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From Bill Tate referencing NetLetter #1507 - As always I really appreciate the stories. As an FYI the cockpit section of one of two RCAF Comets is located in the storage hangar of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. To access the storage hangar it is an add-on fee including a guided tour of the storage hangar. Regards, Bill Tate, Retired Air Canada A-330 Captain |
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Clint Ward, retired B-747 Captain sent in the following:
I was a close friend of a great aviation artist, Jim Bruce who passed away suddenly this past year. When I first visited his home, I noticed a painting on the wall. I admired his rendition of the Viscount that was the first aircraft type that I flew as a captain. When he sensed my excitement he offered me a print. It hangs proudly in my workspace, a constant reminder of the 12 years the Viscount occupied in my aviation life. I am a member of RAPCAN and a little over a year ago I made a suggestion to the editor of our magazine to use a painting by Jim, "At The Blast Fence," on the cover and devote the entire issue to stories about the Vickers Viscount. The idea was accepted and the May 2022 issue used the cover photo. I was just thinking that it would make a wonderful lead image in an issue of The Netletter. I am attaching the lead article from that magazine. A memorial service for Jim Bruce will be held in the Montreal Aviation Museum on May 18 of this year. Clint Ward Photo: Terry Slobodian (left), President and CEO of the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada with Robert W. Arnold (right) are shown holding the artwork. |
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Editors' Note: Mr. Bruce's artwork was first brought to our attention by Robert W. Arnold, Viscount Project Manager for the Viscount restoration at the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada, and published in NetLetter # 1486. We wish to thank Mr. Ward for his suggestion and additional information. |
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At The Blast Fence by Jim Bruce |
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The Trans-Canada Air Lines Vickers Viscount depicted in my painting on the cover is a 724 Series Viscount registration CF-TGQ #609 delivered June 5, 1955. TCA received its first Viscount 724 CF-TGI #601 on December 12, 1954. The Viscount became operational on April 1, 1955 with daily round-trip service, Montreal-Toronto-Fort William-Winnipeg. The blast fence was erected on the tarmac near TCA’s line maintenance hangar to help mitigate the intensity of the engine run-up prop-wash from the Dart engines, thus protecting traffic and buildings on adjacent Ferry Road. I joined TCA in Winnipeg on August 1, 1956 as an aeronautical draftsman assigned to the Engineering Department in the Overhaul and Maintenance Base at Stevenson Field (now Winnipeg International Airport). The Chief Engineer was an affable gentleman named ‘Baldy' Torell. My boss was Chief Draftsman Leo Styrczula who became a good friend. The TCA Winnipeg Base was where the Viscount and Douglas DC-3 fleet received line maintenance and were overhauled. My work consisted of preparing engineering drawings for service manuals and modifications to the aircraft. |
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Additional info at: royalaviationmuseum.com |
