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56-434: The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller -driven short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada . It has been primarily operated as a bush plane and has been used for a wide variety of utility roles, such as cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application ( crop dusting and aerial topdressing ), and civil aviation duties. Shortly after

112-582: A DHC-2 Beaver to an electric aircraft for development and prototype testing, with aspirational palns to eventually to convert its entire fleet. The first test flight of the aircraft took place in Vancouver in December 2019. By 2024, Harbor Air is anticipating the MagniX motor/battery set being airworthiness certified by Transport Canada by the end of 2026, with a plan to get the eBeaver type-certified by

168-684: A Wing Angle Kit which changes the incidence of the wing. Advanced Wing Technologies of Vancouver, British Columbia has developed and certified a new wing for the DHC-2. The FAA Supplemental Type Certificate also raises the aircraft's gross weight to 6,000 lb (2,700 kg). So far, at least two Beavers have been modified in such a manner. In September 2017 the Transportation Safety Board of Canada recommended stall warning devices be mandated for commercial Beaver operators. In March 2019, Harbour Air announced plans to convert

224-477: A customer supplied 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp SC-1 engine as the Norseman Mk.II , but was later re-engined with a 600 hp (450 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp S3H-1, its original intended engine, on June 26, 1937 as the prototype for the Norseman Mk.IV . The Mk.IV was the definitive per-war model but the production run might have ended at a few hundred examples if not for

280-747: A desirable modification, but at a high cost. The Beaver was deployed by the British Army Air Corps during the Troubles , at least until 1979, for photo-reconnaissance missions. One of them was hit seven times by machine gun fire in South County Armagh , near the border with the Republic of Ireland in November 1979, while taking photos of an IRA checkpoint. The border crossing where the action took place became known to

336-730: A jumping-off point for remote communities in Northwestern Ontario , promotes itself as The Norseman Capital of the World . Each summer in July, the "Norseman Floatplane Festival" brings Norseman aircraft to Red Lake as the centrepiece of a community based weekend festival ranging from stage entertainment, children's games and rides, contests, cultural and historical displays and street vendors with craft and specialty booths. Canadian Second World War ace George Beurling died in May 1948 landing

392-596: A roller door that can be opened in flight, it can quickly ferry eight skydivers to 13,000 ft (4,000 m). The DHC-2 is popular with air charter companies, police forces and small air taxi operators as well as private individuals and companies. Both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Finnish Border Guard operate the aircraft. Several small airline companies in British Columbia use Beavers on scheduled routes from Vancouver to

448-529: Is considered a 'working' aircraft, which was designed for vigorous use. In addition to cargo, passengers can also be carried; when appropriately fitted out, the Beaver Mk.I can accommodate up to seven passengers while the more spacious Beaver Mk.III can hold a maximum of 11. Various alterations have been approved, including alternative seating arrangements, enlarged cargo doors, larger windows and smaller batteries have been approved for use. During takeoff, both

504-423: Is equipped with a 680 shp (510 kW) PT6A-34 turboprop engine. The Beaver is functionally shaped in order to accommodate a useful and sizable payload, typically close to 2,000 lb (910 kg), even when equipped with floats. While the front doors are narrow, the aft doors are wider, having been designed to facilitate the loading of 45 imperial gallon barrels, either upright or on their sides. The Beaver

560-673: The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan . USAAF Colonel Bernt Balchen was establishing a staging route across Greenland to ferry aircraft to Europe. He required a transport rugged enough to survive in the harsh conditions of the Arctic. After evaluating six Norsemans diverted from the RCAF order, late in 1941, he recommended the purchase of the Norseman Mk.IV specially modified to USAAF requirements as

616-531: The Canada Car and Foundry acquired the rights to the design and produced the Norseman Mk.V , a civilian version of the UC-64. To further improve the basic design, "Can Car" designed and built the Norseman Mk.VII with a bigger engine, a new all-metal wing and greater cargo capacity but it never went into production. With large Korean War commitments at that time, the company put it into temporary storage where it

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672-494: The U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) for search and rescue. By 1967, over 1,600 Beavers had been constructed prior to the closure of the original assembly line. Various aircraft have been remanufactured and upgraded. Additionally, various proposals have been made to return the Beaver to production. The Beaver's versatility and performance led to it being the preferred aircraft of bush pilots servicing remote locations in

