Military Wiki

DHC-4 Caribou
RAAF Caribou Vabre
A Royal Australian Air Force Caribou at Bundaberg airport.
Role STOL Transport
Manufacturer de Havilland Canada
First flight 30 July 1958
Introduction 1961
Primary users United States Army
United States Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
Number built 307
Variants de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo

The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou (designated by the United States military as the CV-2 and later C-7 Caribou) is a Canadian-designed and produced specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. The Caribou was first flown in 1958 and although mainly retired from military operations, is still in use in small numbers as a rugged "bush" aircraft.

Design and development[]

DHC.4 C-7B 0-39765 CA NG Fresno CA 30.09

C-7B Caribou aircraft of the U.S. Army California National Guard

Royal Australian Air Force DHC-4 Caribou - A4-299

RAAF DHC-4 Caribou (A4-299) from No. 38 Squadron.

The de Havilland Canada company's third STOL design was a big step up in size compared to its earlier DHC Beaver and DHC Otter, and was the first DHC design powered by two engines. The Caribou, however, was similar in concept in that it was designed as a rugged STOL utility aircraft. The Caribou was primarily a military tactical transport that in commercial service found itself a small niche in cargo hauling. The United States Army ordered 173 in 1959 and took delivery in 1961 under the designation AC-1, which was changed to CV-2 Caribou in 1962.

The majority of Caribou production was destined for military operators, but the type's ruggedness and excellent STOL capabilities requiring runway lengths of only 1200 feet (365 metres)[1] also appealed to some commercial users. U.S. certification was awarded on 23 December 1960. Ansett-MAL, which operated a single example in the New Guinea highlands, and AMOCO Ecuador were early customers, as was Air America, (a CIA front in South East Asia during the Vietnam War era for covert operations). Other civil Caribou aircraft entered commercial service after being retired from their military users.

Today only a handful are in civil use.

Operational history[]

DHC-4 Caribou Vietnam

An RAAF Caribou transport aircraft on landing approach, Vietnam War.

In response to a U.S. Army requirement for a tactical airlifter to supply the battlefront with troops and supplies and evacuate casualties on the return journey, de Havilland Canada designed the DHC-4. With assistance from Canada's Department of Defence Production, DHC built a prototype demonstrator that flew for the first time on 30 July 1958.

Impressed with the DHC4's STOL capabilities and potential, the U.S. Army ordered five for evaluation as YAC-1s and went on to become the largest Caribou operator. The AC-1 designation was changed in 1962 to CV-2, and then C-7 when the U.S. Army's CV-2s were transferred to the U.S. Air Force in 1967. U.S. and Australian Caribous saw extensive service during the Vietnam War.

The U.S. Army purchased 159 of the aircraft and they served their purpose well as a tactical transport during the Vietnam War, where larger cargo aircraft such as the Fairchild C-123 Provider and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules could not land on the shorter landing strips. The aircraft could carry 32 troops or two Jeeps or similar light vehicles. The rear loading ramp could also be used for parachute dropping (also, see Air America).

Under the Johnson-McConnell agreement of 1966, the Army relinquished the fixed wing Caribou to the United States Air Force in exchange for an end to restrictions on Army rotary wing operations. On 1 January 1967, the 17th, 57th, 61st, 92nd, 134th, and 135th Aviation Companies of the U.S. Army were inactivated and their aircraft transferred respectively to the newly activated 537th, 535th, 536th, 459th, 457th, and 458th Troop Carrier Squadrons of the USAF. On 1 August 1967 the "troop carrier" designations were changed to "tactical airlift".

Some U.S. Caribou were captured by North Vietnamese forces and remained in service with that country through to the late 1970s. Following the war in Vietnam, all USAF Caribous were transferred to Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard airlift units pending their replacement by the C-130 Hercules in the 1980s.

DHC-4 Caribou N1017H OPA 11.11

Ex U.S. Army CV-2A, operated by Chieftain Aviation, at Opa-locka Airport near Miami in 1989

All C-7s have now been phased out of U.S. military service, with the last example serving again under U.S. Army control through 1985 in support of the U.S. Army's Golden Knights parachute demonstration team. Other notable military operators included Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Malaysia and Spain.

The Royal Australian Air Force retired its last Caribou, A4-140, on 27 November 2009.[2] The aircraft, which was manufactured in 1964, was donated to the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.[3]

Brazil's Caribous are slowly being replaced by more modern EADS CASA C-295 turboprop cargo aircraft.[citation needed]

Civilian operations[]

After retirement from military use, several examples of the Caribou have been purchased by civilian operators for deployment in areas with small airfields located in rugged country with few or poor surface transport links.

