The Canadair CA-1 Gopher is a single engined close air support and ground attack aircraft designed by Canadair for a request by the Royal Canadian Navy for a canadian built attack aircraft. The original requirement was put out by the Royal Canadian Air Force to replace their ageing P-47 Thunderbolts in the attack role. However, the RCAF did not follow through with said plan of replacing the aircraft and decided to leave the attack role to the Army, instead decomissioning their P-47’s. However, the RCN were building their first aircraft carrier, and had no modern aircraft to fill her hangars. So, the request was changed for Canadair to build a naval attacker. At the time, the navy was not set on having jet aircraft on carriers, and so the CA-1 was designed with a Rolls Royce turboprop engine. This engine, developing 5000 horsepower, easily gave the Gopher a good takeoff speed of only 175mph. The CA-1 had an interesting main gear arrangement of two sets of extremely strong landing gear, with an extremely wide landing track. This makes maneuvering on the ground extremely easy and safe, as well as being able to sustain hard impacts onto carrier decks. The aircraft was originally to be armed with four .50 caliber MG’s, however this was decreased to two for weight saving measures. Underwing stores, however, were extensive. Up to ten underwing hardpoints could be fitted to mount a massive range of weaponry, from guided missiles to torpedoes and even cluster munitions. Standard close air support loadout was two AGM-69 “Goose” long range TV-guided missiles, two 1000lbs bombs, two HVAR rocket pods, and two triple mount inferno launchers. After carrier trials, the aircraft was finally pressed into service onboard the new canadian carrier. End of production orders totalled 450, with 25 going to the Royal Canadian Army and 15 going to the USAF for tests in Vietnam.