728-527: The US Army Corps of Engineers . Other Allied air forces also placed orders, for 43 Norseman Mk.IVs. The RCAF ordered an additional 34 aircraft as Norseman Mk.VI s. Noorduyn was still the sole manufacturer, but when the USAAF considered ordering a larger number of C-64As, license production of 600 by Aeronca Aircraft Corp. (Middletown, Ohio) was planned before being cancelled in 1943. Major Glenn Miller

784-662: The YC-64A . After the US entry into the Second World War, the USAAF placed the first of several orders for a production version C-64A Norseman . The principal differences included two fuselage belly tanks raising the standard fuel capacity to 201 imp gal (910 L; 241 US gal), and an additional cabin fuel tank of 32 imp gal (150 L; 38 US gal) that could also be installed. These changes resulted in an increase of 950 lb (430 kg) in

840-485: The ailerons and flaps are lowered, which is a relatively uncommon design approach but results in substantially elevated STOL performance. The flaps can be deployed to an extreme range, extending out at full to a 58-degree position; the flight manual notes that the full setting is recommended only for performing emergency landings. In the skies, the Beaver is relatively easy to handle, having been described as possessing light and comfortable controls. Effective application of

896-619: The rudder is necessary to counteract adverse yaw . It should be flown with a relatively nose-low pitch attitude to maintain airspeed. It is very easy to land, even in moderately rough water. Despite the fact that production ceased in 1967, hundreds of Beavers are still flying—many of them heavily modified to adapt to changes in technology and needs. Kenmore Air of Kenmore, Washington , provides Beaver and Otter airframes with zero-hour fatigue-life ratings, and owns dozens of supplemental type certificates (STCs) for aircraft modifications. These modifications are so well known and desirable in

952-434: The type certificates from Bombardier Aerospace for all the original de Havilland designs, including the Beaver. The ownership of the certificates gives the company the exclusive right to manufacture new aircraft. Viking has stated its interest in the potential restart of production of the Beaver, and commented that, dependent upon market demand, the firm may offer two separate models of the Beaver, one intended to be close to

1008-471: The 21st century, while the tooling and type certificate for the Beaver have been acquired by Viking Air who continue to produce replacement components and refurbish examples of the type. Following the end of the Second World War , de Havilland Canada's management team, recognising that there would be a corresponding downturn in military orders in the immediate post-war climate, decided to focus

1064-625: The Arctic and Antarctic regions. Designed by Robert B. C. Noorduyn , the Noorduyn Norseman was produced from 1935 to 1959, originally by Noorduyn Aircraft Ltd. and later by the Canadian Car and Foundry company. With the experience of working at Fokker , Bellanca and Pitcairn-Cierva , Noorduyn decided to create his own design in 1934. Along with his colleague, Walter Clayton, Noorduyn created his original company, Noorduyn Aircraft Limited, in early 1933 at Montreal , which then

1120-575: The Beaver and the Cessna 195 . The Beaver won and during the Korean War, the US Army ordered 970, more than half of the overall production run for the type. Soon, the Beaver grew to become an export success as orders for the type increased from customers around the world. Individual military services of more than 30 different nations would ultimately be included amongst its operators. In later life, as

1176-442: The Beaver has had a lengthy service life and many examples have been remanufactured or have otherwise received life extension modifications. The Beaver is typically powered by a single 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine . In order to provide the necessary weight balance for optimal loading flexibility, the engine was mounted as far rearwards as possible, resulting in elements intruding into

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1232-567: The British de Havilland Gipsy engine. As a result of its comparatively limited power, the wing area was greatly increased in order to maintain STOL performance. When Pratt & Whitney Canada offered to supply war-surplus 450 hp (340 kW) Wasp Junior radial engines at a low price, the aircraft ended up with extra power as well as the original long wing. The result was unbeatable STOL performance for an aircraft of its size. In line with

1288-582: The British Army as "Beaver Junction". Operators of significant numbers of piston-Beavers in early 2008 include Air Saguenay and Harbour Air in Canada and Kenmore Air in the US. American actor Harrison Ford owns a DHC-2 Beaver; he is known for referring to it as being his favourite among his entire fleet of private aircraft. The Civil Air Patrol operated many of the DHC-2 Beaver, where it

