Large plane arrives for display at National Air Force Museum

By Julia Lennips

TRENTON – One of the largest aircraft in the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton is being reassembled as part of a new display.

The CP-140 Aurora is a long-range patrol aircraft. It has a wingspan of  30.37 metres, and is 35.61 metres in length. It was originally used for maritime patrol and submarine warfare. The plane that will be on display in Trenton was removed from the RCAF fleet in 2015.

“The Aurora is a significant aircraft in Canada’s history with the RCAF, and it is rarely seen in central Canada, so it will be a good opportunity for people to come see it up close,” Kevin Windsor, the executive director of the museum, says.

They are operated by the RCAF, but airforces all over the world are using the P-3C Orions. The U.S., Germany and a lot of our allies use them. In Canada, they’re called the CP-140 Aurora. 

Auroras can hold a crew anywhere between 12 and 20 people. 

The remaining fleet has been upgraded and is capable of a number of other operations and duties, including surveillance of Canada’s coastal waters, anti-surface warfare, maritime and overland intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, strike co-ordination, search and rescue missions and disaster relief missions.

The plane is also used in campaigns against illegal immigration, illegal fishing, pollution, and drug trafficking.

Since its latest upgrades, it is capable of taking out the latest generation of stealth submarines, according to the Canadian Forces website.

Windsor says the reconstruction of the aircraft has gone on for six weeks.

“We started the project over a year ago when IMP aerospace was getting rid of the CP-140 fleet for the RCAF. They approached the museum and offered us one of the aircraft, and then we worked with them on a plan of taking the aircraft apart and bringing it to the museum,” says Windsor.

The aircraft parts had to be moved from 14 Wing Greenwood, N.S. by truck.

“Our original intent was to fly the aircraft over … the air force decided to keep the old fleet flying until 2030, so it was decided that we would take most of the useable parts out of it before it was brought to the museum so that they could have spare parts to keep the Auroras flying,” he told QNet News.

Windsor says the aircraft has been getting attention since before it arrived at the museum. People have been taking pictures of the plane on its journey to the museum.

“There’s a lot of CP-140 Facebook groups and military aircraft Facebook groups, which have been following the transportation of the aircraft from Greenwood, N.S.”

IMP Aerospace Halifax is the company that is working on the aircraft.

“They’re the ones who built the airplane who took it apart when they were in Greenwood, and they came down here, followed the aircraft and they’re rebuilding it here,” says Windsor.

The plane itself will be outside on display in the air park behind the museum.

“We haven’t worked out a plan yet to bring people inside to the airframe since it’s still an empty aircraft right now. We’re working on repairing a few of the holes inside to cover up some of the empty spaces, and then allowing people to come inside. We’re still a few years away from it being open inside,” says Windsor. 

The aircraft is scheduled to be finished by mid-October.