Variants[]

Royal Australian Air Force DHC-4 Caribou - A4-299 - 01

Royal Australian Air Force DHC-4

DHC-4 Caribou
STOL tactical transport, utility transport aircraft.
CC-108
Royal Canadian Air Force designation for the DHC-4 Caribou.
YAC-1
This designation was given to five DHC-4 Caribous, sold to the United States Army for evaluation.
AC-1
United States Army designation for the first production run of 56 DHC-4 Caribou. Later redesignated CV-2A in 1962.
CV-2A
United States Army AC-1 redesignated in 1962.
CV-2B
This designation was given to a second production run of 103 DHC-4 Caribous, which were sold to the U.S. Army, with reinforced internal ribbing.
C-7A/B
These designations were applied to all 144 Caribous transferred to the U.S. Air Force by the U.S. Army.
DHC-4A Caribou
Similar to the DHC-4, but this version had an increased takeoff weight.
DHC-4T Turbo Caribou
A conversion of the baseline DHC-4 Caribou powered by the PWC PT6A-67T turboprop engines designed, test flown and certified by the Pen Turbo Aviation company.

Operators[]

Military operators[]

Flag of Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi/ Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou A4-152 on display at the RAAF Museum

Caribou at the RAAF museum.

Flag of Australia Australia
Flag of Canada Canada
Flag of Cameroon Cameroon
Flag of Costa Rica Costa Rica
Flag of Ghana Ghana
  • Ghana Air Force - Ghana acquired eight new-build Caribou in 1963, which were operated until replaced by Fokker F.27-400Ms in 1975.[6]
Flag of India India
  • Indian Air Force - Indian received 20 new build Caribou, supplementing them with four ex-Ghanaian Caribou in 1975.[6]
An old de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou at THR

The only Iranian DHC-4 Caribou

State Flag of Iran (1925) Iran
Flag of Kenya Kenya
Flag of Kuwait Kuwait
Flag of Liberia Liberia
  • Two refurbished aircraft were delivered to the Liberian Army's Air Reconnaissance Unit in 1989.[10] The aircraft were destroyed during the civil war.
File:Caribou TUDM.jpg

RMAF Caribou on display at the Malaysian Army Museum, Port Dickson.

Flag of Malaysia Malaysia
Flag of Oman Oman
Flag of Spain Spain
  • Spanish Air Force received 12 new Caribous later supplemented by 24 former United States Air Force C-7As.[13]
Flag of South Vietnam South Vietnam
Flag of Sweden Sweden
Flag of Tanzania Tanzania
Flag of Thailand Thailand
Flag of Uganda Uganda
  • Uganda Police Force Air Wing[16]
United States
Flag of Vietnam Vietnam
Flag of Zambia Zambia

Civil operators[]

Flag of Australia Australia
  • Ansett-MAL operated one aircraft in the New Guinea highlands.
Flag of Canada Canada
  • La Sarre Air Services
    • acquired C-GVGX in 1977 (delivered 1961) and unknown status after 1981 when Propair formed from merger of La Sarre Air Services (used in El Salvador to Nicaragua 1986)[18]
Flag of Costa Rica Costa Rica
Flag of Ecuador Ecuador
  • AMOCO Ecuador
  • Anglo-Ecuador Oilfields
  • Aerolíneas Cóndor of SA
Flag of Gabon Gabon
  • Air Inter Gabon
Flag of Indonesia Indonesia
  • Trigana Air
Flag of Malta Malta
  • New Cal Aviation
Flag of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea
  • Garamut Exploration Services
  • Vanimo Trading
Flag of the Republic of China Taiwan
  • Air Asia
United States
  • Air America
  • Bannock Aerospace
  • Chieftain Air
  • Deutsche Aviation
  • Environmental Research Institute of Michigan
  • Fowler Aeronautical Service
  • H A T Aviation Inc.
  • John Woods Inc.
  • New Cal Aviation
  • Pen Turbo Aviation

Aircraft on display[]

Australia[]

Airworthy
  • DHC-4 VH-VBA as "A4-210" is owned by the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, Wollongong, New South Wales. Maintained in airworthy condition and flown regularly at air displays.
  • DHC-4 VH-VBB as "A4-234" is owned by the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, Wollongong, New South Wales. Maintained in airworthy condition and flown regularly at air displays.
On display

India[]

On display

Malaysia[]

On display
  • DHC-4 A4-248 at the Royal Malaysian Air Force Museum, Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur.

