De Havilland Canada
Parent Longview Aviation Capital[3] | | |
Subsidiaries | Viking Air | |
---|---|---|
Website | dehavilland |
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (DHC) is a Canadian
The aircraft company was created in 1928 by the British de Havilland Aircraft Company to build Moth aircraft for the training of Canadian airmen, and subsequently after the Second World War, designed and produced indigenous designs.[6]
In the 1980s, the government of Canada under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney privatized DHC and in 1986 sold the aircraft company to then Seattle-based Boeing.[7]
DHC was eventually acquired by
In 2006, Viking Air of Victoria, British Columbia, purchased the type certificates for all the original out-of-production de Havilland designs (DHC-1 to DHC-7).[10]
In November 2018, Viking Air's holding company,
In the summer of 2021, De Havilland stopped production at its Downsview site and officially closed it in the summer of 2022 at the end of its lease. In September 2022, De Havilland announced its plans to construct a new manufacturing facility, De Havilland Field, in
Establishment
Founded in 1928 as a subsidiary of de Havilland Aircraft (UK), de Havilland Canada was first located at De Lesseps Field in Toronto, before moving to Downsview Airport in 1929.
The original home of De Havilland Canada was the
Pre-Second World War
Flown for the first time on 26 October 1931, the DH.82 Tiger Moth was derived from the DH.60 Moth. The DH 82 was powered by a 120-hp Gipsy II engine, but the 1939 DH.82a received the 145-hp Gipsy Major. More than 1,000 Tiger Moths were delivered before the Second World War, and subsequently 4,005 were built in the UK and shipped all over the world; 1,747 were built in Canada (the majority being the DH.82c model with enclosed cockpits, brakes, tail wheels, etc.). The follow-up DH.83 Fox Moth was designed in England in 1932 as a light, economical transport and was built using as many Tiger Moth components as possible.
Second World War
The de Havilland Tiger Moth was a basic trainer of the
Production of the Mosquito, nicknamed the "Mossie", was the company's greatest contribution to the war effort. It was one of the few front-line aircraft of the era constructed almost entirely of wood and was nicknamed the "Wooden Wonder". The Mosquito was designed to use speed instead of defensive armament to evade attack, and as a result, it was one of the fastest aircraft in the war, reaching 425 mph at 30,000 ft. The original design was intended as a light bomber, but soon proved itself in high-level photography and every phase of intruder operations.
Of the more than 7,000 Mosquitoes produced overall by de Havilland, de Havilland Canada produced 1,134. Some 500 were delivered to the UK by the end of the war, although several were lost en route across the Atlantic.
Post-war era
After the war, de Havilland Canada began to build its own designs uniquely suited to the harsh Canadian operating environment. The company also continued production of several British de Havilland aircraft and later produced a licence-built version of the American-designed
DHC-1 Chipmunk
The first true
DHC-2 Beaver
Developed in 1947 for
DHC-3 Otter
A follow-on design to the Beaver—originally conceived in 1951 as the King Beaver—the DHC-3 Otter was designed for the same basic roles and is similar in layout, but is a substantially larger and heavier aircraft, a veritable "one-ton truck" that can seat up to eleven. The Otter was originally produced with a 450-kW (600-hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine, and like the Beaver, the Otter can be fitted with skis and floats; the Otter amphibian features a four-unit retractable undercarriage, with the wheels retracting into the floats. The type's first flight was undertaken on 12 December 1951 and Canadian certification was awarded in November 1952. The US Army became the largest user of the Otter, and other military users included Australia, Canada, and India. Some Otters have been converted to turboprop power by Cox Air Services using a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop, yielding a lower empty weight and a higher maximum speed, and a number of other aftermarket PT6A conversions have been offered. The Otter found a significant niche as a STOL bush aircraft and many remain in service.
DHC-4 Caribou
The DHC-4 Caribou was a rugged STOL design like the Beaver and Otter, but it had two engines and was conceived primarily as a military transport, designed in response to a US Army requirement for a
DHC-5 Buffalo
Known originally as the Caribou II, the DHC-5 Buffalo was basically an enlarged DHC-4 with turboprop engines and a T-tail, developed to meet a US Army requirement for a STOL tactical airlifter with greater load-carrying ability than the DHC-4. The Buffalo made its maiden flight on 9 April 1964, but the US Army soon transferred heavy fixed-wing aircraft operations to the USAF, which had little interest in the Buffalo; only four evaluation aircraft were delivered to the US military, two of which were later transferred to NASA for research. The improved DHC-5A transport was acquired by Canadian Armed Forces (as the CC-115), the Brazilian Air Force and the Peruvian Air Force, and the production line was then shut down, but it was reopened after the enhanced DHC-5D was introduced in response to interest by other military users. In the early 1980s, de Havilland Canada attempted to market the Buffalo for civil use as the "Transporter", but the demonstration aircraft crashed at the 1984 Farnborough Airshow and the project was abandoned.
