Flightpath AugustSeptemberOctober 2017

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The Roseland Spitfire

Atwo-decaderestorationprojectreached
itsconclusionon7JunewhenVintage
WingsofCanada’s(VWOC)Spitfire
Mk.IXe TE294 flew its much-anticipated
first flight. It is the first Spitfire to be
completely rebuilt to flying condition in
the country.
Builtinmid-1945,TE294wassoldtothe
SAAF after brief service with the RAF. Its re-
mainswereeventuallyacquiredbytheCo-
moxAirForceMuseum,inBritishColumbia,
whereitbecameknownasthe‘Y2KSpitfire’.
A decade into the new century and the

project had stalled due to lack of money.

Mike Potter, VWOC founder, stepped in.

ThesuperbvolunteerteamatComoxfin-

ished the fuselage to an exceptionally high

standard while the wings were constructed

by Potter’s team in Gatineau, Québec.

The aircraft was christened ‘The Rose-

land Spitfire’ as per the collection’s tradi-

tion of honouring a Canadian flyer. Flight

Lieutenant Arnold Roseland, who served

with 442 Squadron RCAF, was chosen.

Whileitwasdiscovered,asthepaintwas

drying, that he didn’t fly MK304 (it arrived

Return of the

‘Ruhr Express’

TheCanadianWarplaneHeritageMu-

seum (CWHM) has temporarily

markeditsAvroLancasterasKB700,

the first Canadian-built example of

thefamousbomber.

Since1988,theCWHMhasoperated

FM213asthe‘MynarskiMemorialLan-

caster’dedicatedtothememoryofPilot

OfficerAndrewMynarskiVCwhodied

whiletryingtosavethetrappedrear

gunner of a 419 Squadron RCAF Lancas-

ter(KB726)whenitwasshotdownbya

German night fighter on 13 June 1944.

Overthepastfewyears,however,the

CWHMhaspaintedtheportsideofthe

Lancastertorepresentdifferentaircraft

flownbytheCanadiansof6Group

Bomber Command. For Canada 150, the

150th anniversary of the country’s con-

on strength the same day Roseland was

killed over Normandy on 13 July 1944), he

had flown the previous ‘K’ on 30 June

when he shot down two Fw190 fighters.

Test pilot John Aitken left the under-

carriage down as intended throughout

the first flight. Further test flights fol-

lowed and will continue to ensure the

aircraft can travel safely to distant

events. It did, however, fly its display de-

butaspartoftheformationflyoverof

Canada’s parliament to celebrate the

country’s 150th birthday.Andy Wright

federation, the

CWHM chose to

represent Lan-

caster KB700,

the first to be

built in Canada

by Victory Air-

craft at Malton,

Ontario.

Victory Aircraft produced 430 examples

of the Lancaster B.X. KB700 was named

‘Ruhr Express’ and successfully test flown on

1 August 1943, with a christening ceremo-

nyfollowingon6August.FlownbySquad-

ron Leader Reg Lane DSO DFC, KB700 ar-

rived in the U.K. on 15 September 1943

and flew its first raid on 22 November with

405 Squadron RCAF. On its 49th opera-

tion, on 2 January 1945, one op short of

News

The Canadian-built B.X was the equivalent

of the British-built B.III.[Eric Dumigan]

THE Spitfire and the collection’s Hurricane Mk.IV

airborneon 2 July for the Canada Day flyover after it

was scrubbed due to weather the previous day.

[Peter Handley, Vintage Wings of Canada]

returningtoCanada,theaircraftcrash-

landed,caughtfireandwastotallyde-

stroyed. It had been intended as a me-

morial to all Canadians who built,

maintained and flew Lancasters during

W.W.II.Itispleasingtoseeitremem-

bered this year.Eric Dumigan