Page 18 - Sept 2020

A Century of Fright Part Two: On to
Question: What does the Finnish Phrase (Pelti Heikki)
mean in English and which British Bomber is it a nickname
for?
Answer: “The FAF bomber force was a tactical airforce
serving as ground support against gun emplacements and
troop concentrations. It did make several attacks on
Soviet bases in Estonia to boost civilian morale and to
show the Soviets that it could be done. The Blenheim was
known as the TIN HENRY's (Pelti Heikki) to their crews.
According to Professor Aho, Finnish pilots had only a 1300 difficult and hazardous flight from Merritt, BC, fighting fog,
to 2200 US lb load capability depending on the bomb
racks being used and true operational 240 mph speed at
sea level increasing to 270 mph at 4000 meters. Couple
that with light armament, armor and a nasty habit of
bursting into flame it is no surprise that missions were
flown primarily at dawn and dusk. Supplies of aircraft
trickled into Finland but never enough to tip the scales.”
Question: What airliner was the Lockheed Aircraft’s two
engine bomber (The Hudson) derived from?
Answer: “The American manufacturer had developed the
type from its successful fourteen-passenger “Super
Electra” airliner for the British Air Ministry, which in 1938
turned to U.S. firms to supplement Britain’s overburdened
aircraft industry. The Hudson, with a 19.8- metre
wingspan and loaded weight of 6500 kilograms,, was
smaller than the Digby, but, with a cruising speed of 350
kilometres per hour was considerably faster. It could also
patrol to a distance of about 650 kilometres, although,
because of its higher speed it had less endurance, about
six hours compared to ten hours or more for the Digby. All
Hudson production was tied up by British and Australian
orders, but the British agreed to release ten of their
Hudsons to Canada.”
Victoria!
by Doug Rollins
One hundred years ago in October, 1920, the first crossing
of Canada by airplane was completed. For that historic
event, British Columbia was the finish line, and Victoria
figured prominently in the undertaking. This is the story of
that adventure and of Victoria’s role in it. On the afternoon
of October 17, 1920, a DH-9 biplane piloted by Lieutenant-
Colonel A. Tylee and Captain A.C. Thompson wheezed into
Richmond BC and landed on a racetrack. It had been a long,
snow and wind all the way. However, this marked the
triumphant culmination of the first journey by airplane
across Canada. It had been a 10-day epic trek that started
from Halifax, involved more than 49 flying hours and
required the use of five different aircraft. More dangers
than ever imagined and been faced, but with this landing
just outside Vancouver, that historic aviation ‘first’ had now
been achieved. Or had it? Two days later, at a dinner in a
swanky downtown Vancouver hotel held in honour of the
airmen, the point was made that while the trans-Canada
flight had been declared complete, in reality the crossing
should properly terminate at Victoria, BC; the provincial
capital. Tylee, put on the spot, diplomatically stated that
while this might be true, a Vancouver to Victoria flight was
impossible as even now the DH-9 was being dismantled to
be shipped by rail back to Moose Jaw. This seemed to put
an end to that idea.