R.B.C. NOORDUYN - A BIOGRAPHY

By Bob Noorduyn

My father was born in Nijmegen, Holland, on 6 April 1893.  His mother was English, which enabled him to Speak Dutch and English fluently.

After receiving his engineering education in Holland and Germany, he went to England in 1913 where he learned to fly in a French Caudron G.II aircraft and gained employment with Sopwith Aviation Ltd. in their engineering drafting department.  In 1917, he was employed by British Aerial Transport Co., Ltd. as Chief Draftsman, working directly with Fredrick Koolhoven - a highly  talented Dutch aircraft designer.  In 1919, he left the company to go to work for Anthony Fokker in Holland. 

 Fokker wanted to manufacture and sell aircraft in the United States so, in 1921, he sent my father there to establish a manufacturing facility at the airport in Teterboro, New Jersey.  There, he designed the Fokker Universal aircraft. Many of these aircraft were sold in Canada and used to open up the North Country to exploration and development.  He also did much of the engineering effort required to convert the Holland-built Fokker F.VIII from a single engine to a three engine aircraft.  In early 1929, he joined Bellanca Aircraft Corp. in Wilmington, Delaware.  There he designed the Skyrocket, which was an improved version of the Company's Pacemaker aircraft. Skyrockets were also used in northern Canada.  In early 1932, he was employed by Pitcairn Autogiro Corp. to design the first four seat cabin autogiro ever built.

By the fall of 1934, my father felt that it was time to design and produce an aircraft for the Canadian market that would reflect all of the lessons learned from Fokker and Bellanca aircraft performance and would fulfill a need in the then growing market for aircraft there.  To accomplish this goal, it should be an aircraft which a Canadian operator with existing talents, equipment and
facilities could make money, and it should be a high wing monoplane to facilitate loading and unloading of passengers and cargo at seaplane docks and airports.  Finally, it should be an all around better aircraft than those presently in use in Canada.

The first Norseman was flight tested on floats 14 November 1935 and was sold and delivered to Dominion Skyways Ltd. on 18 January 1936.  Since that time, a total of 903 Norseman aircraft have been sold and delivered to various commercial customers, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Force.  Norseman aircraft are known to have been registered and/or
operated in 68 Countries throughout the world and also have been based and flown on the Arctic and Antarctic continents.  The last Norseman built was sold and delivered to a commercial customer on 19 January 1959. Approximately 18 Norseman aircraft are still in use.

Robert B. C. Noorduyn died at his home in South Burlington, Vermont on 22 February 1959.