DE HAVILLAND CANADA AIRCRAFT

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DHC-1 Chipmunk - 1946

The DHC-1 Chipmunk was de Havilland’s first postwar all Canadian design. The all metal trainer was designed as a replacement for the Tiger Moth. A total of 217 were built in Toronto. The Canadian government purchased 113, with 79 going to the RCAF and 34 to Canadian flying clubs. Major Canadian exports included 41 to India, 22 to Egypt and 18 to Thailand. The Chipmunk became the first Canadian design built under license aboard. One thousand were manufactured under license in England and 60 in Portugal; The Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles both trained on Royal Air Force machines. Test pilot Patrick Fillingham flew the prototype (CF-DIO-X) from Downsview on its first flight on May 22, 1946. [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

Length: 25.4 ft, Wingspan: 34.3 ft, Engine: Gipsy Major 145 hp, Seats: 2, Gross Weight: 2,000 lbs, Max speed: 138 mph.

DHC-2 Beaver - 1947

The Beaver was developed in 1946 at Downsview, under Phil. C. Garratt of de Havilland Canada, for flying in the Canadian north. The single engine high wing monoplane, built for bush work, achieved world-wide civil and military sales. Used in some 60 countries from the Arctic to Antarctica, it served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. It was noted for its simplicity, ruggedness and short takeoff and landing ability. Over half of the 1,692 produced from 1947 to 1968 were sold to the US Armed Forces. Designed and built without government aid, the Beaver was an ideal workhorse of the air. The first customer was the Ontario Provincial Air Service. Russ Bannock flew the prototype at Downsview on December 16, 1947. A majority of Beavers produced in Toronto are still in commercial aviation use, almost 60 years after the prototype flew.

In 1987, the Beaver was selected one of the top 10 Canadian engineering achievements of the past century, for its engineering, social and economic impact around the world. [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

Length: 30.3 ft, Wingspan: 48 ft, Engine: P&WA R-985 Wasp Jr. 450 hp, Seats: 5, Gross weight: 5,100 lbs, Max speed: 130 mph.

DHC-3 Otter - 1951

The Otter began life as the "King Beaver" in the natural drive to provide greater capacity with the same performance in the bush on wheels, skis or floats. It became known as the one-ton truck of the air and won favor among short-haul commercial services and the military - particularly the US forces which bought 199 of the 466 built. Two civil operators who proved the Otter's value were Wardair in Canada and Wideröes Flyveselskap in Norway. The Otter is still in high demand, 52 years after test pilot George Neil flew the prototype at Downsview Airport on December 12, 1951. [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

Length: 42 ft, Wingspan: 58 ft, Engine: P&W Wasp H 600 hp, Seats: 10, Gross weight: 8,000 lbs, Max speed: 140 mph.

DHC-4 Caribou - 1958

The DHC-4 Caribou resulted from a design request from the US Army at the height of its success with fixed-wing aircraft. It combined the latest in short take-off and landing technology along with an exceptionally rugged airframe and a rear loading platform. The large, box-like fuselage with folding troop seats made it ideal for quick-change missions and was popular with parachute battalions. The prototype flew at Downsview on July 30, 1958. Three hundred and seven were built – 165 for the US Army – and Caribous served in 18 countries. The Caribou remains in operational use with the Royal Australian Air Force. [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

Length: 72.6 ft, Wingspan: 96 ft, Engines: 2 P& W R2000 1,450 hp, Seats: 40, Gross weight: 26,000 lbs, Max speed: 182 mph.

DHC-5 Buffalo - 1964

The first twin engine turbine powered de Havilland aircraft, the outstanding Buffalo set six time-to-height records in a single flight. The prototype first flew on April 9, 1964. A total of 121 were delivered to 14 countries between 1964 and 1988. The largest customer was the Brazilian Air Force. The Buffalo remains in service in Canada with 442 Squadron, the CAF’s primary Search and Rescue unit on the west coast. [Photo © Canadian Air Force]

Length: 79 ft, Wingspan: 96 ft, Engines : 2 General Electric CT -64 3.113 shp, Seats: 44, Gross weight: 49.200 lbs, Max speed: 261 mph.