DHC-6 Twin Otter
One of Canada's most successful commercial aircraft designs with more than 990 built, the Twin Otter remains popular for its rugged construction and STOL capabilities. Development dates back to January 1964, when DHC commenced work on a twin turboprop variant of the DHC-3 Otter as a STOL commuter airliner and utility transport. The wings were lengthened, the rear fuselage, tail, and nose were redesigned, and seating capacity was increased to 18. Design features included double-slotted trailing-edge flaps and flaperons (ailerons that act in unison with the flaps) to boost STOL performance. The type's first flight on 20 May 1965. After receiving certification in mid-1966, the first Twin Otter variant, the Series 100, entered service with the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests. The Series 200, introduced in April 1968, had an extended nose and reconfigured rear cabin storage compartment, greatly increasing cargo space. The Series 300, introduced in 1969, had more powerful engines, allowing a 450-kg (1,000-lb) increase in takeoff weight and a 20-seat interior. All models can be fitted with skis or floats. DHC production ceased in late 1988, but in 2010, Viking Air restarted Twin Otter production with the introduction of the Series 400.[13] Production was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic; in July 2022, the company announced that it was reviewing the programme and supply chain, with a decision on when to resume production expected "in the near future".[14]
DHC-7 Dash 7
The four-engined DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, was designed as a STOL 50-seat
DHC-8 Dash 8
De Havilland Canada began development of the Dash 8 in the late 1970s in response to high anticipated demand for regional airliners. Like the Dash 7, the Dash 8 features a high-mounted wing and T-tail, an advanced flight control system, and large full-length trailing-edge flaps, but power is supplied by two
As of February 2023, De Havilland Canada has four DHC-8s registered with Transport Canada and operate as ICAO airline designator DHC, and telephony DEHAVILLAND.[15][16]
DHC-515 Firefighter
In 2022, de Havilland Canada announced that an improved version of the Canadair CL-415 amphibious aerial firefighting aircraft will be produced at a new assembly line in Calgary, Alberta, as the DHC-515 Firefighter.[17]
Aircraft built under licence
The de Havilland Canada company produced a large number of aircraft under licence, mostly versions of designs from its original parent company, British de Havilland Aircraft.
de Havilland Fox Moth
Fox Moths were produced in Canada after the Second World War mainly to keep the plant in production, but also to satisfy the increasing need for new bush aircraft. All the Canadian modifications made to the Tiger Moth were also applied to the Fox Moth. de Havilland designed a special stretcher for the Fox Moth, so it could operate as an air ambulance. Of the 53 produced, 39 remained in Canada, most of which were operated in float/ski configuration and gave years of satisfactory service.
The Fox Moth, though efficient, was a bit of an anachronism. For example, a modern, moulded plexiglas sliding cockpit hood was attached to what was essentially a 1932 aircraft. Communication between the passenger cabin in the fuselage and the cockpit to the rear was through a hole in the instrument panel.
de Havilland Mosquito
Before the end of the Second World War, de Havilland Canada built 1,134 Mosquitos, of which 444 were on strength with the RCAF in models Bomber Mk VII through Trainer Mk 29 from 1 June 1943 to 28 September 1951.
de Havilland Canada (Grumman) CS2F Tracker
In 1954, the
The first Canadian-built Tracker flew on 31 May 1956. A total of 99 Trackers was produced for RCN service starting in the same year.[18] A few of these aircraft would serve with the Canadian military until the 1990s.
