Page One
Feature Articles and Correspondence
fascinating anecdotes on Canadian aviation
Manitoba's Norseman
Posted by Hugh MacCallum on September 12th 2016
The Norseman was not a STOL airplane by any stretch. On a hot day with glassy water, getting up on the step was a challenge and usually 17 tubs or 1700 pounds was maximum. That is with either a Mk4 or a Mk6 with the smaller floats. 18 tubs or 1800 pounds with the Mk 5 with the larger 7170 floats. Once airborne, one often depended on the curvature of the earth to gain altitude. A cold blustery day with a good chop on the water would give you anywhere from 300 to 400 pounds more. Add another 300 pounds in winter but again that all depends on who is flying the airplanes. The pictures are of Norseman Mk 4 CF-FEW. loading fish from Sturgeon Landing to be flown to the processing plant at Beaver Lake. The other is CF-FEW (smaller floats) tied up at the dock in Flin Flon (Channing)
From: Malcolm McCrimmon 29 August 2016 to Hugh MacCallum
The "William Tell" tugboat
Posted by Hugh MacCallum on September 14th 2016
Reprinted with kind permission of David Rahn Publisher Western Mariner Magazine, August 2016, Vol 14 no.6