How many Ansons were built in Canada as the Mk II?

Short answer

A total of 1,832 Anson Mk IIs were built, the first version produced entirely in Canada. The first of them flew on 21 August 1941. It had the Jacobs L-6MB engine and hydraulic flaps and undercarriage. As Commonwealth Plan trainers, more than 3,000 Ansons were produced, over 2,800 of them in Canada.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

How many Ansons were built in Canada as the Mk II?

Avro Anson 652A Mk IL-Bit (CC BY SA), vía commons

The first fully Canadian Anson

The Anson Mk II was the first model produced entirely in Canada. It was powered by the Jacobs L-6MB engine. It featured hydraulically operated flaps and undercarriage. The first of the 1,832 Mk IIs flew on 21 August 1941.

The industry set up to build it

In 1940 Federal Aircraft Limited, a company owned by the Canadian government, was created in Montreal to build the Anson for Canadian use. More than 3,000 Ansons were produced as trainers for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, more than 2,800 of them in Canada.

From airliner to trainer

In 1933 Imperial Airways issued a specification to Avro for a light airliner capable of carrying four passengers up to 420 miles (676 km) at a cruising speed of 130 mph (210 km/h). In August 1933 Roy Chadwick's team had produced a design study. Only two examples of that model were built, but it served as the basis for the successful Avro Anson.