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De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo
| DHC-5 Buffalo | |
|---|---|
| Type | utility aircraft |
| Manufacturer | de Havilland Canada |
| Maiden flight | 22 September 1961 |
| Introduced | 1965 |
| Produced | 1965-1972 1974 (second production run) |
| Number built | 122 |
| Developed from | De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou |
The de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is a short takeoff and landing (STOL) utility transport, a turboprop version developed from the earlier piston-powered DHC-4 Caribou. The aircraft has extraordinary STOL performance, able to take off in distances much shorter than even light aircraft can manage.
Contents
Design and development
The Buffalo arose from a United States Army requirement. Its first flight was on 22 September 1961 but due to a protracted test and development phase, only a pre-production run of four DHC-5As was delivered in 1965 and designated YAC-2 (later CV-7A and subsequently C-8A). Difficulties arose with the Buffalo program in the US, as despite having won the US Army competition, the contract was not awarded. Complications had arisen when US Army fixed wing operations were transferred to the United States Air Force who considered themselves adequately equipped with the American-made Fairchild C-123 Provider.
In the early 1980s, de Havilland Canada attempted to modify the Buffalo for civilian use. The aircraft was to be branded "Transporter." After loss of the demonstration aircraft (SN 103 C-GCTC) at the 1984 Farnborough Airshow, the project was abandoned.
A production Buffalo was used for breaking time-to-height records in 1976 while another Buffalo was employed to test aerodynamic prototypes for NASA as an XC-8A.
Operational history
The Royal Canadian Air Force (now the Canadian Forces) first acquired 15 DHC-5A designated as CC-115 for tactical transports. These were initially operated at CFB St Hubert, QC by No. 429 Squadron in a tactical aviation role as part of Mobile Command. In 1970 the Buffalo aircraft were transferred to a transport and rescue role with No. 442 Squadron RCAF, No. 413 Squadron RCAF, and No. 424 Squadron Squadrons as part of Transport Command. No. 426 Squadron also flew the aircraft as a Training Squadron. Some were leased back or loaned back to the factory for trials and eventually returned to military service.
Three of the aircraft were also deployed on UN missions to the Middle East with No. 116 Transport Unit until 1979. They had a white paint scheme which was retained while they were serving in domestic transport with 424 Sqn in between deployments. On 9 August 1974 a Buffalo (115461) was shot down by a Syrian surface-to-air missile, killing all nine CF personnel on board. This represents the single biggest loss of Canadian lives on a UN mission as well as the last Canadian military aircraft to be shot down.
In 1975, the Buffalo dropped its tactical transport role and was converted to domestic search and rescue, except for a few that kept serving on UN missions. The initial paint scheme for the SAR converted aircraft were white and red while others still had the original drab paint. The previous drab paint and white paint were eventually replaced with the distinctive yellow and red scheme commonly seen today. The number of aircraft have been reduced to eight, with six on active service, one in storage (recently dismantled) and one used for battle damage training. The remaining operational Buffalos operate in the Search and Rescue role for No. 442 Squadron at CFB Comox. The EADS-CASA C-295 or Lockheed/Alenia C-27J Spartan are likely to replace the Buffalo in Canadian Forces service.
Production of the DHC-5A ended in 1972 after sales to Brazil and Peru but restarted with the DHC-5D model in 1974. This variant sold to several overseas air forces beginning with Egypt.
There are currently two Buffalo aircraft used commercially in Canada. They operate with Arctic Sunwest Charters, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Safety Record
In total, 26 hull losses have been recorded. The most notable crash involving a DHC-5 occurred on April 27 1993, when a plane carrying the Zambia national football team to a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Senegal crashed shortly after takeoff from a refuelling stop in Libreville, Gabon. All 30 people on board perished.
Variants
- DHC-5 Buffalo' : Originally designed as a twin-engined STOL tactical, utility transport aircraft for the US Army. Original US Army designation AC-2.
