Hangar Flight Museum's historic CF-100 restoration near completion

The Hangar Flight Museum's CF-100 Mark 3 is in hundreds of pieces in a hangar in Wetaskiwin, Alta., where it's been since late 2019.

It's taken the team at Historic Aviation Services thousands of hours to dismantle, clean, repair and in some cases replace parts that couldn't be salvaged.

"The light is at the end of the tunnel," said Byron Reynolds, owner of the restoration company.

"It's coming along. We're actually in the finishing stages as we speak."

The historic Canadian-made fighter sat outside in the elements for close to five decades.

One of the biggest challenges was cleaning out the rodent and bird nests that built up while it sat outside the Hangar Flight Museum.

"Yeah, we had to bring industrial steam-cleaning units in and the guys were masked up in hazmat suits, chipping away with chisels and scrapers," Reynolds said.

"It was nasty business that basically took the year or so neutralizing all the residue so that there would be no further corrosion, so yeah, nasty business but we're through that now. It's in the rear-view mirror."

The Canadian-built fighter holds a proud history.

Fewer than 700 were built and it patrolled the skies over various parts of the world.

It first flew in the 1950s and had a 30-year military career.

It's a City of Calgary asset and the restoration is funded in part through the city and donations.

"The city did pitch in $250,000 toward the restoration. We fundraised another $150,000, so that's $400,000," said Brian Desjardins, Hangar Flight Museum executive director.

"The project cost is around $365,000, so we did raise some extra funds for protection of the aircraft when it comes home until we have a new building and also, some storytelling, a new display and an exhibit."

The CF-100 Canuck was constructed to handle the extreme weather of Canada's north.

Today, there are only two Mark 2s, six Mark 3s and about 15 Mark 4s and 5s remaining.

"The CF-100 was the first and at this point only fighter aircraft designed in Canada to go into mass production," Reynolds said.

"So from that aspect alone, the fact that there's 25 or so survivors, there's not many left."

When the aircraft was displayed at the Hangar Flight Museum, it was painted black.

But it will be restored to its original colour scheme.

"The decision was made by the group in Calgary at the museum to finish the aircraft in colours that it wore when it was at Cold Lake at the Operational Training Unit in the early '60s," Reynolds said.

Reynolds expects the paint process to take about a year to complete.

"To see the progress on the CF-100 Canuck and its restoration is absolutely amazing," Desjardins said.

"It's exciting for the Hangar Flight Museum and the plan is to bring it home in 2025."