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Ingenium acquires ‘historically significant’ de Havilland aircraft for Ottawa museum

Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation has acquired a “historically significant” de Havilland Canada Buffalo CC-115 with tail number 452 from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

The aircraft – which made the last operational flight of any CC-115 on Jan. 15, 2022 – will be displayed in the Reserve Hangar at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa.

Ingenium officials said the Buffalo “is representative of both the technological developments of the time,” and of de Havilland Canada’s legacy of designing short takeoff and landing airplanes for the Canadian climate.

Fifteen CC-115 Buffalo aircraft were procured by the RCAF between June 1967 and December 1968 to provide medium tactical transportation, and later, search and rescue services. “This exciting transfer is further marked by the fact that this aircraft was used in The SWINTER (The Servicewomen in Non-Traditional Environments and Roles) aircrew trials held between 1979 and 1985 – the first time that women were allowed to serve as pilots, navigators, and flight engineers in the Canadian Armed Forces,” Ingenium said. “The Buffalo serves as material culture evidence in gender history, participation in United Missions in the Middle East and Africa, and search and rescue operations.”

The aircraft was flown from Comox, B.C. to Trenton, Ont., where it was disassembled by the Department of National Defence (DND). In October, it was transported to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum on six flatbed trucks and was reassembled by DND.

The Buffalo was officially added to the collection at an unveiling event at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum on Nov. 28, alongside officials from Ingenium and the DND.