The
de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is a short takeoff and landing (
STOLSTOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.The formal NATO definition is:...
) utility transport, a
turbopropTurboprop engines are a type of aircraft powerplant that use a gas turbine to drive a propeller. The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
version developed from the earlier piston-powered
DHC-4 CaribouThe de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou was a Canadian-designed and produced specialized cargo aircraft with short takeoff and landing capability...
. The aircraft has extraordinary STOL performance, able to take off in distances much shorter than even light aircraft can manage.
Design and development
The Buffalo arose from a
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
requirement. Its first flight was on 22 September 1961 but due to a protracted test and development phase, only a pre-production run of four DHC-5As was delivered in 1965 and designated
YAC-2 (later
CV-7A and subsequently
C-8A). Difficulties arose with the Buffalo program in the US, as despite having won the US Army competition, the contract was not awarded. Complications had arisen when US Army fixed wing operations were transferred to the
United States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947 - 80 P.L....
, who considered themselves adequately equipped with the Fairchild Aircraft
C-123 ProviderThe C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
.
In the early 1980s, de Havilland Canada attempted to modify the Buffalo for civilian use. The aircraft was to be branded as the "Transporter." After loss of the demonstration aircraft (SN
103 C-GCTC) at the 1984 Farnborough Airshow, the project was abandoned.
A production Buffalo was used for breaking time-to-height records in 1976.
Experimental use
In the early 1970s, a
NASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program. NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, replacing its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for...
C-8A Buffalo (nicknamed
Bisontennial in 1976) was fitted with a short-span
BoeingThe Boeing Company is a major aerospace and defense corporation, founded by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Its international headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois, since 2001...
wing incorporating split-flow
turbofanA turbofan is a type of aircraft gas turbine engine that provides propulsion using a combination of a ducted fan and a jet exhaust nozzle. Part of the airstream from the ducted fan passes through the core, providing oxygen to burn fuel to create power. However, the rest of the air flow bypasses...
engines based on the
Rolls-Royce SpeyThe Rolls-Royce RB.168 Spey is a low-bypass turbofan engine originally designed and manufactured by Rolls-Royce that has been in widespread service for over 40 years...
(providing both propulsion and augmentor airflow for the powered lift system). Beginning in 1972 with its first flight in this experimental configuration, this aircraft was used jointly by the
NASA Ames Research CenterNASA Ames Research Center located at Moffett Field, California, was founded Dec. 20, 1939 as the second National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics laboratory. The center was named after Joseph Sweetman Ames, a founding member and longtime chairman of the NACA...
and the Canadian
Department of Industry, Trade and CommerceIndustry Canada is the department of the Government of Canada with responsibility for regional economic development, investment, and innovation/research and development. The department employs 6104 FTEs across Canada....
for STOL research.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, NASA used another C-8A Buffalo in the Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA) program.
Its experimental wing was designed, fabricated and installed by Boeing, and was a
sweptA swept wing is a wing planform with a wing root to wingtip direction angled beyond the spanwise axis, generally used to delay the drag rise caused by fluid compressibility. Swept wings provide lateral stability and it was for this reason that the concept was first employed in the designs of...
,
supercriticalA supercritical airfoil is an airfoil designed, primarily, to delay the onset of wave drag in the transonic speed range. Supercritical airfoils are characterized by their flattened upper surface, highly cambered aft section, and greater leading edge radius as compared to traditional airfoil shapes...
design incorporating a boundary layer control system. Instead of the standard engines, this aircraft was powered by four prototype
Avco Lycoming YF102The Honeywell ALF 502/LF 507 is a turbofan engine produced by Lycoming, AlliedSignal and then Honeywell Aerospace. The ALF 502 was certified in 1980, and used on the BAe 146 and Bombardier Challenger 600. The improved, higher-thrust LF 507 was used on the Avro RJ update of the BAe 146...
high-bypass turbofan engines (originally from the
Northrop YA-9The Northrop YA-9 was a prototype attack aircraft developed for the USAF, but passed over in preference for the Fairchild YA-10 that became the A-10 Thunderbolt II in service.-Design and development:...
program) mounted above the wing to take advantage of the
Coandă effectThe Coandă effect is the tendency of a fluid jet to be attracted to a nearby surface. The principle was named after Romanian aerodynamics pioneer Henri Coandă, who was the first to recognize the practical application of the phenomenon in aircraft development.-Discovery:An early description of this...
. In 1980, this aircraft participated in carrier trials aboard
USS Kitty HawkTwo ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Kitty Hawk: was a cargo ship and aircraft transport that served during World War II was the lead ship of the Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carriers, and was in commission between 1961 and 2009...
