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Canadian Cobras
apophenia:
Too good an idea to pass up EH! ...
Canadian Cobras (Part Fifteen)
With WWII over, the CanCar Cobras began to fade from RCAF quickly. Stocks of Cobras, and later Super Cobras, were converted into aerial targets using simple autopilots. After their withdrawl from Auxiliary squadrons, the Turbo Cobras suffered the same fate. In 1948, some of the RCAF's remaining 'QF' Cobra target aircraft were turned over to the Royal Canadian Navy.
The RCN also received Turbo Cobras from RCAF stocks. After use as jet pilot trainers, the Turbo Cobras were also converted to 'QF' targets. Most retained their canopies (as QF.Mk.IAs) but the RCN also operated a handful of 'cockpit-less' ex-RCAF QF.Mk.IIAs
Top: This Turbo Cobra QF.Mk.IIA was a former RCAF 417 (Composite) Squadron aircraft (who's unit markings are faintly visible). Turbo Cobra 1328 was dispatched off Nova Scotia by practice AA fire from HMCS Haida on 20 September 1952.
Eager for jet fighters of its own, the RCN also pursued the CCF Model 122 JetCobra (2) concept. A navalized version was developed which first flew in early 1947. The first production Sea Cobra F.Mk.1 landed aboard HMCS Magnificent (CVL 21) in October 1948.
Bottom: The Sea Cobra equipped VF-870 aboard CVL 21 when the 'Maggie' departed for Korea in March 1951. Note that this aircraft has had its tail stripes removed but the Canadian flag has yet to be added.
Sea Cobra 1350 suffered battle damage on 13 June 1951 and was forced to ditch in the Yellow Sea. The pilot was successfully recovered by the destroyer, HMCS Cayuga.
raafif:
like the target-drone :) think it would look better with regular Meteor engines than the shortened ones tho.
Empty Handed:
The Sea Cobra is a stunner!! :-*
apophenia:
Thanks folks!
raafif: I know what you mean. The tricky bit with the Airacobra is that only the front and centre were 'true' spars (with a third, 'false' spar just in front of the flaps/ailerons). So that was the reason for the short cowling on the TR-4 turbojet.
BTW, The TR-4 was a real world turbojet and it was named Chinook. AFAIK, Turbo Research's centrifugal-flow engines never had names ... so I just made 'em up. Les Suêtes are strong southeastlies that blow into the Cape Breton Highlands. The Squamish is a gusty wind that blows down Howe Sound to the Strait of Georgia (appropriate for a West Coast fighter, I thought).
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