Recruit Training

A new recruit is taught to keep his or her kit in good repair.  Details like shining shoes are imperative as inspections are mandated to make sure everyone is up to the required standard.

Navigation Student

A very young navigation student gets a chance to apply his classroom theory during an actual flight. He could be at the nav station of an Anson, a two engine trainer used during WW II.

Navigator Training Console Display (circa 1960's)

This ground training station for navigators would be where nav students acquired their skills prior to actual navigation exercises while in flight (Initially called Cross Country's".  Notice the books of logarithims and charts.  Courses were meticulously ploted using basic computational equipment and mental arithmetic prior to the Information Age.

Gypsy Major Aircraft Engine Display

The Gypsy Major Aircraft Engine was the power plant for the Gypsy Major Aircraft.  Notice that the valve cover and engine block are cast iron.  Although heavy this powerplant was a breakthrough in aviation engine technology as it could be in service for 1,000 hours between overhauls.  Prior to this aircraft engines were usually in service 100-200 hours between major overhauls. Today modern jet engines are in service hundreds of thousands of hours between major overhauls.

Flight Computer Display

Often called the Jeppessen or Dalton computer (Calculator) this oversized model was used for classroom training. Students would learn how to calculate rate of fuel burn, winddift, eta's, (expected time of arrivals), and other related flight details. They were nicknamed whiz wheels by those who used them.

Wind Drift Indicator Instrument

This instrument is fully gimbaled which means it has a joint that allows for 360 degrees of movement.  The navigator would look through the top eye piece and determine the track of the aircraft over the earth's surface and factor in wind speed and direction helping the navigator to provide the pilot with a correct course.

Turn Bank Indicator Instrument & Altimiter

These are oversize replicas of cockpit instruments that pilots used to assist in controlling their aircraft. 

The Formal Dining Room

This elelgant dining display of china and silverware features the Canadian Armed Forces General Badge as a motif on the china. The formal mess dinners required that officers where their 'monkey suites' ... the equivalent of a tux for civilians.

Uniform Rack Display

These uniforms are from different eras of air force history.  The long wool coats are known as great coats.  They are still considered fashionable.  As you look at these uniforms, there are many subtle nuances we need to be aware of.  For example, an officers tunic has Canada on the shoulder while the tunics of noncommissioned ranks would dispay the eagle on the shoulder.  Another distinctive is the crown that is found on the insignia badges and buttons.  The design of the crown on many of these uniforms represents a male monarch on the throne as woul have been the case during WW II.

Officer's Uniform circa 1930's

Note the parade helmet which is reminiescent of the early British uniforms or Prussian headgear.

Service Medals

Many veteran's or their descendents have donated medals for display at MMAM. Medals represent many aspects of service ranging from theatres of war, length of service through to recognition for duty "above and beyond the call" and valour. For example, a DFC or Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded to S/L Hugh Richard Ford Dyer of Minnedosa, Manitoba for galantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy (1944). It is intresting to note that If a queen is the reigning monarch the crown has a dip in the middle of it.   Also, for every medal awarded, there is a ribbon to signify that medal.  Miniature medals are worn on dress uniforms and mess kits.

Bunk Bed Display Simulated Barracks Room

Most Barracks rooms have either two or four occupants.  Sleeping arrangements were in the form of bunks with a footlocker at the foot of each set of bunks for personal gear.  Only the bare necessities were housed in the footlocker.  The rest consisted of military equipment.  The standard grey wool blanket was pulled down form the pillow a bayonet length.  A bayonet was carried in a sheath on the belt and put onto the end of a barrel of a rifle that was used for close quarters combat.  The grey wool blanket was to be so taught that a quarter could be bounced off the blanket

The Hispano – Suiza 20 Millimeter Cannon

The 1943 model had two hundred rounds per gun with two guns mounted in each wing.  It could fire six hundred rounds per minute.  It was used on these aircrafts:

• Spitfire Mark 9
• Hurricane 2-C
• Typhoon
• Tempest

The 50 Caliber Heavy Machine Gun

Two aircraft that used this machine gun were the:

• B-17 Flying Fortress
• P-51 Mustang

NBCW Nuclear Biological Chemical Warfare Display

This display represents World War II and post War NBCW safety gear.  The masks have filters and the suits were impervious to most gasses.  The various tubes and jars of material are either there to reduce the affects of the poison or nullify it completely.

Gallery Wall

The two Ranson brothers have both made major contributions to the museum.  Lorne Renson has contributed the paintings.  The other brother for responsible for making and donating all of the large air craft models

C-130 Hercules

The C-130 Hercules (Herc) is manufactured by the Lockheed Aircraft Company of Marrietta, Georgia.  It is the primary transport aircraft of the Canadian Armed Forces.  The Herc is used for search and rescue and for transporting troups and supplies.   This versatile aircraft can land on remote and rough airstrips. With the assistance of rockets (JATO) it can take of from very short strips. Crews have been trained in a low altitude parachute extraction system (LAPES) that allows large objects to be dropped into a location without the aircraft actually touching down.

Expeditor or Beach 18

The Expeditor (Exploder) was used for training navigators during the 1950's.

B-25j Mitchell Bomber

The American B-25 Mitchell was a successful medium bomber. Manufactured by North American Aviation it was deployed in many theatres during WW II.

After the war the Mitchell was supplied to many RCAF Auxiliary Squadrons along with various other units. It was used primarily as a light bomber, pilot, navigational or radar trainer and also as a high-speed transport until its retirement in the spring of 1962.

Beech Muskateer

For a number of years, this aircraft was the primary flight trainer for all Canadian Armed Forces pilots at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.  It has since been replaced by a German built turbo prop aircraft called the Grob.

The Dash-8 (Gonzo)

The Dash-8 is manufactured in Canada by De havilland Corporation of Toronto.  No. 2 Navigation School at 17 Wing uses the Dash 8 for in flight navigation instruction. This popular aircraft is nicknamed Gonzo after the popular Muppet character.

Avro Anson

The Anson was named after a British Admiral of the 18th Century. Affectionatedly nicknamed 'Faithful Annie' or 'The Flying Greenhouse' by those who flew it, entered RCAF service in 1940. The Avro Anson was used to train both pilots and navigators at the many British Commonwealth Aircrew Traing bases located throughout Canada and particularly on the prairies during WWII.