operated a sizable fleet of Siskins. During 1926, the British Air Ministry had dispatched a pair of Siskin IIIs to Canada, where they underwent testing by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) under winter flying conditions by test pilot Clennell H. Dickins. The Siskin was considered a modern type at the time of its acquisition by the RCAF, which opted to purchase the Mark IIIA. The Canadian procurement involved both new-built aircraft and second-hand RAF Siskins being supplied to numerous RCAF squadrons. The Siskin equipped the Fighter Flight at Camp Borden and Trenton. During 1937, the Flight became No. I (Fighter) Squadron, and was transferred from Trenton to Calgary in August 1938. RCAF Siskins were also frequently used in aerial displays and long distance tours around North America. The unit continued to operated the Siskin up until the outbreak of the Second World War, shortly after which the type was rapidly retired and replaced by Hawker Hurricane monoplane fighters. Following the Siskin's withdrawal by the RCAF, the airframes were turned over to various technical establishments for use as instructional airframes. Like its RAF counterparts, in 1929, a three-plane Siskin air demonstration team was formed at Camp Borden, Ontario – the RCAF's first official flight demonstration team. The aerobatic team put on popular solo and formation displays from coast to coast. Air racing The Siskin frequently participated in air racing, often triumphing in such events. Multiple examples were entered into the 1924 King's Cup air race, one of which achieving the fastest course time despite arriving fourth. In the 1925 King's Cup, a Siskin V flown by Flight Lieutenant Barnard emerged as the winner, having reportedly achieved a speed in excess of . Variants Siddeley Deasy S.R.2 Siskin – Prototype fighter aircraft built by Siddeley-Deasy and powered by Dragonfly engine. Three built. Siskin II – fabric covered steel-tube fuselage and wooden wings. Two built, one two-seater and one single-seater. Siskin III – all-metal production version (64 built for RAF) Siskin IIIA – main production variant ordered in 1926 (Total 348 built, 340 for RAF, eight for RCAF) Siskin IIIB – prototype with improved engine. Single example converted from Siskin IIIA. Siskin IIIDC – two-seat dual control version (Total 53 built, 47 for RAF, two for RCAF, two for AST, two for Estonia) a further 32 were converted from Siskin IIIs. Siskin IV – civil racing version (one built) Siskin V –