It was time to drag one of my favorite scale planes out of the hangar, the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver. This video is of a couple minutes from each of two quick flights on a day with unusual nasty gusting cross winds. It didn't matter in what direction you took off or landed because the winds were coming straight across the runway. It's something we don't see very often. We'll do another video when we have better conditions. You can see how the wind was tossing the Beaver around as it came down the runway and it made landings a bit of a challenge.
Thanks to Leigh for working the sticks and doing a great job playing in the wind. Stay tuned to see the Beaver in action on floats next Spring. We'll pick a better day when the winds aren't so strong and the camera guy remembers how to use the damn thing.
This is one of my favorite models because I've had the chance to fly in Beavers a number of times to get to remote fishing lodges up the West Coast of British Columbia and to the Queen Charlotte Islands. I've always loved their throaty growl and rugged good looks.
DHC-2 Beaver 25e ARF Product Specifications
Wingspan: 68 in (1735mm)
Overall Length: 43 in (1090mm)
Wing Area: 565 sq in (36.4 sq dm)
Flying Weight: 4.9--6.2 lb (2.2--2.8 kg)
Motor Size: Power 32
Radio: 6+ channels with 6 mini servos
Speed Control : 60 amps
Full Scale Beaver:
Specifications (DHC-2)
General Characteristics
Crew: one pilot
Capacity: 7 passengers
Length: 9.22 m (30 ft 3 in)
Wingspan: 14.63 m (48 ft 0 in)
Height: 2.74 m (9 ft 0 in)
Wing area: 250 ft² (23.2 m²)
Empty: 3,000 lb (1,360 kg)
Loaded: 5,100 lb (2,310 kg)
Useful load: 2,100 lb (950 kg)
Powerplant: 1 Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Jr. radial engine, 450 hp (335 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 255 km/h (158 mph)
Range: 732 km (455 miles)
Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
Rate of climb: 1,020 ft/min (5.2 m/s)
It takes an exceptionally rugged aircraft to operate safely and reliably in the Canadian bush. One such airplane is the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, a single-engine high-wing monoplane.
The versatile all-metal Beaver made its inaugural flight in August of 1947, and since that time more than 1,650 have been constructed. Nearly 1,000 of this total were sent to the United States for the use of military services.
The Beaver, which was designed only after consultation with some 80 veteran Canadian bush pilots, is a true STOL (short takeoff and landing) aircraft. It features a high-lift wing with its entire trailing edge hinged, hydraulically operated flaps and slotted ailerons. These special features permit the aircraft to take off and land in extremely short distances.
Another outstanding advantage of the Beaver is its ability to operate equally well on wheels, skis, floats or as an amphibian. Thus, the plane has the capability of flying anywhere there is smooth land, water, snow or ice.
The Beaver can carry a crew of two, plus six passengers or more than 1,500 pounds of cargo. Powered by a 450-horsepower, nine-cylinder air-cooled radial Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior engine, the Beaver has a maximum speed of 180 miles per hour as a landplane and 155 miles per hour as a seaplane. The plane has a wingspan of 48 feet and measures just over 30 feet in length. Its maximum range is 800 miles.
Aviation experts consider the de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver to be one of the most perfectly designed small utility aircraft ever built, and a great number of them remain in service today in many parts of the world.
Royalty free Music from Jamendo at www.jamendo.com
Artist: Re-Drum
Album: It's Better To Burn Out Than To Fade Away
Song: Dubblebath
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Video shot on September 15, 2012