, demonstrating STOL performance without the use of catapults or arrestor gear.
New production
In December 2008
Viking AirViking Air Limited is a manufacturer of aircraft, as well as aircraft parts and systems, based in Victoria, British Columbia. The company produces new versions of the DHC-6 Twin Otter, upgraded versions of the DHC-2 Beaver, spare parts for older de Havilland Canada aircraft, and components for...
, who hold the type certificate for the Buffalo, indicated that they intend to put the aircraft back into production at their factory in
Victoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a major tourism destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year who inject more than one billion dollars into the local economy. Victoria is a cruise ship port where...
or Calgary, Alberta. The new production Buffalo will feature
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW100 engine family is a series of 2,000 to 5,000 horsepower turboprops manufactured by Pratt and Whitney's Canadian subsidiary. The engine first entered service in 1984.-Design:...
engines, a
glass cockpitA glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic instrument displays. Where a traditional cockpit relies on numerous mechanical gauges to display information, a glass cockpit uses several displays driven by flight management systems, that can be adjusted to display flight information...
, enhanced vision and night vision goggle capability. The company intends to propose the aircraft as a replacement for the Canadian Forces fleet of existing DHC-5As.
Operational history
The
Royal Canadian Air ForceThe Royal Canadian Air Force was the air force of Canada from 1924 until 1968 when the three branches of the Canadian military were merged into the Canadian Forces...
(now the
Canadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
) first acquired 15 DHC-5A designated as
CC-115 for tactical transports. These were initially operated at CFB St Hubert, QC by
No. 429 Squadron429 Transport Squadron of the Canadian Forces Air Command is one of three transport squadrons attached to CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario. The squadron was originally formed as a bomber squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force attached to RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War.-History:The...
in a tactical aviation role as part of Mobile Command. In 1970 the Buffalo aircraft were transferred to a transport and rescue role with
No. 442 Squadron RCAF442 City of Vancouver Squadron is an Air Force unit with the Canadian Forces. Based at CFB Comox on Vancouver Island it provides Search and Rescue coverage for the West Coast of Canada...
,
No. 413 Squadron RCAFNo. 413 Squadron RCAF is an air force squadron of the Canadian Forces. It was originally a flying boat squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War...
, and No. 424 Squadron Squadrons as part of Transport Command. No. 426 Squadron also flew the aircraft as a Training Squadron. Some were leased back or loaned back to the factory for trials and eventually returned to military service.
Three of the aircraft were also deployed on UN missions to the
Middle EastThe Middle East is a region that spans southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe, and northeastern Africa. It has no clear boundaries, often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East...
with No. 116 Transport Unit until 1979. They had a white paint scheme which was retained while they were serving in domestic transport with 424 Sqn in between deployments. On 9 August 1974
Canadian Forces CC-115 Buffalo 115461Buffalo 461 was a Canadian military De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo assigned to the second United Nations Emergency Force force in Syria in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 340...
was shot down by a
SyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south and Israel to the southwest....
n
surface-to-air missileA Surface to Air Missile or ground-to-air missile is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. It is a type of anti-aircraft system....
, killing all nine CF personnel on board. This represents the single biggest loss of Canadian lives on a UN mission as well as the most recent Canadian military aircraft to be
shot down.
In 1975, the Buffalo dropped its tactical transport role and was converted to domestic search and rescue, except for a few that kept serving on UN missions. The initial paint scheme for the SAR converted aircraft were white and red while others still had the original drab paint. The previous drab paint and white paint were eventually replaced with the distinctive yellow and red scheme commonly seen today. The number of aircraft have been reduced to eight, with six on active service, one in storage (recently dismantled) and one used for battle damage training. The remaining operational Buffalos operate in the
Search and RescueSearch and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.-Definitions of Search and Rescue:There are many different definitions of search and rescue, depending on the agency involved....
role for
No. 442 Squadron442 City of Vancouver Squadron is an Air Force unit with the Canadian Forces. Based at CFB Comox on Vancouver Island it provides Search and Rescue coverage for the West Coast of Canada...
at
CFB ComoxCanadian Forces Base Comox , commonly referred to as CFB Comox, is a Canadian Forces Base located north northeast of Comox, British Columbia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by Canadian Forces Air Command and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora...
