Collection and Research

Search-and-Recovery of Free-Flight Avro Arrow Models from Lake Ontario

The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is proud to support OEX Recovery Group Incorporated in a project involving the search-and-recovery of free-flight Avro Arrow models which have rested on the bottom of Lake Ontario for more than 60 years.

From Rock to Reality - The Mining and Metallurgy Legacy Project

Hear what Canadians with careers in the mining industry have to say about safety, the environment, technology, and more.

For Home and Country: The Role of the Federated Women’s Institute in Rural Canada

Type: Collection Profiles

The members of the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada were instrumental in developing rural Canada. Learn more about these remarkable women.

1909 — An Illustrious Year

Type: Photo Essays

French aviators were shocked by Wilbur Wright’s mastery of the air when they saw him fly in 1908. Find out how they reacted, in the Museum’s photo essay.

Curtiss JN-4 “Canuck”

Type: Conservation Projects

Lack of proper facilities didn’t prevent the restoration of this treasure to near-original glory. See how the Museum team did it.

Canadian Dairying

Type: Collection Profiles

Follow the development of dairy farming in Canada over the past 200 years with this paper from the curatorial staff in the Collection and Research Branch.

Igor Sikorsky: One Man, Three Careers

Type: Photo Essays

Explore the eventful life of aviation pioneer Igor Sikorsky, in the Museum’s photo essay.

A History of the Rockcliffe Airport Site

Type: Photo Essays

How does a former military base become a national showcase and home to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum? Find out in this photo essay.

Curtiss Seagull

Type: Conservation Projects

The Museum’s team undertook the restoration of this flying boat with enthusiasm. Get the details of this challenging project, completed in 1974.

McDowall Monoplane

Type: Conservation Projects

Use the original, ineffective fabric treatment or a better, modern alternative? That was one of the challenges posed by the McDowall Monoplane restoration.

Curtiss HS-2L La Vigilance

Type: Conservation Projects

Explore details of the Museum’s largest and longest restoration project to date, which included building an entire hull for this flying boat.

R-100

Type: Photo Essays

Learn about Canada’s role in the Imperial Airship Scheme, in the Museum’s photo essay about the R-100 Airship.

Messerschmitt Me 163B–1a Komet

Type: Conservation Projects

Discover how the restoration of this Second World War-era German airplane revealed the consequences of using forced foreign labour.

Fairchild FC-2W-2

Type: Conservation Projects

A forced landing left this aircraft damaged, but the Museum’s skilled team restored it to display condition. See how.

The HS-2L in Canada

Type: Photo Essays

Read about the creation, history, and reconstruction of Canada’s first commercial aircraft, now part of the Museum collection.

Camouflage

Type: Photo Essays

Did you know the first military aircraft had no camouflage whatsoever? See how air forces came to realize that disguising airplanes was a good idea.

The Balloon Era

Type: Photo Essays

Relive the first days of human flight, in the Museum’s detailed photo essay on ballooning.

Aeronca C-2

Type: Conservation Projects

Tight timelines were no match for Museum staff, who reconditioned this diminutive airplane in time for a test flight by RCAF pilots. Learn more.

“And Look After Our Coasts”

Type: Photo Essays

Did you know that in the 1930s, attacks on Canada would likely come from the sea? See how the federal government reacted to the threat in this photo essay.

The Hutterites in Canada: “Communitarians Are We”

Type: Collection Profiles

Discover how Hutterites have driven agricultural technology innovation in this essay from the curatorial staff in the Collection and Research Branch.

Borel-Morane Monoplane

Type: Conservation Projects

Get details of the several-hundred-hour process that brought this artifact back to life while retaining historical materials and coatings.

Shield and Sword

Type: Photo Essays

Explore post-Second World War aviation innovation, some of the most important of its century, in the Museum’s photo essay.

Hispano HA–1112–M1L Buchón

Type:Conservation Projects

This Spanish-built version of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 was refinished in its original Spanish Air Force markings. Learn more about its restoration.