1344-582: The Canadian north, and it is considered by aviation historians to be a Canadian icon. In 1987, the Canadian Engineering Centennial Board named the DHC-2 one of the top ten Canadian engineering achievements of the 20th century. The Royal Canadian Mint honoured the aircraft on a special edition Canadian quarter in November 1999, and on a 50-cent commemorative gold coin in 2008. Large numbers continue to be operational into

1400-529: The Norseman was first fitted with floats, then skis and, finally, wheels. The final design looked much like Noorduyn's earlier Bellanca Skyrocket , a strut-braced high-wing monoplane with a welded steel tubing fuselage. Attached wood stringers carried a fabric covering that faired out the more refined shape. Its wing had a wood structure covered in fabric, except for steel tubing in the flaps and ailerons. The divided landing gear were fitted to fuselage stubs with

1456-599: The Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island as well as numerous nearby smaller islands. The largest of these airlines is Harbour Air . As of August 2023, there have been 351 incidents involving the DHC-2 and 739 deaths. A select few are listed: Data from The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft , BAE Systems General characteristics Performance Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Propeller (aircraft) Too Many Requests If you report this error to

1512-644: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.132 via cp1112 cp1112, Varnish XID 946448980 Upstream caches: cp1112 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:34:52 GMT Noorduyn Norseman Introduced in 1935, the Norseman remained in production for almost 25 years with over 900 produced. A number of examples remain in commercial and private use to this day. Norseman aircraft are known to have been registered or operated in 68 countries and also have been based and flown in

1568-534: The advent of the Second World War . By 1940, Noorduyn had sold only 17 aircraft, primarily to commercial operators in Canada's north and to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police . With the outbreak of war, demand for a utility transport led to large military orders. The Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Army Air Forces became the two largest operators. The RCAF ordered 38 Norseman Mk.IVW s for radio and navigational training for

1624-583: The aviation community, rebuilt Beavers are often called "Kenmore Beavers" or listed as having "Kenmore mods" installed. The original Wasp Jr radial engine of the Beaver is long out of production, so repair parts are getting harder to find. Some aircraft conversion stations have addressed this problem by replacing the piston engine with a turboprop engine such as the PT6 . The added power and lighter installed weight, together with greater availability of kerosene fuel instead of high-octane aviation gasoline, make this

1680-476: The basic design were incorporated. One major customer introduced the use of flat steps replacing the earlier tubes, a feature now almost universal. In 1987, the Canadian Engineering Centennial Board named the DHC-2 as one of the top ten Canadian engineering achievements of the 20th century. At one point in its production, plans to license-build the Beaver in New Zealand were proposed. The remaining tooling

1736-494: The bush plane world, included the installation of full-sized doors on both sides of the aircraft, which meant that it could be readily loaded no matter which side of a dock it tied up on; the doors were also made wide enough to allow for a 44 Imperial gallon drum to be rolled up into the aircraft. On 17 September 1946, de Havilland officially put together a design team consisting of Fred Buller, Dick Hiscocks, Jim Houston and Wsiewołod Jakimiuk, led by Phil Garratt. The new aircraft

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1792-499: The carriage of up to 2,450 lb (1,110 kg) of freight, a roughly 25 per cent increase in usable payload. By August 1995, Viking completed its 30th Turbo Beaver conversion. The firm has also developed and marketed other improvements for the type, such as an advanced wing and modified floats. Other manufacturers have also offered aftermarket upgrades and modifications for the type, such as re-engining programmes by Orenda Aerospace and Wipaire . On 24 February 2006, Viking purchased

1848-471: The cockpit space, such as the oil tank being positioned within the center console between the pilot and copilot's feet and the main fuel tank within the forward belly of the aircraft, which also improves accessibility for replenishment. Many Beavers have had wingtip tanks also installed; careful fuel management between the various fuel tanks is required throughout flights in order to maintain the aircraft's center of gravity . The remanufactured DHC-2T Turbo Beaver

1904-452: The company's energies upon finding work within the civilian sector. The company had recently hired Punch Dickins as Director of Sales; Dickins carried out an extensive market research program in the form of requesting and collecting feedback from other pilots, to understand what they needed in a new aircraft. It was on the basis of this information from the prospective operators themselves, as opposed to aerodynamic research or fiscal data, that

