Noorduyn Norseman

I heard, like Jim, that he died in a Paris brothel, and I prefer to believe it because, as Louis Renaud said in "Casablanca" at heart, I'm a romantic. As to the explosion of the Norseman flown by George Beurling, some things we'll never know.

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As for the Miller story, I read in a german language book that the story of his being lost in the Norseman is a fabrication, that, in fact he died of a heart attack in a bordello and his death in this manner was hidden from the public. Sounds a little far-fetched, but who knows?

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Also known, unfortunately, as the "Miller Killer" as great US big band leader and composer Glenn Miller went missing over the English Channel in 1944 while en route from France to Britain. It's possible that the aircraft was accidentally hit by a bomb jettisoned from a higher-flying Avro Lancaster bomber that had to return to base with mechanical problems.

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After over 13,000 hrs of flying from fighters to transports one of my favourite airplanes will always be the Norseman! It is a truck -but an extremely reliable truck indeed -and the sound of it on takeoff is awe-inspiring!
It won't carry as much as an Otter -and isn't as "high-tech" as a Beaver -but it has a certain je ne sais quoi that neither will ever have.
Also -after all these years it remains in service -even though a host are sitting on pedestals. You do not put failures on pedestals!

Jock Williams

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……Subsequently, the engine and bent propeller were brought to a nearby hill and set up as a memorial to the fallen of the Israeli Air Force. Once a year members of the IAF come to "Airmen's Hill" for a memorial service to all IAF casualties, of which the Norsemen crew were the first.
The Norsemen suffered from a lot of stractural fatigue and were often grounded. The type was retired soon after the end of the war. By July 1950 there were only 3 left, all in the process of being phased out.

Specification: Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman
Type: 10 seat (2 crew) light personnel and freight transport.
Powerplant: one Pratt & Whitney Wasp R-1340-AN-1 engine.
Performance: max speed - 260km /h, cruising speed - 238km /h, range - 1,851km, service ceiling - 5,181m.
Weights: empty - 1,900kg, max takeoff - 3,356kg.
Dimensions: length - 9.68m, height - 3.07m, span - 15.70m.
Armament: none.

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www.geocities.com /CapeCanaveral /Hangar /2848 /transprt.htm

Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman

The Noorduyn Norseman was designed and built by Noorduyn Aviation Limited of Montreal as a light transport airplane convertable to wheels, skis or floats. The first Norseman built was delivered to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1938 and in May of the same year deliveries begun to the Royal Canadian Air Force. The RCAF employed the Norseman in a variety of roles, such as bombing trainer and communications trainer, and the last Norseman was only retired in 1954. 759 examples were also supplied to the U.S. Army Air Force where the type was particularly well known for its work as an ambulance plane. Noorduyn Norsemen continue to fly today, used by commercial operators around the world.



In early 1948, word had reached Israeli acquisition agents in Europe of an American Jew selling surplus USAAF aircraft and by early April a deal had been agreed upon for the delievery of 20 Norsemen : 5 in april, 7 in May and the remaining 8 later on. The first aircraft were flown from Germany to a KLM workshop in Amsterdam where additional fuel tanks were installed for the long flights to Palestine, while others underwent the same installation in a French airport. The first 5 Norseman were ready by the last week of April and left their various points of origin for Rome. On May 2nd the first pair left Rome for Palestine and after an 11.5 hours flight landed at Sde-Dov in the midst of the Israeli War of Independence. They were already flying operational sorties the following day, dropping supplies to the besieged region of Gush Ezion. 17 Norsemen made it to Palestine, one had crashed in Italy killing both pilots, while two more had mistakenly landed in Gaza and were captured by the Egyptian army. The Norsemen formed the 32nd transport section at Ekron AFB and while they usually flew personnel and cargo flights, they were also employed on a number of bombing missions. Norsemen bombed the Gaza and Rafiah on at least one occasion and were also employed during operation "Nahshon", the breakthrough to Jerusalem.
On May 7th two Haganah brigades launched operation "Maccabi", attacking Palestinian strongholds along the road to Jerusalem. On May 10th one Norsemen was called in to assist the "Har'el" brigade in its attack on Beit Mahsir. The Norseman was equipped with a new and experimental 200kg bomb and left with a crew of six men. The plane had reported it was going into its bombing run when radio contact was lost and the aircraft disappeared. For reasons unknown it had crashed into a mountain side near Beit Mahsir. Speculation as to the cause of the crash included adverse weather conditions or the bomb rolling free of its mooring, British fighters in the vicinity could also have shot the aircraft down. Only after the area was captured six months later were the aircraft remains found. Subsequently, the engine and bent propeller were brought to a nearby hill an ...

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www.geocities.com /CapeCanaveral /Hangar /2848 /transprt.htm

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