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Douglas (Canadair) C-54GM 'North Star Mk 1'

Description
  Manufacturer:Douglas (Canadair)
  Base model:C-54
  Designation:C-54
  Version:GM
  Nickname:North Star Mk 1
  Equivalent to: CL-2
  Designation System:U.S. Air Force
  Designation Period:1925-1962
  Basic role:Transport

Specifications
  Length: 93' 9" 28.6 m
  Height:27' 6" 8.4 m
  Wingspan: 117' 6" 35.8 m
  Wingarea: 1,462.0 sq ft 136.0 sq m
  Empty Weight: 43,500 lb 19,730 kg
  Gross Weight: 73,000 lb 33,113 kg
  Max Weight: 78,000 lb 35,374 kg

Propulsion
  No. of Engines: 4
  Powerplant: Rolls-Royce Merlin 622
  Horsepower (each): 1760

Performance
  Cruise Speed: 325 mph 523 km/h 282 kt
  Max Speed: 353 mph 568 km/h 307 kt
  Climb: 972 ft/min 296 m/min
  Ceiling: 36,000 ft 10,970 m

Examples of this type may be found at
MuseumCityState
Canada Aviation Museum+ttawaOntario


 

Recent comments by our visitors
 Gordon Trueblood
 Ottawa, ON
I recall the old Northstar that operated between Montreal and Frobisher Bay. I took several trips on it. On one flight they could not get the nose landing gear up. However, they proceeded. It was so cold in the cabin that they passed out blankets. There were not enough to go around, so we had to share the blanket with the person beside us and hunker down until we got to Montreal.
09/10/2007 @ 18:47 [ref: 17890]
 Gerry Haliburton
 , ON
As a young lad, I had the great fortune to ride in a North Srar at RCAF St Hubert. Also rode in a C45 the same day.

That would have been about 61 or 62
05/12/2005 @ 20:21 [ref: 10205]
 John Chapman
 , FL
Used to be two of these flying out of the Sarasota/Bradenton Airport(FL) made up Air Cacious, sounded magnificent. Worked one summer crawled in the subfloor helping bolt down new plywood.
03/15/2004 @ 14:07 [ref: 6982]
 Paul Long
 , ON
They were noisy but boy were they reliable - they flew 1.9 milliuon miles without a fatal crash and outhauled the USAF C-54 on the Korean run. And no they were not just DC-4's with Merlins - they had DC-6 noses, C-54 middle sections, pressurization etc. The irony is that the Avro Jetliner was ready at the same time and would have flown 200 mph faster at about half the cost but TCA was not having any of that. Better to buy American than to buy a Canadian piece of genius.
06/23/2002 @ 22:11 [ref: 5166]
 N Webb
 , WA
The North Star was built in Montreal by Canadair. Besides the Merlin engines, design differences included wing, fuselage and empennage changes, as well as a standardised cockpit layout and a different electrical system. Some models were pressurised. The aircraft were operated for many years, mainly by Trans Canada Airlines, Canadian Pacific Airlines and BOAC, as well as the RCAF.A total of 71 were built.
09/30/2000 @ 23:07 [ref: 823]
 Dagoberto G Flores-Lozano
 Leon, GTO, OTH
Well, these just were DC-4īs fitted in Canada with 4 Merlin engines, sounded like a squadron of P-51 Mustangs (same engine).
09/18/2000 @ 03:45 [ref: 766]

 

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