Firebee Lancaster

Larry Milberry, 60 Years, the RCAF and CF Air Command,CanAv Books, 1984

Harold Skaarup

In the mid and late fifties the RCAF was testing with air to air missiles, first with the Canadian-designed Velvet Glove and proceeding to the American Sparrow series. The original plan was to develop as armament for the Avro Arrow but when the program was cancelled in February, 1959 the program continued using the CF100, Sabre and other planes as launch platforms. Below, a 1960 photo of a formation with two USN Demons and one of the two Lancasters outfitted to carry and launch the Firebee target drones.

 There is something ironic about 15 year old obsolete bombers plugging away working on the future, when Canada had already scrapped its best hope in the Arrow.

 The Sparrow program was cancelled in 1961, Lancaster KB851 was scrapped soon after and the cockpit section of KB848 is currently on display at The National Air and Space Museum in Ottawa.