of Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo — Wikipedia

The of Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is a short take -off and landing (ADAC) aircraft of utility transport, built by de Havilland Canada. It is a version developed from DHC-4 Caribou with turboprop. Its short take -off and landing capacities are more advanced than those of many light aircraft.

It was the American army that introduced the idea of ​​Buffalo. His first flight took place on September 22, 1961 , but because of delays in the test and development phases, 4 DHC-5A prototypes were delivered only in 1965 and designated under the name of YAC-2 (later CV-7A , then later C-8A ). Although the American soldiers were won over by his performances, the contract stopped there. In fact, the complications arrived when the US army transfered the tonnage of average transport aircraft to the US Air Force , the latter preferring the Aircraft C-123 Provider Faichilds.

In the early 1980s, Havilland Canada tried to change the Buffalo for civil use. The device was named the ” Transporter ». But after the loss of his demonstration plane (SN 103 C-GCTC ) At the Farnborough aeronautical show in 1984, the project was abandoned.

A standard DHC-5D Buffalo broke several world speed speed records, in the 12,000 to 16,000 category kg the February 16, 1976 ^{[ 3 ]} . He reached 3,000 m a 2 min 12.75 s , 6 000 m a 4 min 27.5 s and 9,000 m an 8 min 3.5 s ^{[ 4 ]} .

Experimental use [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In the early 1970s, a Buffalo C-8A belonging to NASA (and nicknamed Bisontennial In 1976) was adapted with wings of low wingspan Boeing, incorporating turbojetters based on Rolls-Royce Spey (offering both propulsion as well as a postcombustion system for a better takeoff) ^{[ 5 ] , [ 6 ] , [ 7 ] , [ 8 ]} .

In 1972, with its first flight in this experimental configuration, this plane was used jointly by the NASA Ames Research Center ( Ames Research Center ) and the Canadian Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce , for research on short distance and landing aircraft.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, NASA used a C-8A Buffalo as part of research on short silent letters (QSRA program, for Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft ), using the 4 reactors recovered from the two Northrop Ya-9 prototypes. Its experimental wings were designed, manufactured and installed by Boeing. It was a supercritical wing incorporating a control system on the attack edge. Instead of standard engines, this plane was equipped with four Avcoming YF102 prototypes, turbojet with postcombustion (originally coming from the Northrop Ya-9 program), and mounted on the top of the wing to make the most of the Coandă effect. In 1980, this plane took off from the USS aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk Without the use of catapult or the strand of stopping, thus demonstrating the performance of the Stol system.

New production [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In December 2008, the aeronautical manufacturer Viking Air , which holds the Buffalo certification files, said it was trying to relaunch the production of aircraft in their Victoria, British Columbia, and Calgary factories in Alberta. This new plane will offer Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150 engines, an all -screen dashboard, an improved vision with night vision. The company is trying to offer this new device as a replacement for the DHC-5A fleet of the Canadian army.

At the end of 1965, one of the American DHC-5 prototypes was deployed on the basis of Biên Hòa, in southern Vietnam, for a 3-month trial period. He was assigned to the second air platoon of the 92 ^{It is} aviation company.

The Royal Canadian Air Force bought 15 DHC-5A, designated under the name of CC-115 , for tactical transport. They were first used at the Canadian base of Saint-Hubert, in the 429 squadron as a tactical plane, as part of a mobile unit. In 1970, Buffalo were devoted to transport and rescue maneuvers with squadrons No.442 and 413 (transport and rescue). No.424, for its part, took part in the command transport, while the No.426 was part of the training squadron. Some were rented or loaned to factories for tests.

Three other planes were used in missions of the United Nations, in the Middle East, with the unit of transport no.116 until 1979. They had a white pattern which had been chosen when they were used in Domestic transport. THE August 9, 1974 , the apparatus of the Canadian forces CC-115 Buffalo n ^O by grade 115461 was shot down by a floor-to-air missile near the city of Dimas, Syria ^{[ 9 ] , [ 2 ]} , killing the nine people who were on board. It is the biggest loss ever recorded by the Canadian army as part of a UN operation, but also of the most recent.

In 1975, the Buffalo abandoned its role of tactical transport to be converted for research and rescue missions ^{[ 2 ]} , except for a few that remained in the UN service. The pattern adopted for these new planes was white and red, while the others kept their paintings relatively dull. All of these colors were finally replaced by yellow and red that we find today. The number of planes was reduced to eight: six in service, one that remained in the garage (and which was finally dismantled), and the last used for training. The planes remaining were all devoted to rescue and research missions for the No. 442 Squadron At the base of Comox. The Buffalo were replaced by Hercules CC-130 on the bases of Trenton and Greenwood. The EADS Casa C-295 or the Alenia C-27J Spartan were considered the most likely replacements of Buffalos in the Canadian Forces. The C-27Js had the entire market to the Canadian government.

The production of DHC-5A ended in 1972 after sales in Brazil and Peru, but nevertheless resumed in 1974. This variant was sold to foreign armies starting with Egypt. There are currently two Buffalo planes used in Canada operating in the companies ” Arctic Sunwest Charters ” And ” Yellowknife, Northwest Territories ».

• DHC-5 Buffalo : Initially designed as a short distance and landing, transport aircraft for the American army. Designation in the US army : AC-2 ;
• DHC-5A : Transport aircraft for the Brazilian, Canadian and Peruvian army. Designation in Canada: CC-115 ;
• DHC-5B : Version offered by the manufacturer, equipped with two general Electric CT64-P4C turboprop. Not built;
• DHC-5C : Version offered by the manufacturer, equipped with two Rolls-Royce Dart RDA.12 turboprop. Not built;
• DHC-5D : Improved version with two General Electric CT64-820-4 turboprop 3 133 ch (2 336 kW );
• DHC-5E ‘ Transporter »: Version they transport civil;
• XC8A ACLS : A C-8A plane converted into a plane experimenting an aircraft system on air cushion;
• NASA / Boeing QSRA C-8A : A C-8A converted into a search plane on silent courts. This research was carried out by NASA;
• Viking DHC-5ng Buffalo Ng : Proposed version whose construction was ensured by Viking Air . NG is the company’s slogan and means ” Next Generation ” (new generation).

Canadian military designations [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• CC-115 : Canadian military designation for fifteen DHC-5A products.

Military designation in the United States [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• C-8A : Designation of the American army of four CV-7A transferred to the US Army In 1967.

In total, 26 crashes were recorded ^{[When ?]} . The most notable crash involving a DHC-5 took place the April 27, 1993 , when a DHC-5 carrying the Zambian football national team to a 1994 FIFA Cup qualification match against the Senegal team crashed shortly after taking off a refueling stopover in Libreville, Gabon. Thirty people on board perished in the accident ^{[ 13 ]} .

• The August 9, 1974 , a CC-115 of the Canadian Forces operating for the United Nations was shot down over Syria, with the loss of five crew members and four passengers ^{[ 9 ] , [ 2 ]} . It is the biggest crash in the Canadian army during an operation for the UN;
• The September 4, 1984 , and DHC-5 Drive practically on the ground during a short landing demonstration: descending too quickly, the plane touches the track very violently before sliding and coming to a stop a few hundred meters further, the wings and the landing gear broken. The accident, however, made no victim ^{[ 14 ]} ;
• The June 21, 1989 , a DHC-5 of the Peruvian Air Force crashed into the mountain near Tarma, killing the six crew members and the 53 passengers.

Related articles [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Bibliography [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• (in) ‘ DHC-5D …A Beefier Buffalo » , Air International , Bromley, UK, Fine Scroll, vol. 11, n ^O 2, August 1976 , p. 59–67