de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Hav..._DHC-5_Buffalo

The de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is a short takeoff and landing (STOL)
utility transport, a turboprop aircraft developed from the earlier
piston-powered DHC-4 Caribou. The aircraft has extraordinary STOL performance
and is able to take off in distances much shorter than even most light aircraft
can manage.

The Buffalo arose from a 1962 United States Army requirement for a STOL
transport capable of carrying the same payload as the CH-47A Chinook helicopter.
De Havilland Canada based its design to meet the requirement on an enlarged
version of its DHC-4 Caribou, already in large-scale service with the United
States Army, to be powered by General Electric T64 turboprops rather than the
Pratt & Whitney R-2000 piston engines of the Caribou. (It had already flown a
T-64 powered Caribou on 22 September 1961).

De Havilland's design, the DHC-5 Buffalo, was chosen as the winner of the United
States Army competition in early 1963, with four DHC-5s, designated YAC-2 (later
CV-7A and subsequently C-8A) ordered. The first of these aircraft made its
maiden flight on 9 April 1964. All four aircraft were delivered in 1965, the
Buffalo carrying nearly twice the payload as the Caribou while having better
STOL performance. The prototype CV-7A was exhibited by the manufacturer at the
1965 Paris Air Show wearing US Army markings. No further US orders followed,
however, as at the start of 1967 (See the Johnson-McConnell agreement of 1966),
inter-service politics led to large fixed-wing transports being transferred to
the United States Air Force, who considered themselves adequately equipped with
the Fairchild Aircraft C-123 Provider.

Company data claims a takeoff distance over a 50 ft (15 m) obstacle of 1,210 ft
(369 m) at 41,000 lb (18,597 kg) and a landing distance of over a 50 ft (15 m)
obstacle of 980 ft (299 m) at 39,100 lb (17,735 kg) for the DHC-5A model.


Role
Utility aircraft

Manufacturer
de Havilland Canada

First flight
9 April 1964

Introduction
1965

Primary user
Royal Canadian Air Force

Produced
1965–1972, 1974–1986

Number built
122

Developed from
De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou

In late 1965, one of the prototype DHC-5s operated by the U.S. Army was deployed
to Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam for a three-month evaluation period,
assigned to the 2nd Flight Platoon of the 92nd Aviation Company.

The Royal Canadian Air Force first acquired 15 DHC-5A designated as CC-115 for
tactical transports. These were initially operated at CFB St Hubert, QC by No.
429 Squadron 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, No. 413 Squadron and No. 424 Squadron as part of Transport Command.
No. 426 Squadron also flew the aircraft for training. 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 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 115461 was shot
down by a Syrian surface-to-air missile, 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.

Specifications (DHC-5D)

General characteristics
Crew: Three (pilot, co-pilot and crew chief)
Capacity: 41 troops or 24 stretchers
Payload: 18,000 lb (8,164 kg)
Length: 79 ft 0 in (24.08 m)
Wingspan: 96 ft 0 in (29.26 m)
Height: 28 ft 8 in (8.73 m)
Wing area: 945 sq ft (87.8 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 643A417.5 (mod) at root, NACA 632A615
Empty weight: 25,160 lb (11,412 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 49,200 lb (22,316 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × General Electric CT64-820-4 turboprop, 3,133 hp (2,336 kW) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 290 mph (252 knots, 467 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
Stall speed: 77 mph (67 knots, 124 km/h)
Range: 691 miles (600 nmi, 1,112 km) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m) (max payload)
Service ceiling: 31,000 ft (9,450 m)
Rate of climb: 2,330 ft/min (11.8 m/s)





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