This Official First Day Cover celebrates Canada’s rich aviation history. It depicts W. Rupert Turnbull who is featured in 1 of 5 stamp designs from our Canadians in Flight (Part 2) issue.

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Official First Day Cover, cancelled in Saint John, New Brunswick
Celebrates the historic contributions W. Rupert Turnbull (1870-1954)
Part of the 2022 Canadians in Flight issue

About the Canadians in Flight issue

Brave Canadians took to the skies when airplane flight was still in its early stages. As a result, Canada has enjoyed many “firsts” in aviation and aeronautics, with several Canadians making significant and far-reaching contributions to the field. This second edition of the Canadians in Flight series honours the people, planes and technology that have allowed Canada’s reputation for innovation to soar.

About W. Rupert Turnbull

Wallace Rupert Turnbull (1870-1954) was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. In 1902, the aeronautical engineer built the country’s first wind tunnel. He received the bronze medal from the Aeronautical Society of Great Britain for his leading work on aerodynamics. Turnbull’s most notable achievement was the variable pitch propeller, which allowed pilots to adjust the angle of the propeller blades in flight. This improved the efficiency of the propeller and the aircraft overall. Turnbull’s variable pitch propeller was patented in 1922, and his influence can still be seen on modern propeller-driven aircraft. Among many honours recognizing his advancements in aviation, Turnbull was named a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and inducted posthumously into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.

About the design

This OFDC features a greyscale photograph of a plane equipped with W. Rupert Turnbull's variable pitch propeller. Text and drawings from the invention's patent application are superimposed over the image. The affixed stamp was cancelled in Saint John, New Brunswick, Turnbull's birthplace and features bright red text and a greyscale photograph of the engineer standing by one of his propellers.

Product # 414206131

Canadians in Flight – W. Rupert Turnbull: Official First Day Cover