Titans Of The Second World War

Another look at the German Komet plane, a rocket powered plane that was the only one of its kind used in combat in the 20th century. It had its drawbacks- too fast for pilots to hit targets, and its fuels were dangerous. Few were made.

Here we have the engine of a Lancaster bomber plane.

And here we have the Lancaster. This one was shipped to Europe in March 1945, and was too late to see combat, but bombers like this were the backbone of Bomber Command, flown by the RAF, RCAF, and other Allied air forces. It is strange, but these things meant to destroy are also beautiful.

Here we have a model sized.

The bomb bay beneath is open.

A Jeep of the era is seen close by.

Another icon of the War, and another example of a beautiful plane- the Spitfire.

The Planes Of Another World War

 We begin today near where we left off yesterday. The Twin Otter is a De Havilland plane dating to 1965. A short take off and landing aircraft, it was highly useful throughout the country, and has a contemporary variant still being used.

I moved over to the area focusing on planes of the Second World War. The British Royal Navy made use of the Swordfish during the War for anti-submarine warfare. It looked like a throwback to the Great War, being a biplane, and was slower than other counterparts, but the Swordfish earned its keep.

Here we have a Martin machine gun turret, standing on its own, with a Lancaster behind it. Canadian made Lancasters could have these turrets mounted in at the rear.

Here we see the Lancaster from behind. This big bomber absolutely dominates the space.

The Westland Lysander was an observation craft of the RAF built in the pre-war years. Due to being slower than German fighter aircraft, it saw other duties- rescues, coastal patrols, and insertions of secret agents into occupied Europe after 1940.

We'll pick up here tomorrow. This is a Messerschmitt Komet, a German plane, absolutely dwarfed by the Lancaster.

Technology Takes A Step Forward

 Standing side by side are two impressive German veteran planes of the First World War. This one has been restored as much as is possible, and was the first all-metal plane put into production. It is the Junkers J.I. 

Beside it, and even more menacing, is the A.E.G. G.IV, the only surviving aircraft of its kind in the world.

I moved over into an area concentrating on bush planes. This is a model of the Vickers Vancouver, a Canadian float plane dating to 1930, and used for fire protection.

Here we have a replica of the original, a Curtis HS-2L, originally a type of plane produced by the Americans for combat in World War One, but used post-war by Canadians in civilian life to access the inaccessible areas of the country.

I said it was a replica. Its original, a plane called La Vigilance, crashed into a lake in 1922. This portion of the hull is the largest piece recovered.

Canadian Stuart Graham is thought to be the world's first commercial bush pilot.

Here we have the Bellanca Pacemaker. There weren't a lot of them made, but they bear a strong resemblance to the contemporary float plane.

Icons Of The Skies In The Great War

 Today we begin with the Sopwith Ship Camel, a variant of the Camel adapted to serve aboard British warships during the First World War.

Across from the Camel is another diorama by John Reid, titled The Homecoming.

Here we have another legend of the First World War- the Sopwith Snipe fighter, a mainstay of British pilots.

There was no Canadian air force as of yet in the Great War, but most Canadian pilots served with the British. One of the great aces of the war is Canadian William Barker. A bust of him is beside the Snipe.

Next to the Snipe is a German veteran of that war. The Fokker D.VII became feared among Allied forces for its versatility.

Here we see a model of the Gotha G.V., a German bomber.

Warfare changed the plane- and the plane changed warfare.