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| A tough and robust single-engined monoplane designed for safe operation in the rugged Canadian climate, the Noorduyn
Norseman was first flown on 14 November 1935. The main prewar production model was the Norseman IV of 1936, which had a
more powerful Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine instead of the 420hp Wright Whirlwind of the earlier models. As well as seeing
much commercial service, the Norseman was used by the RCAF and USAAF, 904 being built. The final model, produced postwar by the Canadian Car & Foundry Company, was the Norseman V.
| MODEL | Norseman IV |
| PASSENGERS | 8-9 |
| ENGINE | 1 x 550hp Pratt & Whitney S3H-1 or R-1340-AN-1 Wasp 9-cylinder radial engine |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 2928 kg | 6455 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 15.70 m | 52 ft 6 in |
| Length | 9.75 m | 32 ft 0 in |
| Height | 3.12 m | 10 ft 3 in |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 241 km/h | 150 mph |
| Ceiling | 6705 m | 22000 ft |
| Range | 966 km | 600 miles |
| lxbfYeaa, e-mail, 14.03.2024 06:13 20 reply | | Snoops, e-mail, 10.03.2018 21:31 It is my understanding that it was a Norseman, serial number 44-70285 piloted by Fit. Officer J.S.R.. "Nipper" Morgan, that disappeared over the English Channel in December 15,1944, carrying the bandleader Glenn Miller. reply | | Bruce Wesley Chenoweth, e-mail, 14.02.2017 00:11 This aircraft, without the pontoons, was used by the U.S. Forest Service as a jump plane out of Idaho City and McCall, Idaho in the 1940s and 50s. As I recall, it was the first flight I ever took. I watched bodies falling out of it (Smoke Jumpers) on training jumps and a few fires until 1956 when I moved to Boise. Pilot was Claire Hartnett -- one of the nicest guys to ever live. reply | | Chuck Barraza, e-mail, 25.06.2016 13:19 Made my first jump at PI in Lakewood NJ out of a Norseman. Eventually became a jumpmaster and an instructor.Still jumping. reply | |
| | jim hendricks, e-mail, 25.02.2016 13:05 i flew the norseman at pi orange about 1977 that was the summer that mike ?
crashed and burned after an engine failure, no one was hurt. that airplane quit
on me several times. great memories of that summer. bill mehr was manager reply | | Pat Donaghy, e-mail, 25.01.2015 01:46 There is a still flight serviceable Norseman, CF-BFT at the Bushplane Heritage Centre at Sault Ste.Marie, Ontario Canada. This aircraft was first owned by Hudson Bay Air Transport, a subsidiary of Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting Company Ltd. at Flin Flon , Manitoba. The bought it new from Noorduyn in 1939. I know all about the early history of this aircraft. Email for details: pajan@bell.net.
If Don Hollier reads this please get in touch. reply | | Denis, e-mail, 30.08.2013 03:07 Made my first jump at PI Lakewood in the summer of '70 from the Norseman. Returned to Boston College that fall and continued my training at Orange until I was cleared for free fall. Great people at both centers, but the folks at Orange were terrific - Howie White, Rich Piccarelli, Mike Mythen and others. Bought my very slightly used PC (Axtec pattern) from Rich. Jumps from the Norseman were memorable - when you'd get on the step and the pilot throttled back, there was the inevitable cylinder miss and a belch of AV gas and oil that blew up your nostrils. Made the move (along with others) to Pepperell, MA late that fall - Caesar Aguilar, Ted Strong, Dan Pointer, Don & Linda Grant, Howie - what a learning experience! Jumping on a bitter cold New England day and then sitting around at The Nest over burgers and onion rings listening to the stories of the early days of the sport from double-digit D license holders. Next summer I was back to Lakewood very weekend while doing ROTC summer camp at Indiantown Gap, PA. Of all the aircraft in all the DZ's - Stormville, NY, Barnwell, SC and others - those smelly PI Norsemans bring back the fondest memories. reply | | VIC VALLI, e-mail, 19.02.2013 22:31 FLEW THIS GREAT BIRD FOR MANY YEARS AS CHIEF PILOT FOR PARACHUTES INC. WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM FELLOW PILOTS AND JUMPERS FROM ORANGE MASS. AND LAKEWOOD NJ. I ALSO HAVE A 2" THICK MANUAL FOR THIS UC-64A reply | | Bobby Green, e-mail, 17.07.2012 01:48 In 1955 I was 19 years old, and with a new baby , I needed a job. I was flying a 450 Stearman sprayer, so I took a flight to Mexico in a Norseman I was given a short trip around the pattern and then loaded with 1500 lbs of bolts of cloth, tea cups, and neck ties. Landed on a dry lake bed at 8750 msl.
