416 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force

The CF-100 Years!

IMPORTANT UPDATE - May 25, 2023 (see NEWS section for other updates)

PLEASE NOTE: When the previous webmaster, Bob Eley, passed away in May 2017, he left a request to have the website paid for and maintained for 1 year. If at the end of that time, no one was able to takeover ownership, the site was to be shut down. Knowing how much my dad loved his flying days and the squadron, I have kept the site going for over 6 years while pursuing other options, including RCAF History And Heritage, to see if there was any interest in taking on the website or at least archiving some of its historical data. Unfortunately, these endeavours have been in vain and the website is now going to be shut down.

I have however, backed up all the pages within the website and stored them in Google Drive at the location below, if anyone wants to view or download their own copy. All the web pages are available, but viewable only as individual, static pages.
*** https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WosLDCa2SIoc2kT9Dx2k3LSJEVNvxzQy?usp=share_link ***

If anyone out there is interested in taking ownership of the site, please contact me asap. Be aware though, the website was built on long obsolete technology and most pages are impossible to maintain at this point. The website would need to be re-developed from scratch using newer tools.

Regards,
Brian Eley
eleybri26@yahoo.ca

416 was reactivated at Saint-Hubert, Québec as the "LYNX" All Weather Fighter Squadron on Friday, 1 February 1957. She was equipped with Avro's CF-100 Mk-V (powered by 2 Orenda 11 engines), and served at Saint-Hubert until disbandment on 30 September 1961.

(For a stylized and frameable condensation of the squadron's history, please go to this link.)

This site is dedicated to those who flew, under the "Punchbowl" call sign, the One and Only "Made in Canada" fighter aircraft to make it to production status.

416 Squadron February 1957

Now you know who we are, let's have a look at the aircraft we were privileged to fly in. In her time, she was the best - not just in Canada, but in the world. If there is a theme for this web site, it can be summarized by paraphrasing a familiar book/film title: "We were airmen once ... and young."

Avro CF-100 MkV

"CANUCK"

Also known as:
"The Clunk" - "The Lead Sled"
"CF-Zero" - "The Beast"...
but dearly loved by all those who mastered it and pushed it to its surprising limits for those days!
"Scorpions", "F-102s", "Javelins", etc. were no match for it, Afterburners or Reheat at full blast!
Wingspan: 18,54 m (60' 10")
Length: 16,51 m (54' 2")
Height: 4,45 m (14' 7")
Weight: 15,241 kg (33,600 lbs)
Engines: Two 3,311 kg (7,300 lbs) thrust

Avro Canada Orenda 11 Turbojets
Max. Speed: 480 knots, Mach 0.84

892 km/h (554 mph)
Cruise Altitude: 12,192 m (40,000 ft.) plus
Ceiling: 14,630 m (48,000 ft.)
Max. Range: 3,219 km (2,000 miles)

Designed and built in Canada,

the CF-100 was Canada's greatest

indigenous military aircraft.

From 1950 to 1958, 692 were built for the RCAF.

The aircraft equipped Canada's 13 front-line

all-weather fighter squadrons and remained in service until 1981.

The armament consisted of various combinations of machine guns and air-to-air rockets,

both guided and unguided.

RCAF MK5 variant of the CF-100 normally had

a pod which carried 29" (62 mm) unguided

rocket missiles on each wingtip.

... persons have visited us since February 3rd 2009. Thank you all!

Comments and queries, please, to webmaster

*** Please refer to May 2017 News update on the passing of Robert "Bob" Eley (current webmaster for this website) with regards to contact information for future updates and website maintenance. Note: Bob's punchbowl16 email is no longer in use or being monitored.