1960-456: The convention for aircraft produced by de Havilland Canada being named after animals, it was decided that the new bush plane would be named after the beaver , which was known for its hard-working nature. On 16 August 1947, the maiden flight of the DHC-2 Beaver was in Downsview, Ontario ; it was flown by Second World War flying ace Russell Bannock . After completing its flight test programme,

2016-474: The design of the original batch, and another incorporating various improvements such as new avionics, engines, and doors, as well as likely being stretched to provide increased internal space. Stolairus Aviation of Kelowna, British Columbia has developed several modifications for the DHC-2 including a STOL Kit which modifies the wing with a contoured leading edge, flap-gap seals, wing fences and drooped wingtips for increased performance. Stolairus has also developed

2072-409: The end of 2027 and able to enter commercial service. The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing propeller -driven STOL aircraft, principally operated as a bush plane and other utility roles, such as cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application ( crop dusting and aerial topdressing ), and general civil aviation purposes; aviation publication Plane & Pilot described

2128-455: The end of the Second World War , de Havilland Canada decided to orient itself towards civilian operators. Based on feedback from pilots, the company decided that the envisioned aircraft should have excellent STOL performance, all-metal construction, and accommodate many features sought by the operators of bush planes. On 16 August 1947, the maiden flight of the aircraft, which had received the designation DHC-2 Beaver , took place. In April 1948,

2184-558: The era. The prototype, serial number 1, CF-AYO, was designated the Norseman Mk.I . The next four aircraft (serial numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5) were Norseman Mk.IIIs . CF-AZA went to MacKenzie Air Service, Edmonton, Alberta , CF-AZE to Prospector Airways, Clarkson, Ontario, CF-AZS to Starrat Airways, Hudson, Ontario, and CF-BZM to Mackenzie Air Service, as CF-BAM . Several additional aircraft were to have been Mk.IIIs but were completed as Mk.IVs. CF-BAU , serial number 6, had minor changes that were required for it to be certified, and had

2240-635: The filming of " Captains of the Clouds " starring James Cagney . Principal aerial photography took place near North Bay, Ontario with CF-AYO carrying temporary registration "CF-HGO." CF-AYO was lost in a crash in Algonquin Park in 1952. Its wreckage currently is on display at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre . Almost immediately, the Norseman proved itself to be a rugged, reliable workhorse with steady sales for

2296-684: The first production aircraft was delivered to the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests . A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Beaver played a supporting role in Sir Edmund Hillary 's famous 1958 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition to the South Pole . In addition to its use in civilian operations, the Beaver has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft . The United States Army purchased several hundred aircraft; nine DHC-2s are still in service with

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2352-464: The future aircraft has its origins. In response, almost without exception, these pilots specified their desire for tremendous extra power and STOL performance, in a design that could be easily fitted with wheels , skis or floats . When de Havilland engineers noted this would result in poor cruise performance, one pilot replied, "You only have to be faster than a dog sled to be a winner". Other suggestions that were seemingly mundane, but important in

2408-419: The legs secured with two bolts each to allow the alternate arrangement of floats or skis. The tail could be fitted with a wheel or skid. The first Norseman, powered by a Wright R-975 -E3 Whirlwind, was flight tested on floats on November 14, 1935, and was sold and delivered to Dominion Skyways Ltd. on January 18, 1936, registered as "CF-AYO" and named “Arcturus." In summer 1941, Warner Brothers leased CF-AYO for

2464-641: The loaded weight. Deliveries began mid-1942, with the US military eventually ordered 749 Norseman Mk.IVs as the C-64A (later UC-64A ). Throughout the Second World War, the USAAF Norseman aircraft were used in North America (primarily Alaska) as well as other in theaters of war, including Europe. Three UC-64As were used by the US Navy under the designation JA-1 . Six C-64B floatplanes were used by

2520-426: The prototype received several adjustments and improvements in order for it to serve as a flying demonstration model ready for the sales circuit. The prototype was ultimately sold to Central British Columbia Airways, as a routine day-to-day working air-taxi airplane and continued to fly as such with various air-taxi operators until 1980, after which it was retired and preserved. In April 1948, the first production aircraft

