No. 448 Squadron RCAF was a test and evaluation squadron of the
Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
History
From the formation of the
Air Board, air service flight testing and research was based at the
Ottawa Air Station, and conducted from Rockcliffe and Shirley's Bay. By 1930, a Test Flight was established at Rockcliffe. The Test Flight was expanded into the RCAF Test and Development Establishment in November 1940 to meet the demands of the
Second World War; it was renamed to the Experimental and Proving Establishment in 1946. Additional units included the Winter Experimental Establishment at
Edmonton, and the RCAF (
National Research Council) Unit at
Arnprior.
In 1951, all air force experimental units were amalgamated into the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment (CEPE). In 1957, CEPE headquarters moved from Rockcliffe to
RCAF Station Uplands; jet aircraft testing required a longer runway.
In 1954, CEPE's Air Armament Evaluation Detachment (AAED) was created at
Cold Lake. In turn, AAED became 448 Test Squadron in 1967. In 1970, 448 Squadron, CEPE and the
Royal Canadian Navy's
10 Experimental Squadron (1952) merged to create the
Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astr ...
(AETE);
10 Squadron RCN disbanded on 1 July 1970.
448 Squadron was formally redesignated as Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment, Cold Lake in 1971.
Aircraft tested
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Sikorsky H-34A
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Canadair
Canadair Ltd. was a civil and military aircraft manufacturer in Canada. In 1986, its assets were acquired by Bombardier Aerospace, the aviation division of Canadian transport conglomerate Bombardier Inc.
Canadair's origins lie in the establishm ...
/
Lockheed CT-33 Silver Star
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de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk (CT-120)
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Douglas CC-129 Dakota (DC-3)
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Avro CF-100 Canuck
The Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck (affectionately known as the "Clunk") is a Canadian twinjet interceptor/ fighter designed and produced by aircraft manufacturer Avro Canada. It has the distinction of being the only Canadian-designed fighter to en ...
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Canadair CF-104 Starfighter
The Canadair CF-104 Starfighter (CF-111, CL-90) is a modified version of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter supersonic fighter aircraft built in Canada by Canadair under licence. It was primarily used as a ground attack aircraft, despite being ...
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Canadair CF-5
The Canadair CF-5 (officially designated the CF-116 Freedom Fighter) is the Canadair licensed-built version of the American Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter aircraft primarily for the Canadian Forces (as the CF-5) and the Royal Netherlands Air Fo ...
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Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King
The Sikorsky CH-124 Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter designed for shipboard use by Canadian naval forces, based on the US Navy's SH-3. It served with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) and Canadian Armed Forces fr ...
See also
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List of aerospace flight test centres
References
{{RCAF Squadrons
Canadian Forces aircraft squadrons
Military units and formations established in 1967
Royal Canadian Air Force squadrons (disbanded)