de Havilland Sparrow CF-ZAI

Photograph

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Canadian Soaring Archive

de Havilland Sparrow in flight: Notation on back side "De Havilland "Sparrow" utility glider; pilot L. F. Racey - Toronto; Gliding for cumulus"
de Havilland Sparrow in flight

Notation on back side "De Havilland "Sparrow" utility glider; pilot L. F. Racey - Toronto; Gliding for cumulus"

Name/Title

de Havilland Sparrow CF-ZAI

Entry/Object ID

2026-01-050

General Notes

Note

The de Havilland Sparrow was designed by Waclaw Czerwinski in 1942, and built by a team of de Havilland Canada engineers with corporate support. Additional information is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czerwi%C5%84ski_Sparrow

Note

The Sparrow was operated by the de Havilland Glider Club at Downsview, Ontario, initially without a registration, being registered as CF-ZAI on 10 June 1947. In 1948 it was donated to the Toronto Gliding Club, and was wrecked in an accident at Oshawa Airport on 4 June 1950.

Note

Waclaw Czerwinski was a Polish glider designer in the 1930s. The Sparrow was very similar to a glider designed by Czerwincki in 1936, the W.W.S. 1 Salamandra. That was a very successful aircraft, with about 140 built prior to WWII and a grand total ultimately exceeding 500 through 1957.