From an information panel on site:
Curtiss HS-2L
The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co. of Hammondsport, New-York, developed the prototype Curtiss HS-1 as an anti-submarine flying boat late in World War I. The larger and more powerful HS-2L version flew coastal patrols from bases in France, the United-States and Canada. The operations in Canada were flown by the United-States navy from Sydney and Darthmouth, Nova-Scotia, to protect convoys sailing from Halifax. These machines were the only US-designed aircraft to see operational service during World War I.
In June 1919, the St. Maurice Forest Protective Association of Quebec began the world's first commercial bush flying operation when a war-surplus HS-2L named La Vigillance was used for aerial reconnaissance, spotting bush fires and mapping the dense, forested area of the Saint-Maurice Valley north of Trois-Rivieres. This historic initiative was a first step in opening up isolated and unknown regions of Canada, and it was the first such effort made with aircraft anywhere in the world. It was the ability of the HS-2L to land and take-off on most rivers and lakes that made this possible. Its adequate payload capacity helped to ensure its position as an important bush plane in Canada until 1927, when it made way for faster lighter and more economical high-wing monoplanes.
Curtiss HS-2Ls recorded a significant number of Canadian "firsts".
- the first bush flight in the world, June 1919
- the first aerial timber survey, 1919
- the first forestry patrol, 1919
- the first mining claim staked with the use of aircraft, 1920
- the initial leg of the first trans-Canada flight, 1920
- the first scheduled air service, 1924
- the first regular air mail service, 1924
The machine on display was reconstructed, following long and exacting work, from the remains of G-CAAC La Vigilance, the aircraft that made the world's first bush flight and finally crashed an sank in Foss Lake near Kapuskasing, in 1922.
The wreckage was salvaged from the bottom of the lake 47 years later in 1969. This machine also incorporates parts of an HS-2L owned by the Ontario Provincial air service and an American machine of Pacific Marine Airways.
(Note: the original bottom front of the aircraft salvaged from Foss Lake, Ontario and is displayed next to the museum's reconstructed model).
The following is from the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum's Website:
Highlights:
Designed in 1917 as a coastal patrol flying boat for the U.S. Navy during the First World War
Served as Canada’s first bush plane after the war, and was the main aircraft used for bush flying in Canada until 1927
Pioneered bush flying in Canada: it could take off and land on remote lakes and rivers, providing access to Canada’s northern landscapes
Achieved many "firsts," including first forestry patrol, 1919; first aerial timber survey, 1919; and first regular airmail service, 1924
First flight was in 1917
Artifact no.:
1975.0754
Manufacturer:
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
Manufacturer Location:
United States
Manufacture Date:
1918
Registration no.:
G-CAAC
Acquisition Date:
1968
History:
The HS-2L was the final version of a series of patrol flying boats developed in the last two years of First World War. The United States Navy flew HS-2Ls on anti-submarine patrols from bases in Nova Scotia. At the end of the war twelve HS-2Ls were donated to Canada, and many others were purchased as war surplus.
The HS-2L was Canada’s first bush aircraft and was the predominant Canadian bush plane until 1926 or 1927. Operators of the HS-2L established the traditions of Canadian bush flying.
HS-2L aircraft flew the first forestry patrols, made the first aerial timber survey in 1919, staked the first mining claim using an aircraft in 1920, and in 1924 was used to establish the first scheduled air service and the first regular air mail service in Canada.
Current Location:
Bush flying Exhibition, Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Provenance:
Salvage by the Museum
This is the only complete HS-2L in the world. It is a reconstruction of G-CAAC La Vigilance, which belonged to Laurentide Air Service Limited, the world’s first bush- flying company. The original La Vigilance was the company’s first aircraft; it was built in 1918 and made the first bush flight in Canada in 1919. That same year, Stuart Graham, Canada’s first professional bush pilot and a member of Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame, began his civilian career in La Vigilance, and his wife, Madge Graham, became the first Canadian woman to participate in flight when she accompanied him between Nova Scotia and Quebec.
On September 2, 1922 La Vigilance crashed into Foss Lake, Ontario, where it remained until 1967, when Donald Campbell of Kapuskasing reported the location of the wreck at the bottom of the lake. The hull, along with metal parts and fittings from the aircraft, was retrieved by the Museum during a salvage operation between 1968 and 1969. The original hull was preserved separately and is displayed next to the reconstructed aircraft, which was built using parts from three different HS-2Ls. Restoration of this HS-2L lasted from 1970 until 1986, making it the largest and longest restoration project the Museum has undertaken.
Technical Information:
Wing Span 22.6 m (74 ft 19/32 in)
Length 11.9 m (39 ft)
Height 5.7 m (18 ft 9 1/4 in)
Weight, Empty 1,950 kg (4,300 lb)
Weight, Gross 2,918 kg (6,432 lb)
Cruising Speed 105 km/h (65 mph)
Max Speed 137 km/h (85 mph)
Rate of Climb 550 m (1,800 ft) / 10 min
Service Ceiling 2,800 m (9,200 ft)
Range 830 km (517 mi)
Power Plant one Liberty, 360 hp, V-12 engine
Reference: (
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Largest and longest restoration project undertaken by the Museum: (
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