de Havilland Canada Caribou, Buffalo, Dash-7, and Dash-8

[raafif]

at the risk of crossing threads with the Volkswagen build ....

[Maverick]

Rick, yeah, PNG was the sort of place I was thinking where the Herc might have issues.  I've been in a 'bou doing about 35mph and slipping sideways towards a very short landing which is an experience to be had.


raafif Scary thing is that at first glance, it looks like a real transport....

Regards,

Mav

[rickshaw]

I've only ever flown in a 'bou twice. The first was quite sedate although the 70 degree bank was exciting (looking down on the blokes on the other side!), the second had a very exciting takeoff.  The plane and the pilot had just returned from UN work in Kashmir.   He treated us to a "tactical takeoff" - the plane proceeded smartly down the runway and then he literally _bounced_ it off the runway! When it hit the slight rise in the middle of the runway, it didn't quite have enough airspeed yet to take off but it flew off the top of the rise, and he let it down hard onto the runway and it bounced, letting the undercarriage spring us up into the air!  No warning, of course, we left our stomachs somewhere below us.  Great fun! 

[Maverick]

'Bous are great fun flying tactically.  Hot as all hell but a lot easier on the stomach than the Herc to my mind.  Nice big windows and no aircon!  Also had some wild stories from a guy from the Vietnam era and fun with bungies.

Regards,

Mav

[rickshaw]

Interesting.  I always found the Herc quite sedate compared to the 'bou.  Perhaps the pilots were behaving?   Wildest ride I ever went on was a Kiwi Andover during K-82 (IIRC).  I "volunteered" to be a cargo kicker (more like I was the only one too slow to disappear when they came looking for some).  He took it down low amongst the hills and flew it down the valleys and we got tossed about quite a lot.  Only time I've seen a cargo-master thrown out the back and have to be hauled in.    

[Maverick]

Rick,

Nah, it wasn't wild in the Hercs.  It was just the interior design (small windows, air-con, etc) made me hurl on an alarmingly regular basis.  It got to a point where I taught myself to go to sleep before we even got to 'wheels up' and woke up when we landed.  Saved on barf-bags!    'Bou rides were usually a hoot, but for real fun, UH-1 crash rescue helos off the base usually ended up 'interesting', given that most of the pilots were ex 'Bushrangers' with a tour or two in SEA.

Regards,

Mav

[GTX]

Carrier COD role for the Caribou/Buffalo anyone?  When you need COD on a carrier without cat/arrestor system?

Regards,

Greg

[ChernayaAkula]

Carrier COD role for the Caribou/Buffalo anyone?  When you need COD on a carrier ship without cat/arrestor system just a helo deck?

There! Fixed it for ya!

[GTX]

Carrier COD role for the Caribou/Buffalo anyone?  When you need COD on a carrier ship without cat/arrestor system just a helo deck?

There! Fixed it for ya!

Yep, that works too.

regards,

Greg

[Army of One]

Not living to far from Gatwick airport I see Flybe Dash 8's quite a lot.....apart from the metal desk top model in 1/144 or 1/100 (?) does anyone know if a kit is available please......? Even in MZ who have sales all the time,the Dash 8's seem it bit pricey.......1/100 Dash 8-400 is £22

[Maverick]

Hank, a military CC-142 is available from Hobbycraft in 72nd.  I have the kit and although it is basic, it isn't too bad.  It would equate to a Series 100 airframe.  I'd actually like to see a Dash 7 (the four engined a/c) in 72nd.

Regards,

Mav

[PR19_Kit]

A friend of mine, the secretary of my 'local' model club, has built almost every variant of the Dash 8 from the Hobbycraft kit. They're currently selling a straight Series 100 in the Air Ontario scheme (£27.00 from the Big H here in UK) so a Q400 would be quite expensive as I think you need THREE of them!

He's actually done a Dash 7 from them and a few other kits as well, so all things are possible, you just need time and money!

[rallymodeller]

The DHC-7/CC-142 is basically a Twin-Otter doubled in size with a few extra wing tricks for STOL. Anyone who's flown on one knows that they can get up and go PDQ -- I believe the 50% landing weight rollout is something like 1250', and T/O at nominal weight to clear a 50' obstacle is about 1500' (and it'll climb at 2500ft/min off the deck). The DHC-8, while respectable, is nowhere near as good as that. It is more of a true airliner than a STOL-monster.

Now, if you wanted to do what Viking Air is planning with the Buffalo, get yourself a 1/72 Buff kit and put the engine nacelles from the Dash-8 on it. The PW120s are more powerful and fuel efficient than the old T56s and, unlike the T56, the 120 is still in production and you can still get parts.  Having flown on a CAF Buff I can only imagine what giving it 30% more power would do...

[Army of One]

Many thanks for the replies.....I was just thinking of adding it to the list of a/c used by my Maltese Defence Force....I like the look of them as well having seen them fly on a regular basis......

I remember reading a story a while ago that I am sure involved a Canadian Buffalo, in the 70's, that was shot down with the loss of the crew while performing UN duties.....the offending country (Syria) took ages to admit it had fired the SAM's that brought it down....if I remember a witness stated the plane was hit and pilot appeared to struggle to control it when it was hit again and broke up.......a memorial has been erected and I think a Buffalo was restored in the markings of the ill fated aircraft...

[kitnut617]

There's this one ----