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Dates |
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Event |
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Constructed as a Hampden TB.I. |
1942 |
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Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Canadian Air Force with s/n P5436. |
15 November 1942 |
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Crashed.
It survived only 100 hours of flying time before crashing near Patricia Bay, while engaged in torpedo dropping practice. The pilot made the error of turning at low speed and altitude, causing the aircraft to fall into a stabilized yaw, a known Hampden flaw. The aircraft quickly sank 600 feet to the bottom. The 4-man crew was more fortunate, as the pilot of a passing Stranraer flying boat had seen the mishap, and they were plucked out of the water, with very minor injuries, within minutes. |
From Circa 1980 to Circa 1989 |
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In the 1980s, CMF salvaged the remains of Hampden AN136 from Mount Tuam on Saltspring Island, and a later N132 from a mountaintop near Ucluelet. Our underwater recovery crew was aware of P5436, but the exact location continued to elude SONAR and underwater cameras. |
1985 |
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Some detective work into wartime RCAF files pinpointed the depth of the wreck, and this was used to locate the exact location with the sonar. |
1996 |
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Photographer: Unknown |
1996 |
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Photographer: Unknown |
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Recovered.
The difficult and costly salvage operation was carried out by Jerry Olsen and his crew of C-LOST (Canadian Lake and Ocean Salvage Team), the Thompson Family of Tillicum Towing of Pender Harbour and International Submarine Engineering who loaned the technical equipment. |
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To The Canadian Museum of Flight, Langley, BC.
 View the Location Dossier |
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Although fairly complete and mostly intact, the aircraft was badly corroded, damaged, and very fragile. Considering that more than 44 years were spent in salt water, some small components were in magnificent shape. The compass worked, there was air in the tires and greased bearings and drive chains moved freely. |
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Restored.
Markings Applied: HLB
Restoration work was driven mainly by volunteer Fred Gardham, who worked on Hampdens in the local aviation industry during WWII, and who had even logged one flight in P5436 following repairs. Vital components from the other two Hampden crash sites were used in the rebuild. |
2 July 2012 |
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Photographer: Terry Fletcher
Notes: 2012 photo at Canadian Museum of Flight at Langley. BC |
2 July 2012 |
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Photographer: Terry Fletcher
Notes: 2012 photo at Canadian Museum of Flight at Langley. BC |
2 July 2012 |
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Photographer: Terry Fletcher
Notes: 2012 photo at Canadian Museum of Flight at Langley. BC |
2 July 2012 |
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Photographer: Terry Fletcher
Notes: 2012 photo at Canadian Museum of Flight at Langley. BC |
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 | | This airframe dossier was started by a contributor.
An preliminary review of the submitted data is pending.
If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor. |