DHC-6 Twin Otter - 1965

The Twin Otter grew from the earlier DHC-3 Otter with a five-foot longer fuselage and a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turbine engines. Designed as a utility airplane for the Canadian North, the Twin Otter found its true niche with the developing commuter airlines. The largest-selling 19-passenger commuter airline in the world logged 844 orders and was instrumental in developing the regional airline industry we know today. The prototype first flew May 20, 1965.  

PHOTO: [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

Length: 51.75 ft, Wingspan: 65 ft, Engines: 2 P&WC PT6A-27 620 shp, Seats: 20, Gross weight: 12,500 lbs, Max speed: 210 mph.

DHC-7 "DASH 7" - 1975

The Dash 7 could be described as the culmination of the de Havilland’s Short Take-off and Landing (STOL) technology through the years and lived up to all of its prior claims of short-field, steep-approach performance into restricted runways. A built-in design feature is the quiet noise footprint. They fit naturally into Norway 's well-planned STOL network, and the Dash 7 pioneered operations at the London City Centre airport built on the east docklands of the Thames River in London , England . One hundred and thirteen Dash 7s were delivered before the Downsview production line closed in 1988. [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

Length: 80.66 ft Wingspan: 93 ft. Engines: 4 P&W 120, 1,120 shp. Seats: 50. Gross weight 44,000 lbs. Max speed 265 mph.

DHC-8 Dash 8 Series 100 - 1983

The eighth production model of the DHC line, the Dash 8 Series 100 is the world’s best selling new generation regional turboprop airliner. The prototype 37-39 seat Dash 8 Series 100 flew made its first flight at Downsview on June 20, 1983.  More than 670 Dash 8s of all models have been delivered. [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

Dash 8 Series Q200 - 1995

The 37-39 seat Q200 Dash 8 first flew in Toronto on January 31, 1995. Designed primarily as a twin turboprop regional airliner, the flexibility, utility and ruggedness of Bombardier’s Dash 8 (renamed the Q Series in 1996) has led to its selection by several non-airline operators for a variety of specialized missions. These include maritime air patrol, laser depth sounding of the oceans, medevac, airways inspection and calibration, military navigator training, combination cargo/passenger operations, hydro and petroleum exploration, crew shuttles and other operations.  The “Q” means Quiet. The Q Series’ Noise and Vibration Suppression (NVS) system provides the quietest and most vibration-free passenger cabin of any propeller-driven aircraft. [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

 

Dash 8 Series Q300 - 1987

The 50- to 56-seat Q300 Dash 8 first flew in Toronto on May 15, 1987. The Bombardier Q Series family includes the 37- to 39-seat Q100* and Q200*, 50- to 56-seat Q300 and 68- to 78-seat Q400.  The “Q” means Quiet. The Q Series’ Noise and Vibration Suppression (NVS) system provides the quietest and most vibration-free passenger cabin of any propeller-driven aircraft. [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

 

Dash 8 Series Q400 - 1998

The Bombardier Q400, with 68 to 78 seats, is the largest capacity aircraft in the Bombardier turboprop family. Powered by state-of-the-art Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A engines delivering 5,071 shaft horsepower (shp) at take-off and Dowty Aerospace all-composite, six-bladed propellers, the Q400 is extremely fast (360 knots) and economical.  The “Q” means Quiet. Along with the 37- to 39-seat Q200* and 50- to 56-seat Q300*, the Q400 offers an extremely quiet and low vibration cabin environment thanks to the Noise and Vibration Suppression (NVS) system.

The Bombardier Q400 turboprop airliner took to the sky for the first time Saturday, January 31, 1998 in a flight that lasted three hours, during which the aircraft reached a speed of 200 knots (370 km/h) and an altitude of 7,500 feet (2,286 m).  The 360-knot, 70-seat Q400 meets regional airlines’ requirements for larger, faster, quieter and more economical aircraft - larger to meet increasing capacity demands, faster to replace older technology jet aircraft on some routes, and more economical to help regional carriers maintain their lower cost schedules and consistent profitability. [Photo © Bombardier Inc.]

 

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