Info needed on M217 tanker
 

Can anyone give me the fuel tank capacity of the CDN version of the M217 (fuel tanker). I cannot find any details on line or in my collection of books. Note this is a different style than the US version M217. The truck cab data plates say M211 not 217. All help appreciated.

Attachment 117483 Attachment 117484

M217CDN Truck, Tank, Fuel Servicing.
 

It is nice to see that a comparatively rare vehicle is being preserved, the tank capacity was 1000 gallons. Would it be possible to have a photograph of the data plate?

If I remember correctly DND ordered/received M135 cargos, M211 cargos, M216 Dump truck, M133 cab and chassis (single rear wheels) and M207 chassis (dual rear wheels). The M133 and M207 trucks received the specialty bodies ie Vans/refuellers/Kitchens/etc. It’s possible this M211 was repurposed as a refueller

More information on this thread

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=27565

Thanks for your input, I will try to post a few more pictures when it warms up a bit..couple of days I hope. The last owner told me this vehicle originated from Camp Borden where it was used to fuel up helicopters. I have no idea if that is correct but thats what I was told.

M217CDN Truck, Tank, Fuel Servicing.
 

Yes, the M217CDN was used to refuel helicopters.

Follow up pics..anybody recognize the propeller insignia?

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That looks like a truck I saw in a yard in the vicinity of Orangeville several years ago. I'm pretty sure the truck was used by 450 Sqn to refuel their Chinook helicopters in the field.

That is easy:

450
Tactical
Helicopter
Squadron (the two flaked off little pips on the top of the rectangle)

450 was in St Hubert then disbanded, and reestablished with Chinooks in Petawawa. If my Goofle skills are up to speed, they were flying Kiowas and Twin Hueys. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/450_Ta...opter_Squadron

Sometime used a bit of artistic licence with a wheel and staff to depict the echelon tail. Off road mobility required to top up tactical helos, but not crazy cross country mobility.

M217CDN Truck, Tank, Fuel Servicing.
 

Nice catch! 55-52529 is the earliest of the M217CDN Fuel Servicing trucks and was used by 450 Squadron to refuel Chinook Helicopters in Ottawa. The propeller insignia is the NATO tactical symbol for tactical heavy lift logistics helicopter squadron.

According to C-30-248-000/MA-000 Canadian Army EME Manual, Truck, Tank, Fuel Servicing, 2½ ton, 6x6, 1,000 Gallon Gasoline, w/Segregator, Data Summary, 20 November, 1967 the chassis for these specialized vehicles was the M207CDN but I am not surprised to see that a M211CDN was used instead.

There is history that I think is being missed. Although 450 Sqn did spend a couple of years at St Hubert, they quickly moved to CFB Uplands to fly the first incarnation of RCAF Chinooks, in the 70s, 80s and 90s until the government morphed a historic base (started in time to take part in the WWII BCATP) into CFSU (O) and disbanded the Sqn (which was reformed when the government once again acquired Chinooks).

I have no proof that it is so, but is it possible that the tank body was salvaged and transferred from a worn or damaged M207 chassis to a M211 chassis that happened to be available?

M217CDN Truck, Tank, Fuel Servicing.
 

The CH147 Chinook medium-lift helicopter had an interesting history with the Canadian military. The Canadian Forces (CF) first operated eight CH147C model Chinook helicopters from 1974 until 1992 (147001 was lost on its delivery flight to Canada on 18 October 1974 and was replaced by another aircraft). These aircraft were flown by two squadrons, 450 based out of Uplands (Ottawa), Ontario and 447 Squadron in Namao (Edmonton), Alberta. Budgetary restraints and the increased costs of keeping the fleet operational resulted the seven Chinooks (147002 was lost due to a taxiing accident at Rankin Inlet on 17 August, 1982) being struck off strength on 7 January, 1992 and returned to the United States. The helicopters were converted to CH47D models in 1994 and sold to the Royal Netherlands Air Force were they were operated by 298 Squadron.

In 2005, the then-Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), General Rick Hillier, made Chinooks (or similar medium-lift helicopters) his top priority for the Kandahar deployment. The Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Conservative government responded in July 2006 with an Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) for 16 newly-built CH47F model Chinooks. This contract consisted of a $1.2 billion capital acquisition and a $2.2 billion 20-year support and maintenance element. In the original proposal, 16 helicopters were to be procured; however, due to inflation and other factors this number was reduced to 15. Delivery of the first CH147F Chinook was on 5 July, 2013 with the final aircraft being received ahead of schedule on 30 June, 2014. To fly these new Chinooks, 450 Squadron based in CFB Petawawa was reactivated on 2 May, 2012.

When discussing the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) it must be recognized that as a result of unification the RCAF was brought to nil strength in 1968 and its assets were dispersed among several commands such as Air Command and Transport Command. The Air Force was then officially known as the Air Operations Branch. The RCAF was reinstated in 2011.

My records show that while the official documentation states that specialist bodies such as the M217CDN and Fire Fighting Trucks where to be mounted on the M207CDN Chassis that in practice the M211CDN was used instead. The numbers of vehicles tends to indicate that pinning down the exact reason why M211CDNs were used over M207CDNs is more an exercise in 'picking the fly s__t out of the pepper' by enthusiast hobbyists and that it is most likely just a case of using excess M211CDNs.

Seven years later, in 1989, the dent made when the rotor blade hit the light post was still visible in Rankin Inlet... I don't know the current status of the pole but the satellite shot shows the airport has developed quite a bit since then so it may have been moved or replaced.



Another tid-bit about the Uplands based Chinook, the downwash of one caused a Lear-Jet to roll inverted as the Lear was departing Ottawa International Airport (co-located with CFB Uplands). No injuries but there was a very scared Lear pilot and ATC paid more attention to separation afterwards.