. The Buffalo was replaced by the CC-130 Hercules aircraft at search-and-rescue bases in
CFB GreenwoodCanadian Forces Base Greenwood , commonly referred to as "14 Wing Greenwood" or CFB Greenwood, is a Canadian Forces Base located in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by Canadian Forces Air Command and is one of two bases in the country using the CP-140 Aurora...
and
CFB TrentonCanadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by Canadian Forces Air Command and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
. The
EADS CASA C-295EADS CASA C-295 is a twin-turboprop tactical military transport aircraft and medium-range, narrowbody airliner manufactured by EADS-CASA in Spain.-Design and development:...
or Alenia C-27J Spartan were seen as the likely replacements for the Buffalo in Canadian Forces. The C-27J has been considered for a sole-source contract by the Government of Canada.
Production of the
DHC-5A ended in 1972 after sales to
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
and
PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.Peruvian territory was home to the Norte Chico...
but restarted with the
DHC-5D model in 1974. This variant sold to several overseas air forces beginning with
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
.
There are currently two Buffalo aircraft used commercially in Canada. They operate with Arctic Sunwest Charters, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.
Variants
DHC-5 Buffalo: Originally designed as a twin-engined STOL tactical, utility transport aircraft for the US Army. Original US Army designation
AC-2.
DHC-5A
- Utility transport aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
, Canadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
and Peruvian Air ForceThe Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
. Canadian designation CC-115.
DHC-5B
- Proposed version, powered by two General-Electric CT64-P4C turboprop engines. Not built.
DHC-5C
- Proposed version, powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.12 turboprop engines. Not built.
DHC-5D
- Improved version, powered by two 2336-kW (3,133-shp) General Electric CT64-820-4 turboprop engines.
DHC-5E Transporter
- Civil transport version.
NASA / DITC C-8A
- One C-8A aircraft converted into an augmentor wing research aircraft.
XC8A ACLS
- One C-8A aircraft converted into an air-cushion landing system research aircraft.
NASA / Boeing QSRA C-8A
- One C-8A converted into a quiet short-haul research aircraft.
Viking DHC-5NG Buffalo NG
- Proposed redesigned new production version to be built by Viking Air. NG is the company marketing term indicating Next Generation
United States military designations
AC-2
- Designation for four DHC-5s for evaluation by the United States Army.
CV-7A
- Re-designation of four United States Army AC-2s.
C-8A
- United States Air Force designation for four CV-7As transferred from the Army in 1967.
Operators
Abu Dhabi
- Brazilian Air Force
The Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
(Retired)
- Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
- Chilean Air Force
The Chilean Air Force is the air force of Chile, a branch of the Chilean military.-History:The first step towards the current FACH was taken by Teniente Coronel Pedro Pablo Dartnell when he founded the Servicio de Aviación Militar de Chile on December 20 1910 being trained as a pilot in France...
(Retired)
(previously )
- Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines is an airline headquartered on the grounds of Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is the national airline of Ethiopia, operating scheduled international passenger and freight services to over 50 destinations worldwide, as well as domestic services to 32...
- Kenya Air Force
The Kenya Air Force is the national Air force of Kenya. Due to lack of combat it largely provides relief services.The main air base hosting fighters is the Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is another major airport used by the Kenya Air Force.- Fleet :Until the...
- Mexican Navy
The Mexican Navy is a branch of the Mexican military responsible for conducting naval operations. Its stated mission is "to use the naval force of the federation for the exterior defense, and to help with internal order". The Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women, over 189 ships, and about...
- Peruvian Air Force
The Peruvian Air Force is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of air power...
(Retired)
- United States Army
The United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
- NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program. NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act on July 29, 1958, replacing its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for...
Accidents and incidents
In total, 26 hull losses have been recorded. The most notable crash involving a DHC-5 occurred on 27 April 1993, when a plane carrying the
Zambia national football teamThe Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence in 1964 they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of the south central African...
to a
1994 FIFA World Cup qualifierListed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the African zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification....
against
SenegalThe Senegal national football team, nicknamed the Lions of Teranga, is the national team of Senegal and is controlled by the Fédération Sénégalaise de Football. It made its first World Cup in 2002 and made quite a splash, pulling a huge upset by defeating world and European champions France 1-0 in...
crashed shortly after takeoff from a refuelling stop in
LibrevilleLibreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region.- History :...
,
GabonGabon is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with the Gulf of Guinea to the west, Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, and Cameroon to the north, with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. Its size is almost 270,000 km² with an estimated population...
. All 30 people on board perished.
On 9 August 1974 a Canadian Forces CC-115 operating for the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
was
shotdown over SyriaBuffalo 461 was a Canadian military De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo assigned to the second United Nations Emergency Force force in Syria in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 340...
with the loss of five crew and four passengers.
Specifications (DHC-5)
See also
External links