Robert B.C. Noorduyn
| Robert B.C. Noorduyn | |
|---|---|
Robert B.C. Noorduyn c.1940
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| Born |
April 6, 1893 Nijmegen, the Netherlands |
| Died | February 22, 1959 (aged 65) South Burlington, Vermont |
| Nationality | Dutch American |
| Occupation | Engineer Businessman |
| Spouse(s) | Bertha Noorduyn (Piggott) |
| Children | Robert Hancock Noorduyn (1922-2008) |
| Parent(s) | Harriet Ellen Churchill Bernardus Noorduyn |
Robert B.C. Noorduyn (April 6, 1893 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands – February 22, 1959 in South Burlington, Vermont) was a Dutch-born American aircraft designer and manufacturer. He is best known for the Noorduyn Norseman, a legendary Canadian bush plane produced in the 1930s to 1940s and again in the 1950s.
Noorduyn was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch father and English mother.
After Noorduyn had received a technical training in the Netherlands and Germany, in 1913, he moved to England. There he trained to fly in a Caudron G II and worked as a technical draughtsmen for the Sopwith company.
In 1917, Noorduyn was recruited to become the chief draughtsman for the British Aerial Transport company. (Chief designer of the company was another Dutchman: along with Frits Koolhoven) British Aerial Transport or BAT however was short-lived. A victim of the changing tides following the end of World War I, it folded in 1919. By that time however, Anthony Fokker had returned from Germany and established a new factory in the Netherlands. Noorduyn returned just as well and found work with Fokker. Since Fokker wanted to expand into the USA, the company sent Noorduyn in 1921 to Teterboro to supervise a new manufacturing plant.
In Teterboro, Noorduyn was responsible for the Fokker Universal, a popular utility transport that was particularly suitable for northern conditions. Many examples were sold to Canadian air carriers. The Fokker Universal and its follow-up Super Universal helped open the frontiers, fostering settlement and development of the north. In addition, Noorduyn worked on the re-design of the single-engine Fokker F.VIII into a twin-engined version.
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