2576-399: The type as being "arguably the best bush plane ever built". The Beaver was designed to operate in all seasons and the majority of weather conditions; a large proportion were also equipped with floats for buoyancy in water; it reportedly possesses favourable performance characteristics for a floatplane . As a result of its favourable characteristics as a hard working and productive aircraft,

2632-425: The type finally ceased, a total of 1,657 DHC-2 Beavers had been constructed. The Beaver was designed for flight in rugged and remote areas of the world. Its STOL capability made it ideal for areas normally only accessible by canoe or foot. Because the aircraft often flies to remote locations and in cold climates, its oil reservoir filler is located in the cockpit and oil can be filled in flight. A series of upgrades to

2688-481: The type was gradually phased out of military service, many examples underwent conversion work so that they could continue to be operated as civilian aircraft instead. During the 1960s, de Havilland developed an improved model of the Beaver, the Mk.III Turbo Beaver, which was equipped with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop engine. A total of sixty aircraft were built during the late 1960s. In 1967, when production of

2744-546: Was a passenger on a UC-64A Norseman (s/n 44-70285) flown by F/O John R. S. Morgan which disappeared over the English Channel on December 15, 1944, possibly due being struck by bombs jettisoned from RAF Lancasters after an aborted raid. Another Norseman crashed into King Alfred's Tower , a 50 m (160 ft) tall Stourhead estate folly in Somerset, England, killing all five air crew in 1944. Postwar,

2800-767: Was commonly used for conducting search and rescue missions. For some decades, the United States Navy has operated a pair of DHC-2s at the United States Naval Test Pilot School , where they are used to instruct students in the evaluation of lateral-directional flying qualities and for the towing of gliders . In recent years, growing numbers of the type have been used within the leisure industry, being used for pleasure flight and as lifting platforms for skydiving and aerial film activities. The DHC-2 Beaver has been used by skydiving operators due to its good climb rate. When fitted with

2856-408: Was delivered to the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests , who had been a design partner. Initial sales were slow, perhaps two or three a month but as the plane was demonstrated sales started to improve. A key event in the Beaver's history occurred the next year when the US Army commenced its search for a new utility aircraft to replace their fleet of Cessnas. The competition quickly boiled down to

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2912-407: Was designed to be all-metal (unlike older designs, like the famous Noorduyn Norseman ), using "steel from the engine to the firewall, heavy aluminium truss frames with panels and doors throughout the front seat area, lighter trusses toward the rear and all monocoque construction aft". At the time, de Havilland Canada was still a British-owned company and there were plans to fit the evolving design with

2968-757: Was destroyed in a hangar fire in September 1951. In 1953, Noorduyn headed a group of investors who bought back the jigs and equipment from Canada Car and Foundry and started a new company called Noorduyn Norseman Aircraft Ltd. Bob Noorduyn became ill and died at his home in South Burlington, Vermont, on 22 February 1959. The company continued to provide support for operating Norseman aircraft and built three new Mk.Vs before selling its assets in 1982 to Norco Associates. Norco provided support services only, as Norseman aircraft manufacture wasn't seen as being likely to be profitable. The last Noorduyn Norseman built

3024-414: Was purchased by Viking Air of Victoria, British Columbia , Canada, which manufactures replacement parts for most of the early de Havilland line. The company markets and sells the remanufactured DHC-2T Turbo Beaver, an improved variant of the aircraft which has been upgraded with a 680 shp (510 kW) PT6A-34, which enables an increased maximum gross takeoff weight of 6,000 lb (2,700 kg) and

3080-517: Was reorganized in 1935, as Noorduyn Aviation. Noorduyn's ideal bush plane was a high-wing monoplane airframe to facilitate loading and unloading passengers and cargo at seaplane docks, where the high wing provided the best clearance from docks and seaplane ramp fencing, and least opportunity for damage, and from conventional airports, with a structure that could be easily repaired in the bush. Noorduyn designed it to have interchangeable wheel, ski or twin-float landing gear. Unlike most aircraft designs,

3136-470: Was sold to a commercial customer on January 19, 1959. 903 Norseman Mk.I to Mk.V were produced and delivered to commercial and military customers. There are currently 42 Norseman aircraft on the active Canadian aircraft registry and 9 active in the United States. The number in use worldwide is not known. In recognition of the Norseman's role in serving northern Canada, the town of Red Lake, Ontario ,

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