Didn't know Canso's have aft airstairs

[pelmet]

Just like a 727. Don't see a DB Cooper switch though...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/w ... spartandhp

[PilotDAR]

Yup, one of the ones I worked on had the same airstair. It was very nice, though the boarding passenger would have a lot of stepping up and down, and ducking, to pass through the various compartments. For a fly in a PBY, probably worth it!

[switchflicker]

Looks like that one has a canoe strapped to the right wing as well. There was one I saw each year had a couple of fishing boats winched up under the wing. Kinda like a fisherman's camper.

[Siddley Hawker]

CP operated a few Canso's after WW2, and all of them had the airstair door in the tunnel compartment, like that one. CP called 'em LandSeaAirs. There were a couple based on the West Coast and at least one in Quebec, in Val Dor, I believe. The one in the pic also has a diving platform below the LH blister. CP didn't change the engines, kept the Pratt 1830-92's, but the one in the pic looks to be an Air Yacht version, with a fishing dingy under the right wing. It may have had the Wright R2600 engines from the B-25. Miron Freres, a cement company from Montreal had one of those. It had a shower in the tower compartment, as I recall. Cat Driver will know more about 'em than I do.

[Cat Driver]

Cat Driver will know more about 'em than I do.

Yes I flew quite a few of them and those doors were great for entry and exit.

Also it was very important to check that the airstair door was properly locked before landing in the water because if it was not it could come open during the landing and the airplane could sink.