Everlasting? |
De Havilland U-6A Beaver Patuxent River Test Pilot School 1997
The De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is one of the most famous bush planes in the world. After World War II, de Havilland Canada was looking to produce a plane suited to operations in the extremes of the Canadian north. After extensive consultation with bush pilots, they began production of the Beaver —a reliable, single-engine monoplane that could be easily fitted with wheels, skis, or floats. The Beaver was designed for flight in rugged and remote areas of the world. Its short takeoff and landing capability made it ideal for areas normally only accessible by canoe or foot. Because it often flies to remote locations (that often are in cold climates) its oil reservoir filling spout is located in the cockpit itself and the oil can be refilled while the aircraft is in flight. The first flight of the DHC Beaver was in Downsview, Ontario by Second World War flying ace Russ Bannock on 16 August 1947, with the first production aircraft being delivered in April 1948. The plane was an immediate success within the Canadian aviation community. The de Havilland company hired veteran bush pilot Punch Dickins as their Director of Sales and when production finally ceased in 1967, 1,657 DHC-2 Beavers had been built. The Beaver has become a symbol of the Canadian north, and has since found use as a bush plane all over the world; the international ICAO designation for flight plans is DHC2. The type is used for aerial application; (crop dusting and aerial topdressing), and has been widely used by armed forces as a utility aircraft; the U.S. Army Air Corps purchased several hundred. Nine DHC-2s are still in service with the US Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) for search and rescue. A Royal New Zealand Air Force Beaver supported Sir Edmund Hillary's expedition to the South Pole. Over 1,600 Beavers were produced. Crew: one pilot Capacity: 6 passengers Length: 30 ft 3 in (9.22 m) Wingspan: 48 ft 0 in (14.63 m) Height: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m) Wing area: 250 ft² (23.2 m²) Empty: 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) Loaded: 5,100 lb (2,310 kg) Useful load: 2,100 lb (950 kg) Powerplant: 1 Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Jr. radial engine, 450 hp (335 kW) Maximum speed: 158 mph (255 km/h) Range: 455 miles (732 km) Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m) Rate of climb: 1,020 ft/min (5.2 m/s) USN99 René Hieronymus Scale 1:72 Building time 16 hrs. |