CF-BTW Bellanca
66-75 Aircruiser
(c/n 721)
The reason that
this 1938 Bellanca is carrying a 1947 series registration is that it
spent its early
years in the Philippines as
NPC-41. The
image of
it in those markings illustrates well the sesqui-
plane
layout of this ugly
(yet efficient) beast. From the Philippines it returned to
Canada in 1943
and went to MacKenzie Air
Services. By 1947 it was
flying for Northern Air
Services and became
part of
the motley Canadian Pacific Airlines fleet
plying the bush services of northern Canada in the
late 1940s and
1950s. The two shots below are from the Al Nelson
collection and depict -BTW
(upper) at Cold Lake, Manitoba in 1950 and (lower) at South Indian Lake
in August of that year.
This
Aircruiser is now located at the Tillamook Air Museum in Oregon.