RCAF War Prize Flights, German and Japanese Warbird Survivors

About the Book

This handbook concerns the collection of Air Technical Intelligence, and the test flying of war prizes carried out by two RCAF bomber pilots who were posted to the Royal Aircraft Establishment's Foreign Aircraft Flight, Farnborough, in the United Kingdom in May 1945. Their primary task was to visit former Luftwaffe airfields, and to find and fly back any aircraft they deemed worthy of evaluation.

The list of aircraft found here does not include every German combat aircraft of the Second World War, as it focuses on those warbirds captured and flown by members of the RCAF, or sent to Canada as war prizes. Very few of these rare aircraft exist today, and therefore, information on known locations where German, Japanese and Italian warbird survivors may be found is included.

As a member of the Canadian Aviation Preservation Association and the Canadian Aviation Artists Association, the author strongly supports the preservation of Canada's aviation heritage. The primary intent of this handbook is to provide information for aviation artists and enthusiasts looking for that unusual "never before painted" military aviation subject, and to support the efforts of those engaged in the search for those missing warbirds for which no examples currently exist.

About the Author

Major Harold A. Skaarup, CD2, BFA, MA in War Studies, is a Canadian Forces Army Intelligence Officer with an interest in Military History. He has served overseas with 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade in Germany, with the Canadian Contingent of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Nicosia, Cyprus (CANCONCYP), with the NATO-led Peace Stabilization Force in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina (SFOR), with North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and United Sates Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Kabul Multi-National Brigade (KMNB) in Kabul, Afghanistan. He currently lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.