When, in 1976,John Britten and Desmond Norman,the founders of Britten-Norman,left the company,Desmond Norman almost immediately started NDN Aircraft .The first product was the NDN-1 Firecracker which first flew in May 1977, but did not enter production . In 1983 a turbine version made its first flight, three were built. . In 1981 the tandem-seated NDN-6 Fieldmaster was built and flown as a crop-sprayer, in addition oil-pollution clearance and firefighting versions, (the Firemaster) , were designed. In the meantime NDN Aircraft had changed its name to Norman Aeroplane Company and 6 Fieldmasters were built as NAC-6s. Finally in 1984 the NAC-1 Freelance was built, based on the BN-3 Nymph .
Over the years the company has had premises at Goodwood,Swansea and Sandown. 1979 plans to build a factory at Arreton Down on the Isle of Wight did not materialise and the company remained at Sandown until it went out of business
Ownership of the Fieldmaster design passed eventually to the EPA Aircraft Co Ltd.Plans for licence production of the Fieldmaster by the Turkish Aeronautical Association -Türk Hava Kurumu, (THK) as the"Taysu" were abandoned in 1999 after 4 aircraft were completed- two airworthy and two engineless aircraft
Listed below are all known aircraft produced by NDN and the Norman Aircraft Co.There are gaps,and if you can fill them please Contact Me
c/n Registration Type OO1 G-NDNI NDN-1 Firecracker r/r N182FR Flight Research Inc Starkville MS.Current 2015. OO2 OO3 OO4 G-NRDC NDN-6 Fieldmaster . Derilect Sandown.Last owner EPN Aircraft co.Ltd , OO5 G-SFTR NDN-1T Firecracker ,to N2157C NTPS Mojave CA.Flight Research Inc.Current 2015. OO6 G-SFTS NDN-1T Firecracker , to N50FK,Firecracker INc, Eugene .OR.Current 2015. Offered for sale Jan 2014 by Raptor Aviation (as agent) OO7 G-SFTT NDN-1T Firecracker to N70878.Firecracker INc, Eugene .OR.Current 2015. Offered for sale Jan 2014 by Raptor Aviation (as agent) NAC001 G-NACI NAC-1 srs 180. Registered to Andrew Kinnaird, Shanklin IOW.Permit exp 22-07-13 ,Based Bembridge, 2001 G-NACA NAC-2 srs 180 Freelance. Current Permit exp Dec 2015. Reg'd to P Caruth & Alexander Norman(son of Desmond Norman). 2002 Freelance - not completed .5 of these(2001/3/4/5 + one other) are currently atHenstridge(2015)in incomplete state. 2003 as above 2004 as above 2005 as above (2006?) as above 6001 G-BNEG NAC-6 Fieldmaster r/reg G-NACL Last owner EPA AIRCRAFT COMPANY LTD 6002 G-NACM NAC-6 Fieldmaster r/r Z-NACM Agricair (12/87 - 04/88),G-NACM EPA AIRCRAFT COMPANY LTD,TC-ZBC THK Taysu(1999) (as Firemaster 34) TC-ZBC is now displayed at the THK airfield 6003 G-NACN NAC-6 Fieldmaster r/r Z-NACN Agricair (12/87 - 04/88),G-NACN EPA AIRCRAFT COMPANY LTD,TC-ZBD THK Taysu(1999)as Firemaster 65. It seems that bribery was among the causes of the abandonment of the project. . 6004 G-NACO NAC-6 Fieldmaster EPA AIRCRAFT COMPANY LTD 6005 G-NACP NAC-6 Fieldmaster EPA AIRCRAFT COMPANY LTD