Produced in 1945 the Chipmunk was the first "Canadian"-designed plane produced by the de Havilland Canada company. Its all metal construction made it one of the first of its kind - previously planes were covered with treated fabric - which reflected the widespread changeover to metal that was popular at the time.
Nicknamed the "Jakimiuk" after the head designer, the DHC-1 was renamed the Chipmunk after Garrat (the boss) returned from a cottage vacation where he had watched chipmunks at play. Every one liked the name "Jakimiuk" and "Chipmunk" sounded nearly the same, and so de Havilland Canada decided to name all its planes after animals.
Not only was the Chipmunk one of the first metal planes, it was also the first Canadian plane to be licensed for construction abroad. Of the 1,277 constructed for military, trainer and aerobatic use, only 217 were built in Canada!
First flown in 1946, some Chipmunks are still in use today. Visitors to the National Aviation museum can not only look at the 207th DHC-1 constructed, but can experience flying in one!
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