- YAC-2 : Test and evaluation aircraft for the US Army. Later redesignated CV-7A.
- CV-7A : Twin-engined STOL tactical, utility transport aircraft for the US Army. Later redesignated C-8A.
- DHC-5A : Twin-engined STOL tactical, utility transport aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force, Canadian Forces and Peruvian Air Force. Canadian designation CC-115.
- CC-115 : Twin-engined STOL search and rescue, utility transport aircraft for the Canadian Forces.
- DHC-5B : Proposed version, powered by two General-Electric CT64-P4C turboprop engines. Not built.
- DHC-5C : Proposed version, powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.12 turboprop engines. Not built.
- DHC-5D : Improved version, powered by two 2336-kW (3,133-shp) General Electric CT64-820-4 turboprop engines.
- DHC-5E Transporter : Civil transport version.
- NASA / DITC XC-8A : One C-8A aircraft converted into an augmentor wing research aircraft.
- XC8A ACLS : One C-8A aircraft converted into an air-cushion landing system research aircraft.
- NASA / Boeing QSRA : One C-8A converted into a quiet short-haul research aircraft.
Operators
- Template:Country data Abu Dhabi
- Template:BRA
- Template:CMR
- Template:CAN Canadian Forces
- Template:CHI: Chilean Air Force (Retired)
- Template:COD (previously Template:ZAI)
- Template:ECU
- Template:EGY
- Template:IDN
- Template:KEN
- Template:MRT
- Template:MEX: Mexican Navy
- Template:OMN: Oman Police Air Wing
- Template:PER Peruvian Air Force (Retired)
- Template:SUD
- Template:TAN
- Template:TOG
- Template:USA: United States Army
- Template:ZAM
Specifications (DHC-5)
General characteristics
- Crew: Three
- Length: 79 ft (24.08 m)
- Wingspan: 96 ft (29.26 m)
- Height: 28 ft 9 in (8.73 m)
- Wing area: 945 sq ft (87.8 m²)
- Empty weight: 25,159 lb (11,412 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 49,200 lb (22,317 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× General Electric CT64-820-4 turbine engines (upgraded from CT64-820-3 current standard in the Canadian Forces) , 3,133 hp (2,336 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 290 mph (467 km/h)
- Range: 690 miles (1,110 km)
- Service ceiling: 31,000 ft (9,450 m)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
References
- Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.
- Milberry, Larry. Aviation In Canada. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-07-082778-8.
- Molson, Ken M. and Taylor, Harold A. Canadian Aircraft Since 1909. Stittsville, Ontario: Canada's Wings, Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-920002-11-0.
External links
Template:De Havilland Canada Template:US Army airplanes Template:US transport aircraft Template:US STOL and VTOL aircraft
Fighter aircraft: CF-18 Hornet • Patrol aircraft: CP-140 Aurora/CP-140A Arcturus
Helicopters: CH-124 Sea King • CH-139 JetRanger • CH-146 Griffon • CH-148 Cyclone • CH-149 Cormorant
Cargo aircraft: CC-115 Buffalo • CC-130 Hercules • CC-138 Twin Otter • CC-144 Challenger • CC-150 Polaris • CC-177 Globemaster III
Trainer aircraft: CT-114 Tutor • CT-142 Dash 8 • CT-155 Hawk • CT-156 Harvard II • UAVs: CU-161 Sperwer
Future Aircraft: CH-147 Chinook • CC-130J Hercules • CF-35 Lightning II • CC-27J Spartan
Wings: 1 Wing Kingston • 3 Wing Bagotville • 4 Wing Cold Lake • 5 Wing Goose Bay • 8 Wing Trenton • 9 Wing Gander • 12 Wing Shearwater • 14 Wing Greenwood • 15 Wing Moose Jaw • 16 Wing Borden • 17 Wing Winnipeg • 19 Wing Comox • 22 Wing North Bay
Lists relating to aviation | |
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents | Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |
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| This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo". |