A few ex-CF Trackers were sold to
Hydrofoil
HMCS Bras d'Or (FHE 400) was a hydrofoil built from 1960 to 1967 for the Royal Canadian Navy. It served from 1968 to 1971 as a testing platform for antisubmarine warfare technology on an ocean-going hydrofoil. During sea trials in 1969, the vessel exceeded 63 knots (117 km/h; 72 mph), making her possibly the fastest warship in the world. The vessel was constructed at
Retired by the navy, the hydrofoil now is displayed at the
Privatization
In the 1980s, the government of Canada privatized DHC and in 1986 sold the aircraft company to then Seattle-based Boeing.[7][19] Boeing said it intended to make substantial investments for product development and modernization of the de Havilland plant.[20] The Canadian government claimed to have guarantees from Boeing not to discontinue any product lines, but shortly thereafter, Boeing discontinued both the successful Twin Otter and the Dash 7. The jigs and specialised equipment for their manufacture were destroyed.
Boeing was in heavy competition with
Sale to Bombardier
DHC was eventually acquired by
Purchase by Viking/Longview
On 24 February 2006, Viking Air of
- DHC-1 Chipmunk
- DHC-2 Beaver
- DHC-3 Otter
- DHC-4 Caribou
- DHC-5 Buffalo
- DHC-6 Twin Otter
- DHC-7 Dash 7
The ownership of the certificates gives Viking the exclusive right to manufacture new aircraft; previously, Viking had purchased in May 2005 the right to manufacture spares and distribute the de Havilland heritage aircraft product line.[10]
Despite the transfer of its light aircraft certificates to a new owner, de Havilland Canada has left a legacy of innovative and unique aerospace designs and its products are still flying in considerable numbers worldwide,[22] and it has become a productive member of the Bombardier Aerospace stable. The Downsview plant still turns out civilian propeller aircraft, and the facility maintains thousands of employees.
In November 2018, Viking Air parent Longview Aviation Capital Corporation acquired the Bombardier Dash 8 programme and the de Havilland brand from Bombardier, in a deal that was expected to close by the second half of 2019.[23] In January 2019, Longview announced that it would establish a new company in Ontario, to be called de Havilland Aircraft Co. of Canada, to continue production of the Q400 model and support the Dash 8 range.[24] The deal closed on 3 June 2019; the newly formed company inherited an order book of 51 Q400s.[3] Longview did not intend to merge Viking Air and De Havilland. Some 1200 Bombardier staff transferred to the new De Havilland company, which intended to continue Dash 8-400 production at Downsview until a lease expires in 2023 and hopes to negotiate an extension to that date. Other Dash 8 variants are also under consideration, in particular to target the North American 50-seater market.[25]
In February 2022, Longview consolidated its activities, with Viking Air, Longview Aviation, Pacific Sky Training and De Havilland Canada all being rebranded as De Havilland Aircraft of Canada.[26] In June 2022, after a celebration with 10 DHC types present, from a 1942 Tiger Moth to a 2019 DHC-8-400, the last DHC aircraft left the Downsview site[27] and the offices were relocated to nearby Mississauga.[28]
In September 2022, De Havilland Canada announced that Wheatland County, Alberta, was to be the location of its new production site, to be known as De Havilland Field. The facility will initially manufacture the DHC-515 fire-fighting aircraft; the DHC-6 Twin Otter and the Dash 8-400 will also be assembled at De Havilland Field once production resumes.[29]
Aircraft
Aircraft | Purpose | Capacity | First flight | Span of production | Number built |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
de Havilland DH.60 Moth | Two | 1928 | 1928-? | 40[31] | |
de Havilland DH.82 Tiger Moth | Biplane trainer for the RAF and RCAF | Two | 1931 | 1548 | |
de Havilland DH.83 Fox Moth | DH.83C variant for bush plane and private pilots | One crew and 3–4 passengers | 1945 | 1945–1948 | 53 |
de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito | Multirole fighter bomber for the RAF and RCAF; multiple variants
|
Two | 1940–1945 | 1940–1950 | 7,781 |
de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk | Tandem trainer | Two | 1946 | 1947–1956 | 1,283 |
de Havilland Canada or Viking Air DHC-2 Beaver | Bush plane | One crew and 7 passengers | 1947 | 1947–1967 | 1,657 |
de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter | STOL bush plane | One crew and up to 11 passengers | 1951 | 1953–1967 | 466 |
Grumman/de Havilland Canada CS2F Tracker | Anti-submarine warfare for the Royal Canadian Navy | Four crew | 1956 | 1956 | 42 CS2F-1 57 CS2F-2 |
de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou | STOL cargo and tactical transport | Three crew and 32 troops or 24 fully equipped paratroops or 14 casualty stretchers | 1958 | 1961—late 1960s | 307 |
de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo | STOL turboprop cargo and tactical transport | Three crew and 41 troops or 24 stretchers | 1961 | 1965–1986 | 122 |
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter | STOL utility aircraft | Two crew and 20 passengers | 1965 | 1966–1988 2008–present |
990+ |
de Havilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 | STOL turboprop regional airliner | Two crew and 35 to 54 passengers | 1975 | 1978–1988 | 113 |
de Havilland Canada or Bombardier DHC-8 Dash 8
|
Turboprop regional airliner | Two or three crew and 37 to 90 passengers | 1983 | 1984–2021, restart sometime c. 2025 – c. 2033 |
1,100+ |
Spacecraft
See also
- Bombardier Aerospace
- Canadair
- Canadian Air and Space Museum
- de Havilland
- Learjet
- List of civil aircraft
- List of STOL aircraft
- Shorts
- Viking Air
References
- Notes
- Citations
- ^ Canada, De Havilland Aircraft of. "Longview Aviation Capital Announces Consolidation of Companies under De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited and Appoints Brian Chafe Chief Executive Officer". www.newswire.ca.
