Barkley Grow Aircraft

11/26/2025

Today I am publicly sharing the following copy of an advertisement from 1940. We learn that, alongside other types of aircraft, the Barkley-Grow T8P-1 planes were also equipped with instruments made by the Kollsman company. - A nice detail in this promotional photo is the propellers that were painted in afterwards—a touch from a time before Photoshop and AI!

05/01/2025

CF-BTX and the CANOL project exploratory flight

Following up on my post from August 21, 2022, about the Barkley-Grow T8P-1 CF-BTX in connection with the exploratory flight of the CANOL Project, I would like to briefly report today on the flight path it took in June 1942. Grant McConachie was the pilot who flew the aircraft from Cooking Lake near Edmonton to Norman Wells.

The stops along the way were Fort McMurray, Fort Chipewyan, Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Fort Providence, and Fort Wrigley.

From Norman Wells, the BTX was then flown by James 'Bud' Potter to Whitehorse, across the Mackenzie-Yukon divide.

10/25/2024

This is a nice clip from Canadian Aviation History:

Barkley-Grow Aircraft of Detroit, Michigan produced only 11 of the T8P-1 ("Transport, 8 Passengers") beginning in 1937. Designed to be rugged and simple, it ...

10/17/2024

The Hangar Flight Museum - Please have a look at this post: "What's more Canadian than being able to operate on snow, water, and dry ground?"

10/02/2024

Have a look at Richard de Boers last post "Richard's Life in Airplane Pics, Day 538". Thanks for sharing, Richard!

09/22/2024

Thanks Murray Lundberg for sharing this on Yukon History & Abandoned Places! The Sunday Sun Magazine, September 21, 1940

08/17/2024

Just found a photo with a caption showing and mentioning Captain Sheldon Luck (chief pilot of Yukon Southern Air Transport) in 'The Vancouver Sun', Apr 04, 1941, page 28. It shows him standing at a propellor of "Yukon King" Barkley-Grow T8P-1, msn #4, CF-BMG.

04/01/2024

Happy anniversary, 100 years RCAF!

We would like to make a small contribution to this anniversary.

The Barkley-Grow T8P-1 msn #5 '758' was operated by the RCAF September 9, 1939 - October 20, 1941.

Some aspects of this time:

September 1939 sold to Royal Canadian Air Force (CDN $ 75.000)
Taken on strength September 9, 1939 No.1 Training Command

September 9, 1939 Canadian Car & Foundry test pilot, Victor John ‚Shorty‘ Hatton delivered the aircraft CF-BMV to RCAF Station Ottawa (Rockcliffe), ON. After two days of conducting familiarization flights with RCAF pilots he formally handed it over September 10, 1939. – It was the same day, Canada's entry into the war was announced!

Allocated October 26, 1939 to No.12 Communications Flight, Rockcliffe, ON
Officially became '758' on November 13, 1939
First recorded flight as '758' on November 14, 1939
(first few flights are recorded as CF-BMV)
Local flights and VIP transports, e.g.
November 7 – 15, 1939 flew high ranking officers to Calgary and Lethbridge, AB (10:20 flight time)
November 24/25, 1939 flew Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir from Ottawa, Québec to Camp Borden, ON and back (Lord Tweedsmuir wanted to inspect the air and tank training depot)
December 6, 1939 flew to RCAF Aerodrome Ottawa (Uplands), ON

Accident May 30, 1940: undercarriage damaged during landing, out of service for eight months while parts were obtained from the factory.
August 30, 1940 No.12 Communications Flight was upgraded to No. 12 Communications Squadron
February 5, 1941 tested after repairs of undercarriage.

Allocated June 23, 1941 to Test and Development Establishment, Rockcliffe, ON
Last recorded flight as '758' on June 26, 1941 (to Montreal and back) (~200 flights in total)
July 4, 1941 practice flights on RDF (Radio Direction Finding) equipment for NRC
September 23/24/25, 1941calibration tests for NRC (National Research Council, Canada)

Struck of strength October 20, 1941 and sold to 'Maritime Central Airways' Charlottetown, PEI for CDN $ 50.000

03/31/2024

Air Service, Inc.

Happy Easter, dear visitors and followers of our fbsite!

It took me quite a long time to clarify a little piece of the history of the Barkley-Grow T8P-1 #1!
It is the period between 1945 and 1964 when it was registered in the USA.
During this time it changed hands several times for shorter periods of time! (Chandler Evans Corp. / Air Taxi, Inc. / Dayton Airways, Inc. / Mishawaka Airport, Inc. / South Bend Tool & Die Co., Inc. / Thomas J. Smith / Dayton Aircraft Sales)

Today I want to cover the period 1954 when it belonged to Thomas J. Smith! During this time he was the owner of #1 and chairman of the small airline "Air Service, Inc." in Bridgeport, CT. Al Wheeler was the president.
This airline operated regional charter flights on the East Coast.
During this time, Air Service Inc. owned a Howard DGA-15P, a Cessna 195 and the Barkley-Grow T8P-1 #1 with registration N18388.
The three photos (different sources!) that I am attaching to this post also come from this time.
I found a crucial clue in this investigation in two short articles by Al Wheeler in 'Vintage Airplane' magazine Dec 1980 and March 1981!

03/05/2024

Yukon Southern and Canadian Pacific Air Lines Barkley-Grow T8P-1 (CF-BQM, CF-BMG and CF-BLV) - and this is the link to a very short clip -

Barkley-Grow Aircraft of Detroit, Michigan produced only 11 of the T8P-1 ("Transport, 8 Passengers") beginning in 1937. Designed to be rugged and simple, it ...

02/18/2024

Today I would like to post two photos in connection with the amazing work that the Minnesotan Margaret Oldenburg (1892-1972) had done in the early 1940s by traveling the Canadian arctic tundra and collecting plants for the Bell museum in St. Paul, MN. - Photos show the Barkley-Grow T8P-1 #11 reg.no. CF-BTX near Holman/Ulukhaktok, NWT.
(sources: https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Oldenburg-Ulukhaktok-Victoria-Island-1024x584.jpg and https://img.apmcdn.org/c3bcee1d5fc4859a4972258cae700c926758f251/uncropped/35b2ab-20220914-botanist04-webp1400.webp)

02/06/2024

Richard de Boer made this rare aerial photo of the fuselage of the Barkley-Grow T8P-1 #1 CF-BVE at the Whereatt farm in Assiniboia, SK, December 1977 (light blue/white/black)