Noorduyn Norseman
| Noorduyn Norseman | |
|---|---|
 A Noorduyn Norseman UC-64 |
|
| Type: | Transport plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
Noorduyn |
| First flight: |
November 14, 1935 |
| Production time: |
1935 to 1959 |
| Number of pieces: |
918 |
The Noorduyn Norseman ( English for northerners ) is a light Canadian transport and liaison aircraft for up to nine passengers. It is used both as a land plane and often with swimmers as a seaplane .
history
The Norseman was designed by Robert Noorduyn in 1934 to meet the growing demand for rugged transport aircraft in the growing Canadian aircraft market. In order to ensure smooth loading and unloading at landing stages and at airports, the aircraft was designed as a shoulder- wing wing with high wings.
The first copy of the Canadian "bush transporter" was completed in January 1935 and completed its successful maiden flight on November 14, 1935. It was handed over to Dominion Skyways (later part of Canadian Pacific Air Lines ) on January 18, 1936 . During the next five years, Noorduyn sold just 17 other aircraft of this type to air carriers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( mounted police ). After the outbreak of war, the demand for the Norseman for military use increased sharply. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) ordered 38 Norseman Mk IVs for radio and navigation training as part of the Empire Air training program. After trialing seven Norsemans, which were delivered in mid-1942 and designated as YC-64s, the USAAF ordered 746 C-64A (later UC-64A) early next year. Under the Lending and Lease Act , 34 of these were given to the RCAF as Norseman VI and a further 43 to other Allied forces. Three went to the US Navy as JA-I . Plans that Aeronca should also have built the C-64A were not implemented. Six C-64Bs were ordered for the Engineering Corps and delivered in 1943. All Norseman aircraft could be equipped with wheel or ski undercarriages or with floats. The US armed forces used the type mainly as a passenger and cargo transporter, but it was also used as a liaison and hospital aircraft. In 1946, Noorduyn was taken over by the Canadian Car & Foundry Corporation, which continued production. On January 19, 1959, the last of the 918 Norseman (of which 903 C-64 / C-64A / C-64B) was completed. The post-war model for civil use was the Norseman V, the last of these aircraft being delivered in January 1960. Some Norseman Vs, as well as demilitarized C-64A, are still in operation. The Norseman has been registered and flown in 68 countries around the world.
The American composer and band leader Glenn Miller is said to have died on board a Norseman, which disappeared without a trace during a flight over the English Channel and was never found.
The Canadian community of Red Lake , Ontario is considered the Norseman Capital of the World . In Canada alone, 40 machines of the various series were still approved in October 2018.
variants
Military and civil names of the respective variants:
- Model UC-64 (mil.) / Norseman Mk. IV (serial numbers 7 to 99)
- Model Army UC-64A, UC-64B, UC-64AS (mil.) / Norseman Mk. VI (serial numbers 100 to 849)
- the UC-64 and -64B are similar and differ from the UC-64A in the cell structure, the on-board electrics and the fuel tanks. The UC-64AS is equipped with Edo floats. -
Norseman Mk. V (serial numbers N29-1 to -48, N29-50 to -53, N29-55)
- the pure civil version of the Mk. VI with increased payload due to the lack of military-specific equipment
construction
The Norseman is a single-engine, braced shoulder- wing monoplane in composite construction . The fuselage frame consists of a welded tubular steel construction, the fuselage stubs to accommodate the surface struts and the main landing gear are an integral part of this frame. On this frame, wooden stringers are attached lengthways for shaping , on which in turn the fabric covering is applied. From the bow to the cockpit, the hull is covered with aluminum ( Alclad ), as is the underside of the hull. The tail unit consists of a fabric-covered tubular steel construction, the horizontal stabilizer has two wooden spars. The horizontal stabilizer is braced externally to the fin and the fuselage with steel wire. The wing with the NACA-2412 profile consists of two rectangular spars made of Sitka spruce , profile ribs and also a fabric covering. The leading edge is clad in sheet metal. The surface plan is rectangular with elliptical edge arcs. The tubular steel wing struts have a teardrop-shaped cross-section and have two auxiliary struts on each side. The double bracing leads in a V-shape from both wing spars in the outer wing to the fuselage stubs. The engine is either a nine-cylinder radial engine Pratt & Whitney R-1340AN-1 (military versions ) or the identical Wasp S3H1 in the civilian Mk. V. The take-off power for one minute is 600 hp (447 kW) each, the continuous power 550 hp ( 410 kW). Unregulated variable pitch propellers Hamilton Standard 12D40 or 3D40 with a diameter of 9 feet 1 inch or 9 feet 3/4 inch are used as propellers , while the civilian Mk. V uses regulated constant-speed propellers from the same manufacturer type 12D40-211 (two-blade) or 3D40-231 (three-leaf). The tanks hold a total of 245 US gallons of aviation gasoline ( AvGas 91 octane), two of which are 60 gallons in the wing tanks, 45 gallons in the front and 80 gallons in the rear fuselage tank, with the military variants an additional tank in the cabin with 38 gallons was possible, this does not apply to the civilian Mk. V in favor of a higher luggage load.
Military users
- Royal Australian Air Force - 14 units in service from 1943 to 1946.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data from the C-64A Norseman |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 or 2 |
| length | 9.6 m |
| span | 15.7 m |
| height | 3.0 m |
| Empty mass | 1929 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 3356 kg |
| Top speed | 260 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 5181 m |
| Range | 1851 km |
| Engine | 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340 AN-1 with 600 PS (441 kW) |
See also
Web links
- FAA-TCDS Norseman model approval sheet (PDF; 22 kB)
- Noorduyn family's private website about the Noorduyn Norseman , English language, accessed December 25, 2015
- Youtube video about the Red Lake Norseman Float Plane Festival 2009
Individual evidence
- ^ Canadian Civil Aircraft Register. Transport Canada , accessed on October 25, 2018 (in English, enter the name "Noorduyn" under "Common Name").
- ↑ Technical description on noorduynnorseman.com ( Memento from December 9, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 12.7 MB)