The Avro CF-100 "Canuck" was a Canadian jet fighter used during the Cold War. The only Canadian designed fighter to enter mass-production, the aircraft's first flight was in January 1950 and entered service into the RCAF as a fighter in 1952. The aircraft operated under the U.S./Canadian North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) to protect the airspace from Soviet intruders such as nuclear armed bombers. It featured a short takeoff run and high-climb rate for its day, making it well suited to its role. Though originally designed for only 2,000 hours, it was found that Canuck's airframe could serve over 20,000 hours before retirement. Thus, though it was replaced in its initial role by the CF-101 Voodoo, the Canuck served with the RCAF until 1981 in reconnaisance, training, and Electronic Warfare roles. In its lifetime, a total of 692 CF-100s of different variants were produced, of which 53 aircraft were delivered to the Belgian Air Force. A number of aircraft still remain across Canada (and elsewhere) as static displays.

Canada has a very low population density, so the air force bases are few and far apart. Also, the arctic and mid-arctic barrens offer immense expanses of desolate geography. Because of these vast stretches without population and facilities, the Canuck was designed more as a long-range Interceptor than a traditional short range jet fighter. Its nose radar made it also one of the first all-weather jet fighters. Several Canuck squadrons were based in Europe, where they were for some time the only NATO fighters capable of operating in zero visibility and poor weather conditions.

It was the first RCAF jet fighter designed and built in Canada, and also the last since its successor the CF-105 Arrow was judged too costly for Canada and the program terminated before the planes could be produced in series and put in service. The CF-100 was ultimately replaced with American-built CF-101 Voodoo interceptors.

Specifications (CF-100 Mk.5)

General Characteristics

• Crew: 2, pilot and navigator
• Length: 16.5 m ( 54ft 2in)
• Wingspan: 17.4 m ( 57ft 2in)
• Height: 4.4 m (14ft 6in)
• Wing area: 54.9 m² (591.0 ft²)
• Empty: 10,478 kg (23,051 lb)
• Loaded: 15,173 kg (33,457 lb)
• Powerplant: 2x Avro Canada Orenda 11 turbojets, 3,310kg (7,300lbf)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 891 km/h (552 mph)
• Range: km ( miles)
• Service ceiling: 13,715 m (45,000 ft)
• Rate of climb: 2,666 m/min (8,750 ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Thrust/Weight:

Armament

• 2 pods of 29 70-mm folding fin aircraft rockets (FFAR)

External links

• Avroland Article
• Eric Dumigan Photography Pictures
• Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Article
• Specifications