de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou

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The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou (known in the US military as CV-2 and C-7 Caribou) was designed as a specialized transport with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. It was first flown in 1958.

Design and development

de Havilland Canada'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. 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 then changed to CV-2 Caribou.

The majority of Caribou production was destined for military operators, but the type's ruggedness and excellent STOL capabilities also appealed to a select group of commercial users. US certification was awarded on 23 December 1960. AnsettMAL, 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.

DHC-4T Turbo Caribou

Pen Turbo Aviation have designed, test flown and certified a conversion of the baseline DHC-4 Caribou to the PWC PT6A turboprop engine. This variant is designated the DHC-4T Turbo Caribou.

Operational service

In response to a US 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 US 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 US Army's CV-2s were transferred to the US Air Force in 1967. US and Australian Caribou saw extensive service during the Vietnam conflict.

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 C-123 Provider and the 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.

In 1967, a political decision was made by the United States Air Force who, believing that all fixed-wing aircraft operations were its own province, demanded that the Army turn over the Caribou. The Army ultimately traded the Caribou to the Air Force in exchange for an end to restrictions on Army helicopter operations. In addition, some US Caribou were captured by North Vietnamese forces and remained in service with that country through to the late 1970s.

Most of the C-7s have since been phased out of the US military. Other notable military operators included Canada, Malaysia, Brazil, India and Spain. The Royal Australian Air Force still operates 14 Caribous, while Brazil's Caribous are slowly being replaced by more modern EADS CASA C-295 turboprop cargo airplanes.

Operators

United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)
Australia: RAAF
Brazil
Cambodia
Canada: RCAF
Colombia
Costa Rica
Ghana
India
Kenya
Kuwait
Liberia
Malaysia: Retired from active service
Oman
Spain
South Vietnam: Vietnam Air Force
Sweden
Tanzania
Thailand
Uganda
United States: US Army, US Air Force, Air America
Vietnam: Captured ex-VNAF airplanes
Zambia

Specifications

Template:Aero-table General characteristics Performance

C-7 Caribou

Description
Role	STOL utility transport
Crew	3
Dimensions
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
Weights
Empty	18,260 lb (B variant)	8,283 kg
Loaded	31,000 lb	14,198 kg
Powerplant
Engines	Two Pratt and Whitney R-2000-7M2 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder
Power	1,450 hp	1081 kW
Performance
Maximum speed	216 mph	348 km/h
Combat range	1,307 mi	2,103 km
Ferry range	242 mi	389 km
Service ceiling	24,800 ft (B)	7,559 m
Rate of climb	1,355 ft/min	413 m/min

Reference

Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.