That when I found out the flaps were the ailerons.It landed about 110 mph. I can't beleive I got grown. reply | | Frank Davis, e-mail, 19.07.2011 21:52 During WWII I flew several hundred hours in Norsemen in India and Burma, acombat area where we often used very short strips carved out of the jungle. Of the thousands of hours that our Norsemen flew, I can think of no incidences caused by plane failure. My personal problems came from a replacement engine from the states with four rebuilds--no longer eligible for stateside flying, but OK for combat! It nearly cost me a few times (cutting out, but able to be restarted). We didn't know what weight and balance was--we just stuffed them full of supplies, drums of gas, wounded soldiers, Jap prisoners, whatever, and hoped we cleared the trees. Getting over high mountains in hot weather was a problem, but with time, and sometimes a bit of flaps, we made it. The airplane certainly did its job, and I am grateful that our organization had the foresight to use them. reply | | DON HOLLIER, e-mail, 10.05.2011 16:57 HAD MY FIRST AIRPLANE RIDE IN A YELLOW NORSEMAN IN CRANBERRY PORTAGE AT 7 YEARS OLD AND ENDED UP FLYING FISH IN A NORSEMAN OUT OF ISLAND LAKE FOR PETE LEZARENKO IN 1966. IT WAS A FUN TIME AND A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE. STILL REMEMBER THE SMELL OF THE FISH TUBS. reply |
| Jim Kremsreiter, e-mail, 21.04.2011 00:54 I flew one back in 1966. Big ground effect machine. Take off on floats with nearly whatever you wanted to put in it. I'd give most anything to strap one of those beasts on again and go back to work. Got pictures of the Norseman all over my house. Loved that airplane! reply |
| Bill, e-mail, 08.03.2011 08:50 I made my first-ever skydive out of a Norse at Parachutes, Inc., Lakewood, NJ as an Army captain in 1970. She climbed out slow but steady, making a lot of noise. Over 5,200 jumps later, I finally hung it up for good. I was already a paratrooper, but had a hankering to try the sport of jumping. My grandparents home in Toms River was located such that on the weekends, you could see and hear that beast make its way into the sky and watch jumpers exit. I finally plunked down the cash, took the lessons and made my static line descent under an old round canopy simular to a T-10 but specially made for student jumpers. What a blast! Thanks for a terrific website! reply |
| Bill, e-mail, 08.03.2011 08:49 I made my first-ever skydive out of a Norse at Parachutes, Inc., Lakewood, NJ as an Army captain in 1970. She climbed out slow but steady, making a lot of noise. Over 5,200 jumps later, I finally hung it up for good. I was already a paratrooper, but had a hankering to try the sport of jumping. My grandparents home in Toms River was located such that on the weekends, you could see and hear that beast make its way into the sky and watch jumpers exit. I finally plunked down the cash, took the lessons and made my static line descent under an old round canopy simular to a T-10 but specially made for student jumpers. What a blast! Thanks for a terrific website! reply | |
| | Happy, e-mail, 24.01.2011 06:44 I made my 1st Three Skydiving Jumps out or a Noorduyn Norseman at Piru, California Area in 1962 & 1963. They also used it for Skydivers at Lake Cacitis, California, where it went down in the lake full or Skydivers. All except the Pilot survived. Don't know if they ever pulled the plane out?? It was converted with Landing Geer instead of for landing on Water.... Some Good Old Days..... Happy reply | | Vern Smith, e-mail, 08.05.2010 05:07 One of these is in the Swedish Air Force Museum in Sweden,and another was used flying skydivers from Lake Elsinore, CA in early 2000. reply | | earl martin, e-mail, 10.01.2010 06:30 I worked on the DEW Line 59-61 and we had supplies from Alaska to Bar 1 in Yukon via Interior Air on a Norseman 110 H. reply | | gary rideout, e-mail, 28.12.2009 22:11 A norseman aircraft out of gander nl.responded to a medical emergency in feb 1943 piloted by a frank corbett. On landing on the habrour ice ,a ski was torn off.the plane was repaired and skis replaced by wheels during the remaining winter months and in the spring and early summer a makeshift runway was created by the local residents of the community of of seal cove in white bay by leveling the humps ,bumps,and hollows in the terrain.they were paid 50 cents an hour.A Joe gillmore was brought in &successfully flew the plane back to gander. reply | | Mike Green, 22.07.2009 08:59 I was 7 yrs old when I took my first flight and it was in a big yellow Norseman out of the bush town of Sioux Lookout Ont Canada, north to James Bay and back. I had never heard anything so noisy. It took nearly 3 days for my sister and me to get our hearing back. reply | | Bob Scott, e-mail, 01.06.2009 21:08 I need brakes for Norseman. Someone said they are same as AT-6. Does anyone know / Does anyone have manuals?
bob reply |
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Jim Kremsreiter
hello to Don Hollier. This is Glenn Pickard, ex Southern Frontier and Time Air. How are you ? I am in Miami, where are you ? I too flew a yellow Norseman, at Slate Falls, Ont, for Slate Falls Airways. I knew Pete Lazarenko, Jack Duncanson, etc in YWG, but they had all the pilots they needed when I went there. Drop me a line.
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