The RCAF required a replacement for its C-54GM North Star.
Among many changes, the proposed new aircraft was powered by Merlin engines.
Canadair began work on a long range transport primarily intended to provide personnel and logistics support for Canadian Forces in Europe.
In January 1957 Canadair received a contract for eight aircraft, later increased to 12.
The RCAF designation for the new design was CC-106 Yukon, while the company’s civilian variant was known as the CL-44-6.
The RCAF specified the CL-44 to be equipped with Bristol Orion engines.
When the British Ministry of Supply cancelled the Orion program, the RCAF revised the specifications to substitute the Rolls-Royce Tyne 11.
The CL-44 fuselage was lengthened, making it 12 ft 4 in (3.75 m) longer than the Britannia 300 with two large cargo doors added on the port side on some aircraft, while the cabin was pressurized to maintain a cabin altitude of 2,400 m at 9,000 m (30,000 ft).
The design used modified CL-28 wings and controls.
The Yukon could accommodate 134 passengers and a crew of nine.
In the casualty evacuation role, it could take 80 patients and a crew of 11.
The first flight took place 15 November 1959 at Cartierville Airport.
During test flights many problems were encountered, from complete electrical failure to engines shaking loose and almost falling off.
Rolls-Royce had problems delivering engines, resulting in the sarcastically-named Yukon gliders being parked outside Canadair as late as 1961.
Variants
CL-44-6
Version built for the Royal Canadian Air Force as the CC-106 Yukon.
CL-44D4-1
Civil, commercial cargo aircraft, civil prototype and production aircraft for Seaboard World Airlines
CL-44D4-2
Civil, commercial cargo aircraft originally built for Flying Tiger Line
CL-44D4-6
Civil, commercial cargo aircraft originally built for Slick Airways
CL-44D4-8
Civil aircraft for Icelandic Airlines Loftleidir
(Civil passenger version)
CL-44J
Four CL-44D4 aircraft stretched by Canadair on request of Icelandic Airlines Loftleiðir, with a section, 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m) forward of the wing, and another section of 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) aft of the wing.
This enabled the installation of 29 extra seats, bringing the capacity to 189 passengers.
The maximum take-off weight stayed the same since the extra weight was compensated by removing the centre wing tanks.
Therefore, it can be said that the stretch was a trade of capacity for range.
CL-44-O
Also known as the Skymonster and CL-44 Guppy.
The CL-44-O was a single CL-44D4-2 (c/n 16) converted by Conroy Aircraft, who removed the fuselage shell above the floor line, and rebuilt an enlarged fuselage to make it into a Guppy-type aircraft.
It was intended to transport Rolls-Royce RB211 engine pods to the United States for Lockheed’s L-1011 TriStar.
Specifications
Crew
2 pilots, 1 flight engineer plus loadmasters as required.
