Canadair CL-44 Forty Four

My 1st commercial job as a pilot after the USN.Flew 4 different SN's of this big old bird. CAX Westinghouse 80-83, then AEI 85-88. About 2700 hrs total. Miss the old days!!!

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I did a few flights cross-Canada and transAtlantic during my RCAF years. The air transport people had a boarding pass system based on rank and family status.The rear of the cabin was quietest, so more senior ranks were boarded first. As a low-ranking single airman, I was boarded last and was seated well forward,in line with the props. A 13-hour eastbound flight from Canada to Europe was a throbbing journey for sure. And, if you had a window seat, you were quite cramped. The Yukon was replaced in 1970 by the Boeing 707 for military transport. As I recall, the coffee on the Yukon was always hotter and tastier than on the Boeing.

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My Dad, F.N.Newell ( Fred ) did some of the design work on the swingtail. I'd like to hear from any of the people that worked with Dad from Canadair.
Cheers, Nick

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Throughout the sixties, the RCAF operated 12 of these stout ladies and the type was therein labeled as "the Yukon. It was an interesting bird to fly thanks to its "floating" controls. The Yukon retired on April 02,1971. I followed on April 09, 1971 after five years and flew a couple trans-ats later for an ill conceived Company.

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My first job out of A&P school was at Tigers in Burbank on Clybourn for 49 days in Oct.-Dec. 1965 working the swing shift doing the what I would call now "B" checks. What a place "Tigers" was! They did me a real favor getting rid of me. I still have the 6 volumes of Maintenance /parts that I put together on a slow night. I was already familar with A /c as I was in USAF Transit maint. at Travis AFB, Ca. 1963 /64 Tigers & Seaboard World, Slick doing the servicing their on the swing tails, along with the more common C-124's

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I worked on the CL-44 with Transmeridian Air Cargo at Stansted 1972-1980. We started with 2 A /C and eventually had 9, including the Conroy Guppy conversion, which was the only one of it's kind in the world - hence we were not able to put it on the British register. The Yukon was a non-swing tail version, I believe for the Canadian Air Force. The "Whispering Giant" was the nickname of the Bristol Britannia - an aircraft in similar config [i.e. 4-engined turboprop]which I also worked on at Stansted with ATEL, which was the company that put freight doors in them at their other facility at Southend Airport Essex.

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we used this aircraft for a number of years for cargo under the colors of air express International. We shipped fish ex Iceland to the Boston market. Misc. cargo to Europe. From the UK we hauled a number of autos for testing. A great plane.

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Was conducting dive test on Aero Spacelines Guppy version at Vd /Md intersection when horizontal tail fluttered. Landed Edwards AFB lakebed Ok. Both spars broken and surface bent about 10 degrees. Investigator said only thing holding it together was two coats of zinc chromate. Repaired and flew again. Nice airplane!

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Did this aircraft, the Yukon, not have a tri-tail ( three vertical stabilators).. I have pictures... It brought me to Canada in 1966.

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Art Kendall,arbur@shaw.ca,26.11.2010.I was involved inthe maintenance from the begining to the end of their service in the Canadian Air Force.A love /hate relationship.I have many fond memories of the Yukon.I have always been disappointed in the lack of recognition it has received by the Canadian Air Force Museums and have made my feelings known,to no avail

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I was involved with this acft as a mech at Flying Tigers in LA in 1968 and '69. Then in 1977 , while working as a Field Service Rep for Douglas Acft I was sent to Stansted England as a DC-8 rep at Transmeridian Air Cargo and there were all the former Tigers CL-44's. Kind of made me feel right at home. As I recall them at Tigers, we had a lot of fuel tank leaks, but for the most part they were a great and versitle acft.

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Several were built with a swing tail for loading of oversize cargo. As I recall, Seaboard's were swing tail.

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Didn't Seaboard fly these in the 60"s?

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Hello, a friend of mine have a one in Cuenca (Ecuador) HZ-AZH, he like´s to restored the plane, eny one can help us?...

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Flew this beauty for five years. Did many longgg flights. One from Haneda, Japan to Ottawa, Canada, 17 hours 45 mins. Alternate was Dorval.

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The latest CL44 Newsletter is being mailed to over 140 Association members in late August. In this edition, photos of Juan's work in Ecuador plus news of the Guppy and recollections of flying the 44 from former Transmeridian and Tradewinds crews.

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To Glen Carter- Hi Glen I have pictures here of you with Dutch Holland at Manston-I guess he has flown off by now?

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Hi, Geoff, I've got you in my log book.I flew the Yukon '62-66, 3600 hrs Great old A /C.

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I flew the 44 1984-1988 scheduled run from JFK - UK twice a week and adhoc charters all over the world. Was very hard airplane to land smooth lol. Was a work horse for a long haul aircraft. Did not do well on short legs. Still have all the manuals for her too. Sometimes miss the old gal.

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worked on this ac from 1960 to 1969, we called it the whispering giant

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