Facelift for RCAF landmark in Moncton nears completion

Moncton landmark restoration almost complete The restoration project for the RCAF aircraft landmark in Moncton is almost finished.

A restoration project for one of the City of Moncton’s landmarks is almost complete.

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CF 100 Mark 5 aircraft has been on display in Centennial Park since 1966, but the jet has been showing its age for the past few years.

City of Moncton Director of Parks Dan Hicks said the project was years in the making when they started the restoration this summer.

“The first part of the project was replacing rivets and screws and making sure the fuselage was tied on well and was not going to deteriorate any further,” said Hicks.

The canopy that covers the cockpit also had to be replaced because it was cracked.

“Interesting part of that project was determining whether or not the explosive charges were still active in the cabin for the ejection seat,” said Hicks. “That’s not something you come across every day.”

Hicks said the city found an expert who verified the explosive charges were removed and declared the craft safe to work on.

Made by Avro Canada, Hicks said the airplane had 2,000 hours of service time. It was first flown in 1955. It was placed on its pedestal in Centennial Park on Aug. 14, 1966 - the same year it made it's final flight.

Hicks said there’s still another week or so of polishing and then the airplane will get a new paint job and some landscaping will be done before the project is finished. He said a consultant recommended removing general access directly underneath the plane to protect people from falling ice or debris.

“We’re going to be installing a post and chain rail fence around it and some landscape plantings underneath the plane so that you can admire it close up, but not underneath,” Hicks said.

He said the work should be done sometime in November.

The city has already completed two smaller projects on military monuments.

The anchor from the HMCS Magnificent and a Sherman tank known as Coriano from the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise) were painted by city employees.

The next major project on Hicks’ list is a restoration of the locomotive at the park’s main entrance off St. George Boulevard which is over 100 years old. It has been at the park since the mid-1960s.

“That will involve a re-painting of it and some work on the canopy cover to help protect it for a number of years,” said Hicks.

That project is slated to start in about two years.

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