DALLAS — Today, in 1935, the first Norseman, powered by a Wright R-975-E3 Whirlwind, was flight-tested on floats.
The C-64 Norseman, aka the Noorduyn Norseman, is a single-engine bush plane designed to fly over unimproved terrain. Its stubby landing gear floats that protrude from the lower fuselage easily identify the C-64.
Designed by Robert B.C. Noorduyn, the type was produced from 1935 to 1959, originally by Noorduyn Aircraft Ltd. and later by the Canadian Car and Foundry Company.
The Norseman was introduced in 1935 and continued in production for nearly 25 years, with over 900 units built. A handful of examples are still in use today, in both commercial and private settings.
Norseman aircraft have been registered and operated in 68 nations. They have been based and flown in the Arctic and Antarctic.
Early History
With the experience of working on many ground-breaking designs at Fokker, Bellanca, and Pitcairn-Cierva, Noorduyn decided to create his own design in 1934, the Noorduyn Norseman. Along with his colleague, Walter Clayton, Noorduyn created his original company, Noorduyn Aircraft Limited, in early 1933 in Montreal, while a successor company was established in 1935, bearing the name Noorduyn Aviation.
The first Norseman was sold a few months after its test flight and delivered to Dominion Skyways Ltd. on January 18, 1936, registered as "CF-AYO" and named “Arcturus."
Warner Brothers rented CF-AYO in the summer of 1941 for the filming of "Captains of the Clouds," starring James Cagney. Most of the aerial photographs were done around North Bay, Ontario, with the CF-AYO aircraft flying under the temporary registration "CF-HGO." In 1952, CF-AYO was lost in a plane collision in Algonquin Park.
The Norseman quickly established itself as a tough, dependable workhorse with consistent sales. The Norseman Mk I was given to the first aircraft, CF-AYO.
The next aircraft, "CF-BAU," was designated Norseman Mk II, with minor changes required after certification tests and a new Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp SC-1 engine up-rated from 420 to 450 hp, while the next three aircraft were Norseman Mk IIIs: "CF-AZA" to MacKenzie Air Service, Edmonton, Alberta, "CF-AZE" to Prospector Airways, Clarkson, Ontario, and "CF-AZS.
The Norseman in WWII
On June 26, 1937, "CF-BAU" was upgraded to become the prototype Norseman Mk IV, powered by a Pratt & Whitney Wasp S3H-1 engine. The Mk IV became the "definitive" model, although if the Second World War hadn't intervened, production would have ended with only a few hundred units.
The Norseman aircraft of the United States Army Air Forces were used in North America (mainly Alaska) as well as other theaters of conflict, including Europe, throughout WWII.
The Canada Car and Foundry in Fort William, Ontario, obtained the design of the Norseman and began manufacturing it after the war. They produced the Norseman Mk V, which was a civilian version of the wartime Mk IV. To capitalize on the market, the "Can Car" company then developed and built the larger Norseman Mk VII.
Legacy of the Norseman
On January 19, 1959, the last Noorduyn Norseman was sold and delivered to a commercial customer. A total of 903 Norseman planes (Mk I–Mk V) were built and delivered to commercial and military clients. The number in use worldwide is not known.
The town of Red Lake, Ontario, a jumping-off point for isolated towns in Northwestern Ontario, touts itself as The Norseman Capital of the World, in honor of the Norseman's role in serving the rural villages of northern Canada.
Featured image: Library and Archives Canada/3586425
