Canadair CP-107 Argus

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• The Argus had a reputation as a workhorse and had tremendous endurance. With a flight crew of five, and an additional six sensor operators, the Aircraft flew missions in excess of twenty hours frequently. An Argus flown by 407 Maritime Patrol Squadron held the record for the longest flight by an unrefuelled Aircraft, slightly over 31 hours. This record stood for almost twenty years until broken by a Rutan experimental Aircraft which circled the globe unrefuelled. The Aircraft served from the 50's to the 80's until it was replaced by the current CP-140 Aurora Aircraft.

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• A Canadair CP-107 Argus on patrol visually identifies a Canadian Oberon-class diesel electric submarine. First entering service in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1958, the Argus was primarily an anti-submarine Aircraft although it had other responsibilities as well. There were 13 Argus Mk.1s, and 20 Argus Mk.2s, the latter sporting upgraded radar systems. The Argus flew its last service mission on 24 July, 1981.

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• When the Argus entered service in 1957, it gave the RCAF the most advanced anti-submarine Aircraft in the world. Although only 33 were built, there were still 31 in the Air Force inventory when it was retired in 1982 and replaced by the CP-140 Aurora. A few examples still exist in Canada, awaiting homes at museums.

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• Argus 719 of 415 Maritime Patrol Squadron of RCAF Station Summerside was one of the first batch of 13 Argus Mk. 1 Aircraft procured by the RCAF on 2 May, 1957. The Bristol Type 175 Britannia, modified to suit its new role, was the airframe selected when Canadair was awarded the contract to develop the Argus. Four 3,700 horsepower Wright Turbo-compound engines were installed in lieu of the originals, and the fuselage was completely redesigned as no pressurization was required while a weapon bay was. Thirteen Argus 1s were delivered before the Argus 2s were introduced which differed only in improved equipment installed and were distinguishable by their smaller radome.

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• The Argus came into service in 1957 to perform long-range anti-submarine duties. Equipped with torpedoes and depth-charges, the Canadian-built Argus served until 1982, when it was replaced by the CP-140 Aurora. In this picture, several features of the Argus are visible, including the chin-mounted surface-search radar and the Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD) boom on the tail, used to detect a submerged submarine by the magnetic field that the submarine's metal hull creates.

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• Adapted from the well known Bristol Britannia in 1954, the Argus carried an armament load of almost 4 tons in two bomb bays. Normally the crew consisted of 3 pilots, 3 navigators, 2 flight engineers, and 7 electronic equipment operators. Fully loaded it could fly from Newfoundland to Ireland, patrol for 8 hours, return from this 1500 mile transit and still have an hour of reserve fuel on board. This 415 Squadron Argus out of CFB Summerside, P.E.I. is overflying one of the northern radar sites during its patrol circuit.

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• The Argus's mighty 3700hp Wright Turbo-compound engines were capable of producing enormous amounts of heat and electrical power. To illustrate, one Aircraft produced enough heat and electricity to service 26 6-room houses in the depth of winter.

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• Number 10721 was an Argus Mk. I of 407 (Maritime Patrol) Squadron operating out of RCAF Station/CFB Comox until it was struck off strength on 4 June, 1981 and subsequently scrapped in 1982.

  Special equipment included on this Maritime Patrol Aircraft included a high-definition medium-range search radar, electronic counter measures (ECM) equipment for monitoring transmissions of targets, explosive echo ranging (EER) equipment, magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) equipment and sonobouys. In addition, search and rescue and homing (SARA) equipment was fitted, and a high-intensity searchlight of 70mn candlepower was mounted on the starboard wing.

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• Argus '739 of was one of 20 Mk. 2 Aircraft in service with the RCAF and the Canadian Armed Forces. The red swordfish on the tail indicates that it is serving with 415 Maritime Patrol Squadron out of CFB Summerside, Prince Edward Island. While bearing the post-integration Canadian Armed Forces paint scheme and insignia indicating that the photograph dates from later than 1968, the tail still bears the earlier serial of 20739 rather than the 10739 which went into effect when the fleet was reserialled effective as of 4 June, 1970. "739 was struck off strength on 28 May, 1980 and is now preserved at its old home, CFB Summerside.

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