- ^ "De Havilland brand preps for takeoff after Bombardier's Dash 8 sale to Longview | The Star". The Star. The Canadian Press. 3 June 2019.
- ^ a b c Hemmerdinger, Jon (3 June 2019). "Longview completes Dash 8 buy and forms De Havilland Aircraft". Flightglobal.com.
- ^ "News Release | De Havilland". dehavilland.com. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ "About". De Havilland Field. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ GlobalSecurity.org
- ^ a b "Canada Sells de Havilland to Boeing Co". Los Angeles Times. 3 December 1985. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ a b Farnsworth, Clyde (23 January 1992). "COMPANY NEWS; Bombardier Agrees to Buy De Havilland From Boeing". New York Times. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ Farnsworth, Clyde H. (28 December 1991). "Bombardier Returns to Earth". New York Times. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ a b "wingsmagazine.com: "Viking Air acquires assets of Bombardier" 5 May 2005". Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
- Airways Magazine. Archivedfrom the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
- ^ "Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk". BAE Systems. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
- ^ Viking Air: First Viking New Production DHC-6 Twin Otter Takes Flight Archived 7 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved on 9 January 2010
- ^ Hemmerdinger, Jon (19 July 2022). "De Havilland reviewing Twin Otter and Dash 8 programmes, considering updates". Flight Global.
- ^ "ICAO Designators for Canadian Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services" (PDF). Nav Canada. 4 May 2023. p. 4. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
De Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada: DHC, DEHAVILLAND
- ^ "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for De Havilland Aircraft Of Canada". Transport Canada. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "De Havilland launches DHC-515 Firefighter program". Skies. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
- ^ Tate, Colonel D.H."Canada Aviation Museum Aircraft: Grumman CS2F / CP-121 Tracker" Archived 31 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved: 28 April 2006.
- ^ "de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited – The Canadian Encyclopedia". 15 December 2013. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
- ^ "Canada Sells de Havilland to Boeing Co". Los Angeles Times. 3 December 1985. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
- ^ "Viking acquires de Havilland Canada type certificates." Archived 2006-08-24 at the Wayback Machine Viking Press Release, 24 February 2006.
- ^ De Havilland Canada Archived 10 August 2007 at archive.today
- ^ "Longview Aviation Capital Corp. Acquires Dash 8 Program from Bombardier Inc" (PDF) (Press release). Longview Aviation Capital Corp. 8 November 2018.
- Aviation Week.
- ^ Hemmerdinger, Jon (23 August 2019). "ANALYSIS: De Havilland eyes Dash 8 resurgence". Flightglobal.com.
- ^ "Viking Air rebrands within consolidation of LAC companies". Business Air News. 8 February 2022.
- ^ "De Havilland Canada says goodbye to Downsview". Skies Mag.
- ^ Curtis, Clint (3 February 2023). "What Happened To De Havilland Canada?". Ontario Bakery. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "De Havilland Canada Announces Site of New Alberta Aircraft Manufacturing Facility" (Press release). De Havilland Canada. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ date information from de Havilland Canada
- ^ "De Havilland Cirrus Moth".
- Bibliography
- Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.
- ISBN 0-07-082778-8.
- Molson, Ken M. and Harold A. Taylor. Canadian Aircraft Since 1909. Stittsville, Ontario: Canada's Wings, Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-920002-11-0.