Fleet 80 Canuck

The Canuck originated with the Noury N-75, designed by Bob Noury which first flew in 1944 at Mount Hope, Ontario. The "home-built" N-75 was a conventional high-wing monoplane design with a welded-steel fuselage and tail surfaces with fabric covering, looking not unlike a Piper Cub. However, the side-by-side seating in the original design was unusual for aircraft of its time even though it was a far better arrangement for instruction. Noury also experimented with a tandem-seat arrangement on a following prototype but had only built three aircraft when he sold the Noury N-75 rights to the Fleet Aircraft Company in 1945.[http://casmuseum.techno-science.ca/en/collection-research/artifact-fleet-80-canuck.php "Fleet 80 Canuck."] Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Retrieved: 29 June 2017.

Fleet undertook some minor design changes, principally relocating the fuel tank, adding a skylight above the cabin, lowering the front fuselage profile and replacing the original Continental C-75 with a slightly more powerful C-85 engine. The Noury N-75 was tested in its new configuration; it first flew on 26 September 1945 with Fleet Test Pilot Tommy Williams at the controls. Following modifications to the fin to increase its size, the prototype, newly renamed, emerged as the Fleet Model 80 Canuck, and entered production.

File:FleetModel80CanuckCF-DPZ.jpg

Although the aircraft were well built, strong performersPage and Cumming 1990, p. 118. Note: The Fleet Canuck was capable of aerobatics due to an airframe designed to withstand 7G maneuvers. and versatile; able to be flown with floats or skis to increase its utility, after a spurt in sales, they did not sell well. In trying to market the Fleet Canuck in the immediate postwar period, as either a private aircraft or a trainer, there were several obstacles:

• Surplus ex-military aircraft were cheaply available in large numbers[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927040023/http://www.classicaircraft.ca/canuck_main.htm "Fleet Canuck."] Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation, May 2002. Retrieved: 27 September 2007.
• Ex-servicemen and civilians were more interested in careers and families than luxury items
• Training aircraft were not in demand since thousands of ex-military pilots were out of work.

After initial sales to flying clubs, charter companies and private owners began to falter, Fleet ran into financial problems. In 1947, Canuck production by Fleet was terminated. Over the next ten years a number of aircraft were built up from components by Leavens Brothers in Toronto with total series production finishing at 224 in 1958.Page and Cumming 1990, p. 118. Several have been re-engined with the {{convert|100|hp|abbr=on}} Continental O-200.

In September 2010, there were 77 Canucks registered in Canada with Transport Canada.[http://wwwapps2.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/ccarcs/aspscripts/en/quicksearch.asp Civil Aircraft Register] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718042755/http://wwwapps2.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/ccarcs/aspscripts/en/quicksearch.asp |date=July 18, 2011 }} Transport Canada, September 2010. Retrieved: 10 September 2010. By April 2023, there were 70 Canucks left on the Canadian registry.[https://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/CCARCS-RIACC/RchSimpRes.aspx?cn=FLEET%7c&mn=80%7c&sn=%7c%7c&on=%7c%7c&m=%7c%7c&rfr=RchSimp.aspx Civil Aircraft Register] Transport Canada, April 2023. Retrieved: 24 April 2023.

• Fleet 80 Canuck : Two-seat sports and light touring aircraft.
• Fleet 81 : Three-seat light touring aircraft. One built.

File:FleetModel80CanuckSerial149CF-EBE.jpg at Rockcliffe Airport.]]

In 1995, the Royal Canadian Mint issued Coin #11, a $20 silver commemorative coin in its aviation series, recognizing the Fleet 80 Canuck and its original designer, J. Omer Noury, featured in a gold-inlay cameo insert.

• Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario - CF-EBE, serial number 149, is in the storage building, displayed on floats.
• Canadian Air and Space Museum, Toronto, Ontario - C-FEAI serial number 127.[http://casmuseum.org/fleet_80_canuck.shtml "Fleet 80 Canuck."] Canadian Air & Space Museum, 2008. Retrieved: 10 September 2010.
• Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre, Montreal, Quebec - CF-ENH with marking of aircraft piloted by Hubert M.Pasmore .{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20150330071800/http://www.cahc-ccpa.com/en/aircraft-and-collection/aircraft/64-fleet-canuck "Fleet Canuck (1947)."]}} "Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre"
• Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta - CF-BYW-X, the original Noury prototype, is in the storage building.{{cite web |title=Aviation |url=https://reynoldsmuseum.ca/aviation |website=Reynolds Museum |publisher=Government of Alberta |access-date=1 December 2019}}

thumb

{{Aircraft specs

|ref= Canada Aviation and Space Museum & Canadian Air & Space Museum

|prime units?=imp

|genhide=

|crew=one

|capacity=one passenger

|length m=

|length ft=22

|length in=4

|length note=

|span m=

|span ft=34

|span in=0

|span note=

|height m=

|height ft=7

|height in=1

|height note=

|wing area sqm=

|wing area sqft=173.5

|wing area note={{sfn|Juptner|1980|p=306}}

|aspect ratio=

|airfoil=

|empty weight kg=

|empty weight lb=858

|empty weight note=

|gross weight kg=

|gross weight lb=1480

|gross weight note=

|fuel capacity=

|more general=

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=Continental C-85-12J

|eng1 type= four cylinder horizontally-opposed aircraft engine

|eng1 kw=

|eng1 hp=85

|eng1 shp=

|prop blade number=2

|prop name=wooden

|prop dia m=

|prop dia ft=

|prop dia in=

|prop note=

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=

|max speed mph=111

|max speed kts=

|max speed note=

|cruise speed kmh=

|cruise speed mph=100

|cruise speed kts=

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed kmh=

|stall speed mph=44

|stall speed kts=

|stall speed note={{sfn|Juptner|1980|p=306}}

|never exceed speed kmh=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed kts=

|never exceed speed note=

|range km=

|range miles=300

|range nmi=

|range note=

|endurance=

|ceiling m=

|ceiling ft=12000

|ceiling note=

|g limits=

|roll rate=

|glide ratio=

|climb rate ms=

|climb rate ftmin=550

|climb rate note=

|lift to drag=

|wing loading kg/m2=

|wing loading lb/sqft=

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption kg/km=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

|power/mass=

|thrust/weight=

|more performance=

|avionics=

}}

{{aircontent|

|similar aircraft=

• Aeronca 11 Chief
• Cessna 120/140
• Luscombe 8
• Piper PA-15 Vagabond
• Taylorcraft B-series

|lists=

|see also=

• 1944 in aviation (first flight)

}}

{{Commonscat}}

{{reflist}}

• Page, Ron D. and William Cumming. Fleet: The Flying Years. Erin, Ontario: Boston Mills Press, 1990. {{ISBN|1-55046-019-6}}.
• {{cite book |last=Juptner |first=Joseph P. |title=U.S. Civil Aircraft: Vol. 8 (ATC 701 – ATC 800) |year=1980 |location=Fallbrook, California, US |publisher=Aero Publishers, Inc. |isbn=0-8168-9178-8}}

{{Fleet Aircraft}}

{{Aircraft manufactured in Canada}}

Category:1940s Canadian civil utility aircraft

Canuck

Category:High-wing aircraft

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1945

Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear

Category:Single-engined piston aircraft