Material: Brass (gilt finish) with twin lugs and securing pin
Dimensions: 52 mm W × 35 mm H
Description: The single-piece die-stamped brass emblem features an eagle in full flight with its wings completely outstretched to the sides. Rising immediately above the eagle's body is a detailed Canadian maple leaf, showing delicate vein textures across its surface. Curving gracefully below the lower tailfeathers is a layered, two-tiered scroll that explicitly displays the debossed text "Air Cadets" on the top ribbon and "Canada" on the bottom.
Reverse: Plain brass with two horizontal lugs and retaining pin for cap or wedge attachment.
Circa: Post-1941 (organization founding) – 1968
Notes:
This specific style was worn on the traditional wedge caps of the Air Cadets of Canada, a program officially established in 1941 to train young men for potential service during World War II. While many later variants were produced by well-known manufacturers like William Scully in Montreal, early or mass-produced wartime contracts frequently left the backs completely blank and unmarked. Despite being a full-sized hat badge rather than a collar pin, its compact fifty-two-millimeter wingspan fits perfectly on a side cap. Modern collectors closely inspect the back configuration, as older authentic versions utilize brass wire loop lugs meant to be secured with a split pin, whereas post-war reproductions or restrikes often swap these out for contemporary clutch-back pins.