Archive for category: Norseman Aircraft

Here is a reprinted sentence from the January 16, 2019 post titled Look more, Find more;

On April 27, 1970 a Mk VI, serial 478 CF-OBD burnt after an accident (no injuries) and its remains are still behind the hangars to my knowledge.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, here is the proof that CF-OBD still resides in the bush beside the Selkirk, Manitoba airstrip after all these decades. This photo, taken last June 11th shows the trees growing right up through the airframe like a piece of sculpture art!

Another example of Norseman airframes morphing literally into “bushplanes” with the passage of time can be seen at Northland Aircraft in Ignace, Ontario. These frames, facing nose to nose, are identified as CF-HAU (serial 398) and CF-FCU (serial 837) although I’m not exactly sure which one is in the foreground. Photo from July 2.

As noted in the previous post, if we count these as existing Norseman in 2019 there are probably 75 or more presently in the world. No doubt there are carcasses long forgotten in the bush or barren lands being eroded to the earth as the forces of nature take hold.

 

Another stop on the island of Montreal during the recent trip was the Montreal Aviation Museum to check on the restoration progress of Mark VI C-FGYY. For a little background on this endeavour see https://www.norsemanfestival.on.ca/mam-norseman-project/  As reported by Mike Alain at the MAM, work is going well and they are not trying to rush the rebuild.

Of note in the above photo is the aft cabin door which appears to open upward instead of being hinged to open in the usual forward fashion. There is a lot of detailed woodwork going on, especially with the doors and this shows a desire to showcase this future static display as original as possible. Over the years most Norseman have had modifications for larger door openings or thinner and lighter doors using aluminium metal. Some Norseman have had a mod to get a 4′ by 8′ sheet of plywood inside.

Again, in the next photo, the instrument panel is looking authentic in relation to when GYY was 43-35353 with the United States Army Air Forces during WW II.

Many thanks go out to local aviation historian Keith Meredith who gave a tour of this impressive museum and drove us around pointing out the history of the now closed Cartierville airport featured in the previous blog.

An airplane familiar to Red Lakers from 1993 to 2010, CF-FQI has been stored in Minnesota for a number of years after a complete rebuild. Present owner, Jeff Voigt is in the process of transferring serial 364 to the FAA registry and getting it flying again. Great news for this Norseman that will incorporate the serial number into the new planned registration of N364FQ, thus preserving some of the past Canadian connection too!

 

Another Norseman physically going stateside in the near future is Mark VI CF-GJN. The plan is to move the aircraft by surface transport to southern Minnesota where restoration will begin to take serial 797 back to its USAAF identity as 44-70532. Northland Aircraft at Ignace, Ontario has stored GJN since the last flight some six years ago. Minnesota is becoming the home state for a few Norseman and the trend toward more warbirds continues.

 

Last but not least, a very interesting development is seeing N78691 on wheels in Alaska being used for mail runs! Based in Bethel, the Mark VI shuttles to outlying area communities and is the only commercially operated Norseman outside of Canada. Late next summer when hunting season gets busy this working Norseman with change back to floats.

 

 

 

Continuing the theme from the previous post about many inactive Norseman for every flying one, for example here is the present status in the Province of Manitoba, Canada according to my research. Many of these Norseman have already appeared in the blog so this will be a short overview with links provided to said blogs. In no particular order, here we go;

At the Brandon airport, the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum has two Norseman; the fuselage of UC-64A (Mk VI) serial 810 and non-flying Mk V, serial N29-43 registered CF-ECG.

Beside St. Andrews airport the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada has a storage building and adjoining compound; in the building resides Mk IV, serial 29 CF-BTC awaiting restoration for static display. In the compound are two unidentified Norseman in very poor condition.

Not far to the northeast at the Selkirk airport there are four Norseman; airworthy machines CF-BSB, CF-IGX and CF-ZMX. For more details see blogs Born Again BSB, Hibernation, and Showstopper. On April 27, 1970 a Mk VI, serial 478 CF-OBD burnt after an accident (no injuries) and its remains are still behind the hangars to my knowledge.

Moving farther northeast we arrive at the Silver Falls airport; located here in a building is Mk IV, serial 44 that originally went to the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 as #2471.

In northern Manitoba there are five Norseman associated with air charter operator Wings Over Kississing; C-FENB, C-GRZI, C-FSAP, C-FOBR and CF-BHU. See Flin Flon Visit.

Over in Thompson, Manitoba’s “Hub of The North” we find a replica of Norseman CF-BHS. See There’s Three to See for more info.

So this overview counting airframes, a replica to prized flying examples comes to a total of 16 and one or two could still be unacknowledged in the bush or hiding in a farmyard barn. Only five are airworthy; ENB, RZI, BSB, IGX and ZMX. If anyone has more information for this post please email me at c46commando@hotmail.com Thanks!

 

In northern Minnesota at the Baudette airport sits Norseman serial N29-23, N45TG. Having remained on the ground for well over a decade out in the open this Mark V is definitely starting to show deterioration from the elements.

Unlike many Norseman, this postwar model spent its life with only a handful of operators and mostly flying in Ontario, Canada including Red Lake based Green Airways, then Pikangikum Air before going stateside in 1990 with Tom Griffen. A couple points of interest in the picture below are the added ventral fin at the bottom of the empennage (not a common feature) and the TG in the FAA registration representing the current owner. Rather obvious is the missing air rudder and the fabric on the fin looks particularly rotten.

Will this Norseman return to the sky one day? The prognosis looks unlikely, but never say never when considering those seemingly timeless machines still existent.

Photos taken on November 11, 2018.