GREENWOOD ‘BANANA’ GOES ON SHOW

Following a four-year restoration, Piasecki/Vertol H-44A RCAF 9592 went on display at the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum in Nova Scotia during mid-November.

One of six metal-bladed H-44A versions of the H-21 ‘Flying Banana’ series of helicopters to be acquired by the Royal Canadian Air Force for search and rescue duties, 9592 was originally delivered to 103 Rescue Unit at RCAF Base Greenwood on 8 May 1961, and was based there until being reassigned to RCAF Station Chatham, New Brunswick, in October 1964. While operating in northern Canada during the mid-1970s, the nose of 9592 was destroyed when it was hit by a snowplough. The remains of the Piasecki ended up in storage with the Reynolds Heritage Foundation in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, and were donated to the Greenwood museum in 2012. The nose section of a former US Army H-21C variant of the type was acquired to replace it, and has been converted to H-44 standard. Six H-21As and nine H-21Bs also served with the RCAF.

H-44A RCAF 9592 is now exhibited at the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum in Nova Scotia.

On 14 December, former RCAF Beech C-45 Expeditor AF662 moved into the workshop recently vacated by the Piasecki. The restoration of Bristol Bolingbroke IVT RCAF 9997 is also under way; once finished, it will represent a type that served at Greenwood training bomb aimers as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and flying as target tugs.

Work to convert Lancaster KB839 from post-war Mk10AR (arctic reconnaissance) configuration to original Mk10 standard continues, fabrication of a fairing for the mid-upper turret having been completed. It has been painted as JB226 from No 405 (Vancouver) Pathfinder Squadron, although it was actually operated by No 419 Squadron from Middleton St George, flying 26 combat operations.