:: The NEW Chapter .::..

…in America's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program… the Raptor!

You MIGHT be TOO CLOSE…when you're the same distance from the lampost… as the photographer!

The 5th generation of STEALH TECHNOLOGY has arrived, high above the skies of dormant Toronto!!

At $137.5 million USD each these "babies" are pricy but man can they fly! RAPTORS use thrust vectoring nozzle technology for incredible manoeurability, jamming technology to prevent counter-attack weapon "lock-ons" and strike their targets "sight" unseen.

The Congress of the United States has decided that the Raptor will never be sold internationally, to anybody, so Canada will never have any.

BUT WE WILL have some of these, which Canada is currently co-developing with the USA and several other Allied nations… the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35.

Didya Know?

In the 2007 movie the Transformers, the Decepticon known as Starscream is an F-22.

In April of 2006, an F-22 pilot became trapped in his aircraft due to the canopy getting stuck. When all else failed he had to be cut out by fire department personnel.

The canopy was replaced.

…… and the cost?

A cool $182,205 USD, folks!

NOW! ::: You Know ::..

THE EGG-SHAPED tail of the LANCASTER was designed by the none-other-than, soon to be legendary, Jim Floyd when he was only a designer at A. V. Roe in England.

He worked alongside a Canadian designer…there at A. V. Roe, who kept singing the praises of some far-flung country called Canada.

Jim just couldn't get Canada out of his head.

So it worked.

And finally…Jim had to come over to see this enigma called Canada, for himself.

And there he stayed. He went on to became a Canadian citizen, and oversaw such LEGENDARY PROJECTS as the AVRO C-102 JETLINER and the CF-105 Avro Arrow.

UNBELIEVABLY, the nearsighted Canadian Government eventually scrapped both aircraft.

And the man who fell in love with Canada, was eventually rejected by his newly adopted country!

Ironic.

So back to England he went…where Jim wrapped up his aeronautical career designing the "lowly" BAC-Aerospatiale CONCORDE.

HE DID retire in Canada, and penned a book about his greatest love…the Canadian designed AVRO Jetliner. JIM FLOYD, now in his 90s, was seen recently at the Toronto Aerospace Museum Arrow roll-out this last October.

THANKS JIM for your contribution to Canadian aviation!


(Lancaster photo taken at the CNE during CIAS)