Aim for the sky: the Royal Canadian Air Force and the development of a Canadian aircraft industry, 1909-1949

Abstract

Since 1945, the aeronautics industry has been a key sector of the Canadian economy, with a notable world presence in the civilian aircraft market, defence program contracting and advanced technology. This doctoral thesis studies the creation and development of the military-industrial aviation complex that developed across the country between 1909 and 1949, and, in particular, the relationship between Canada's federal, military and industrial policies towards its aviation industry. British decisions in 1915-18, and the institutional links between the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force during the interwar period, led to the issuing of British manufacturing contracts in Canada which resulted in an infusion of capital and a transfer of aircraft technology from one of the world's leading aviation industries. This transfer resulted in the establishment of a Canadian aviation industry, with British and, later, American aircraft built under licence. As a result, Canada became the world's fourth largest air power and a major player within the North American defence sphere during the Second World War through its aeronautical production capabilities, an important strategic position it continues to hold today.