This Anson was constructed from a collection of parts from a variety of incomplete airframes lying in southern Alberta. The wing was manufactured from scratch according to original plans, with the port side left unskinned to illustrate the combined wood and metal construction. The aircraft is beautifully finished as RCAF 7401, which served throughout WWII with 18 SFTS at Vulcan, Alberta. It appears that substantial sections of 12587, a MkV, may have been incorporated.

Originally 47-0606 with the USAF, this Sabre became a chase plane at Edwards Air Force Base, CA for various high-speed rocket-propelled aircraft including the Bell X-1 and Douglas D-558-II Skyrocket. Registered N57965 and with the Museum of Flight, Seattle 1989-1997. Then restored using parts from Canadian-built Sabres. The serial 23175 was chosen because 23 was the prefix on all Mk5 and 6 RCAF Sabres, the 1 recognises 1 Air Division of the RCAF (Europe) and 75 for the 75th anniversary of the RCAF in 1999 when the restoration was completed. The real 23175 was CL-13A Sabre 5 c/n 965.

Havards served widely in Canada from 1939 to 1960, this example being initially used for pilot training by 411 Sqdn at RCAF Station Toronto. It later moved to No.6 Repair Depot in Trenton and subsequently served at Summerside, PEI from 1956. It was sold to a private individual in in Ontario in 1960 but was stored outside and never flown again, requiring significant restoration before being placed on display, to begin with in Toronto and at the NAFMC since 2007.

Almost 400 Expeditors were operated by Canada in the utility/transport, training and comms roles, this example from 1952 to 1968. Previous to its arrival at the Trenton museum, it was preserved at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

North American's Yale was a fixed undercarriage, lower powered, lighter weight version of the Harvard. Both evolved from the 1935 NA-16. In 1939 France ordered 230 Yales but when the country fell in 1940, 119 en route were diverted to Canada for use by the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Almost 100 already in France were impressed by the Luftwaffe. As Harvards took over the training role, like the Fleet Forts, the Yales were relegated to radio training, carrying heavy gear in the rear cockpit which stressed engines, often needing repair. 3411 was assigned to 1 FTS Camp Borden in 1940.

After 40 years of service with 450 Sqdn (Uplands), 424 Sqdn (Trenton) and 413 Sqdn/103 Rescue Unit (Gander), this characterful helicopter was retired to the museum in 2004. Originally known as a Voyageur and used in the army transport role, it was modified with Search and Rescue equipment and was then given the type name Labrador.

The Dragonfly was the RCAF's first helicopter and 9601 was the first of seven taken on by the service. It was originally assigned in 1947 to Trenton for training duties, then to Edmonton, also for training and next to the Canadian Joint Air Training School at Rivers, Manitoba. Transferred to Cold Lake, Alberta, it flew for the Experimental and Proving Establishment for five years. After that, it was sent to Chatham, New Brunswick, for five more years. In 1965 it was retired and found its way into the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, moving to NAFMC in 2012.

Increasingly in need of some TLC, this Argus is one of 20 Mk.IIs purchased by the RCAF in 1958 to follow on from 13 Mk.1s. It flew with 415 Maritime Patrol 'Swordfish' Sqdn at RCAF Summerside in Prince Edward Island, and carries the unit's distinctive swordfish marking on its tail. When the squadron was moved in 1988 to CFB Greenwood in Nova Scotia, the Argus was replaced by the Lockheed CP-140 Aurora.

Sea King 12405 was taken on strength by the Royal Canadian Navy in 1964 and was the first of 37 assembled by United Aircraft of Canada in Longueuil, Quebec, from kits supplied by Sikorsky. Transferred to the RCAF in 1970, this Sea King served with 423, 443 and 406 Sqdns. It served in the Gulf War as part of Operation Friction in 1991 and with the United Nations in East Timor for Operation Toucan in 1999-2000. Retired in November 2018 with 17,755 airframe hours recorded, the highest of the 41 Canadian Sea Kings.

21435 served with VU 33 Sqdn, a Royal Canadian Navy fixed-wing unit on Vancouver Island. It was later re-serialled 133135. Although now painted in the colours of a 'Red Knight' solo aerobatic craft, it never flew as such. Currently not on display but stored in an outdoor yard.

The CF-101 held an important role as Canada's nuclear weapon carrier and as a fighter/interceptor through the Sixties and Seventies. This one was acquired from the USAF in 1971, ex 57-0373. It operated with 419 'Nighthawk' Sqdn at CFB Comox, BC and 416 Sqdn at CFB Chatham, NB, the latter unit became the last unit in the world to fly the Voodoo, soldiering on till 1984.

One of the 190 RCAF Tutors, acquired in 1963

One of my main aims in visiting Trenton was to shoot this Buffalo, but my extremely hectic schedule that day which included driving to Hamilton as part of a 550km round trip meant that I had to accept less than perfect light. 115456 left DHC's Downsview plant and began service with 429 Sqdn (Tactical Transport) at St. Hubert, Quebec in 1967. In 1975 it was converted to a dual role transport/SAR aircraft for 442 Sqdn (Transport & Rescue) at CFB Comox, BC, flying until retirement in September 2020 and ferry to the museum the next month. The CC-115s have been replaced at Comox by the CC-295.

This is an Iroquois that operated with the RCAF/Canadian Armed Forces from 1968 until 1995. During that time, it served originally with 403 Sqdn and later with 439 'Tiger' Sqdn, which was activated in Bagotville in 1993 as a Combat Support Unit. All CH-118 helicopters were replaced by Bell Griffons in 1995. After that the aircraft was used for Aircraft Battle Damage Repair training at CFBs Borden and Trenton until the end of May 2007.

In service with the R/CAF from 1968 to 1995, this F-5 was used first as a tactical fighter and trainer with 434 Sqdn in Cold Lake, Alberta. In 1976, it was transferred to 419 'Moose' Sqdn at the same base where it was used mainly for training, gaining a squadron commemorative scheme using the national colours . It entered storage at the Aircraft Maintenance Development Unit at CFB Trenton in 1995, joining the museum there two years later. Another outdoor exhibit looking somewhat weathered.

At the north side gate of CFB Trenton, near the National Museum, this Silver Star entered service as RCAF 21190 and served 414 Sqdn at Comox and several other units, being re-serialled 133190 in 1970 and spending its last operational years at CFB Cold Lake, AB as part of Aerospace Evaluation and Test Establishment (AETE) before being ferried to ADMU Trenton in 1995. This special scheme acknowledges the work of ATESS (Aerospace and Telecommunications and Engineering Support Squadron), in French ESTTMA (Escadron de soutien technique des télécommunications et des moyens aérospatiaux).

Effectively Beechcraft's equivalent of the Piper Cherokee, the Musketeer was hastily adopted by the CAF in 1971 as an elementary training aircraft to replace the Chipmunk, with 48 being acquired. During its first year of service in 1971, 134201 was the lead aircraft in the "Musket Gold" display team, following which it was used as a trainer at 3 FTS, Portage La Prairie, Manitoba until its retirement in 1987. The CT-134s were mildly aerobatic and had cowling and horizontal stabiliser strakes and a ventral fin added to improve spin recovery performance.

Previously on show in a special 1972-1995 commemorative scheme coded 'EQ 408'

Restored in WW2 South East Asia markings with "Canucks Unlimited" titles as adopted during service in Burma in 1944/45. Post-war, became RCAF 992 and 12963, latterly flying in the standard red cheatline and white top colours. Retired for preservation in 1989.

Like many of the aircraft in the NAFMC's outdoor memorial park, looking somewhat weathered