In 1935, Canada selected the Delta for use as a photographic survey aircraft for use by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), to be built by Canadian Vickers under license. One aircraft, the last Delta built by Northrop, was supplied as a part assembled pattern to Canadian Vickers, first flying on 16 August 1936 and being delivered to the RCAF on 1 September that year.Green 1967, p.58. It was followed by a further 19 aircraft built wholly by Canadian Vickers, production continuing until October 1940.Green 1967, p.60. The Northrop Delta was the first completely all-metal, stressed-skin aircraft built in Canada, however it was closely preceded by the Fairchild Super 71, whose stressed skin construction was limited to the fuselage and not the flying surfaces.