United States[]

Caribou CV-2B 62-4149

CV-2B 62-4149

C-17 Fort Bragg

C-7 on display at the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum, once used by the Golden Knights parachute team

Airworthy
  • CV-2B N149HF (marked as 62-4149) at the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas. Fully restored to flying condition.[20]
On display

Specifications (DHC-4A)[]

Data from MacDonald Aircraft Handbook.[24]

General characteristics

  • Crew: Three
  • Capacity:
    • 32 troops or
    • 24 fully equipped paratroops or
    • 14 casualty stretchers
  • Payload: 8,000 lb (3,628 kg)
  • Length: 72.58 ft (22.12 m)
  • Wingspan: 95.58 ft (29.13 m)
  • Height: 31.66 ft (9.65 m)
  • Wing area: 912 ft² (84.7 m²)
  • Empty weight: 16,920 lb (7,675 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 28,500 lb (12,927 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Pratt and Whitney R-2000-7M2 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder, 1,450 hp (1,081 kW) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 216 mph (348 km/h)
  • Cruise speed: 181 mph (291 km/h)
  • Range: 1,280 mi (2,060 km) (240 mi (390 km) with maximum payload)
  • Service ceiling: 24,800 ft (7,559 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1,355 ft/min (413 m/min)

See also[]

References[]

Notes[]

  1. "Caribou Sales Brochure – 1962." c-7acaribou.com, 26 May 2011.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Defence 'workhorse' makes final flight." ABC News, 27 November 2009. Retrieved: 27 November 2009.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Fitzgibbon, The Hon. Joel, (MP), Minister for Defence. "Honouring the Caribou's Service to Australia." Department of Defence, 9 March 2009. Retrieved: 9 March 2009.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Henley and Ellis Air Enthusiast March/April 1998, p. 24.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "A4 DHC-4 Caribou". RAAF Museum Point Cook. 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Henley and Ellis Air Enthusiast March/April 1998, p. 26.
  7. "Fuerza Pública revive avión militar Caribú – SUCESOS – La Nación" (in Portuguese). Nacion.com. Retrieved: 26 May 2011.
  8. Andrade 1982, p. 141.
  9. "Kuwait Air Force (KAF)." Scramble.nl. Retrieved: 26 May 2011.
  10. Henley and Ellis Air Enthusiast March/April 1998, pp. 26, 28.
  11. "Malaysian Forces Overview." Scramble.nl. Retrieved: 26 May 2011.
  12. "Royal Air Force of Oman." Scramble.nl. Retrieved: 26 May 2011.
  13. Andrade 1982, p. 204
  14. 14.0 14.1 Buser, Wayne. "Caribou Roster." Dhc4and5.org, 4 September 2010. Retrieved: 26 May 2011.
  15. "Royal Thai Police." fader.dyndns.org. Retrieved: 27 January 2012.
  16. Andrade 1982, p. 231.
  17. Taylor 1971, p. 19.
  18. "VH-BFC. de Havilland DHC-4A Caribou. c/n 23." aussieairliners.org. Retrieved: 18 November 2012.
  19. "Serial MSP002 C-7A MSN 149." Scramble.nl. Retrieved: 26 May 2011.
  20. "De Havilland CV-2B Caribou." Cavanaugh Flight Museum, 20 June 1963. Retrieved: 18 November 2012.
  21. "YAC-1Caribou." dhc4and5.org. Retrieved: 18 November 2012.
  22. "Factsheets: de Havilland C-7A Caribou."National Museum of the United States Air Force. Retrieved: 18 November 2012.
  23. "Factsheets: C-7B Caribou."Hill Aerospace Museum. Retrieved: 18 November 2012.
  24. Green 1964, p. 249.

Bibliography[]

  • Andrade, John. Militair 1982. London: Aviation Press, 1982. ISBN 0-907898-01-7.
  • The C-7A Caribou Association
  • Caribou Roster deHavilland Caribou (DHC-4) and Buffalo (DHC-5) web site.
  • "Caribou to Bow Out Early". Air International, Vol. 76. No. 4, April 2009, p. 5.
  • Green, William. Macdonald Aircraft Handbook. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1964.
  • Henley, Don and Ken Ellis. "Globetrotting Reindeers: De Havilland Canada's Caribou – an airlift legend". Air Enthusiast, No. 74, March/April 1998, pp. 20–33. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.
  • Kuwait Air Force (KAF) entry at the Scramble (magazine) website:
  • Malaysian Forces Overview entry at the Scramble magazine website.
  • Royal Air Force of Oman entry at the Scramble magazine website.
  • Taylor, John W.R. (ed.). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1971–72. London: Janes's Yearbooks, 1971. ISBN 978-0-7106-1262-5.

External links[]

All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou and the edit history here.