Canadair CC - 109 Cosmopolitan The Canadair CL - 66 was a turboprop version of the civilian Convairliner . The CC - 109 Cosmopolitan or " Cosmo " in RCAF service became the standard VIP aircraft as well as replacing the Douglas Dakota and the North American B - 25 Mitchell in light transport duties . After a lengthy career stretching into the 1990s , the CC - 109 was replaced by the CC - 142 Dash 8 and CC - 144 Challenger . Design and development . With the close of production of the Convair CV - 440 in San Diego , Canadair acquired the rights to the design along with the jigs , tooling and even three unsold 440s . With the availability of a Napier Eland turboprop conversion , the re - engined CV - 440s became the CV - 540 , an all - cargo variant . In 1958 , the RCAF wanted to replace their aging C - 47 Dakota s with a turbo powered aircraft . Their choice was the Vickers Viscount , but the Canadian government decided against this aircraft . Instead , Canadair offered a series of CV - 540 variants powered by Napier Eland turboprops . The project was given the number CL - 66 and three versions were considered . The CL - 66A was to be a 48 / 64 passenger aircraft . The CL - 66B designed to be a cargo / passenger configuration with a payload of 14200 lb . The CL - 66C used the Convair - built CV - 440s , having only their new engines fitted at Canadair . The first CL - 66 to fly was a “ C ” version with its first flight in February 1959 ; the CL - 66B had its first flight in January 1960 . No “ A ” versions were built . Operational history . Canadair was not able to get contracts from any major airline for the CL - 66 . It was too expensive and other similar types had better performance . The two aircraft , both of them CL - 66Cs , that had been used for extensive sales demonstrations , were sold to the local carrier Quebecair . The RCAF took ten aircraft , mainly Bs . The Eland not only proved to be unreliable , but also did not deliver the expected power , consequently , the RCAF instituted an engine upgrade in 1966 - 1967 , installing Allison 501 - D36 engines . After eight airframes had been re - engined , the company phased out further development work on the type , " orphaning " the remaining final two Eland examples , which were subsequently scrapped . No . 412 Squadron at CFB Ottawa ( S ) , or " Uplands " flew the " Cosmo " , from 1960 to 1994 as VIP transport . The Cosmopolitan aircraft were also deployed to Europe for Canadian NATO contingent support as well as to the US in support of Canadian NORAD operations . Survivors . One CC - 109 aircraft ( 1967 ) was destroyed in RCAF service , one destroyed ( 2004 ) after retirement and sold to private owners . Two aircraft were scrapped by the CF in 1972 . Three aircraft were in storage in Canada ( 1 in Calgary and 2 in Sasktoon ) and were owned privately . The remaining survivors were sold overseas for use or storage ( Bolivia , Panama , Democratic Republic of Congo ) . In 2011 five aircraft , 3 from Canada and 2 from Panama were acquired by Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd . and flown to Kelowna , BC to restored for use as freighters and water bombers . As of 2011 only one survivor remains overseas . Operators . Military Civilian All civilian version acquired from Canadian Forces after 1994 through sale in 1996 :