3580879)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver, 30 Aug 1934.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3650431)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 902), No. 4 (Fighter Bomber) Squadron, Jericho Beach, BC, 1936.

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(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3580727)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. I,  RCAF (Serial No. G-CYXS), 25 Nov 1931.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3204719)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. I flying boat, RCAF Reg. No. G-CYXS, 19 Aug 1929.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3580360)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. I,  RCAF (Serial No. G-CYXS), on beaching gear, 28 Oct 1928.

(City of Vancouver Archives Photo, AM1376-: CVA 1376-712)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 904), over the Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver, BC.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3545934)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 906), No. 4 (FB) Sqn, Jericho Beach, BC, 1939.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3203431)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. I flying boat, RCAF Reg. No. G-CYXS.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3642451)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II, RCAF (Serial No. 905), 30 Aug 1934.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3198911)

Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II, No. 4 (Fighter Bomber) Squadron, RCAF, Lewis gunners, in flight, 31 Jan 1936.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3198912)

Forward Lewis gun of Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II flying boat of No. 4 (FB) Squadron, RCAF, in flight, 31 Jan 1936.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3388203)

Crewman inflating a dinghy on the back of a Canadian Vickers Vancouver Mk. II, (Serial No. G-CYVU), later (Serial No. 906), RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario, 25 Nov 1931.

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