Story and Photos by Gord McNulty
A Beech CT-134 Musketeer is now mounted as an aviation gateway to the village of Mount Hope, Ontario.
Staff and volunteers from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum delivered the freshly-restored Musketeer, formerly Canadian Armed Forces #134222, with a police escort to its new home in October 2021.
The bright yellow trainer, positioned adjacent to busy Highway 6 at the entrance to the village, provides a distinctive welcome for both residents and visitors.
It highlights and salutes the rich aviation history of Mount Hope, dating to 1940 when RCAF Station Hamilton was established as one of the larger British Commonwealth Air Training Plan bases.
“The Gateway is a spectacular vision beyond my expectations,” said City Councillor Brenda Johnson, who represents Mount Hope. “What a wonderful entrance to the village. We are getting lots of positive feedback from residents who have lived here for generations and those who have recently moved into the area. Simply put, thank you.”
Musketeer #134222 was delivered to No. 3 Flying Training School at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, in 1982. It served as a primary trainer before pilots transitioned to jets. About 10 years later, it was retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and dismantled and put into storage in Merrickville, Ontario. It sat there for years.
The museum acquired the aircraft in 2012 after discovering it for sale on Kijiji, a Canadian online classified advertising website. It was restored to static condition in exact CAF markings for museum display.
KF Aerospace assisted in refurbishing the Musketeer for the gateway project, which also includes lighting that will be installed in 2022.
It was in early 1972 when the Canadian Armed Forces ordered 20 Musketeers to replace the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk as a primary trainer. According to museum officials, the aircraft were standard Beech model B23s, powered by 180-hp Lycoming piston engines, but modified with the addition of cowling strakes, horizontal stabilizer strakes, and ventral fins to improve spin recovery.
The new trainers stayed in service until late 1981, when they were replaced by 24 1982 model C23 Sundowners, designated as CT-123A Musketeer IIs.
During 21 years of service, Musketeers trained about 5,000 Canadian military pilots.
Musketeers were replaced in 1992 by Slingsby Fireflies, operated under contract by Bombardier Aerospace.
The Beech Aircraft Corporation designed the Musketeer in the early 1960s, with the first production aircraft taking flight in 1963. Eventually, 4,366 Musketeers were built in 15 variants before production ceased in 1983.