Country of origin:

Canada

Description:

Military tactical transport

Power Plant:

Two 1,082 kw (1,450 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7M2 fourteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

The decision to proceed with the design and development of the de Havilland DHC-4 Caribou twin-engine transport was taken in 1956 after nearly two years of study. The prototype CF-KTK-X was developed with the co-operation of the Canadian Department of Defence Production and an order for a single example was placed by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Designed to meet a requirement of the United States and Canadian Armies for a STOL (short take-off and landing) tactical transport, the prototype flew for the first time at Downsview in Toronto, Ontario on 30 July 1958.

In 1957 the US Army placed an order for five examples, and the first of these was flown in March 1959. The first production aircraft, known as the YAC-1, was delivered on 8 October 1959. Subsequently the Caribou proved extremely successful throughout the world, being sold to a number of air forces, but reached the end of its life in military air arms and has been replaced by newer designs.

The Caribou could carry 3,629 kg (8,000 lb) of freight or up to 30 passengers. Production concluded in 1983 after 307 examples had been delivered, the majority of which were for military customers, although a small number were supplied to civil operators.

In US military service the Caribou was initially known as the AC-1, which was later changed to CV-2, and then C-7, some 159 being delivered. There were 134 surviving US Army Caribou aircraft when they were transferred to the USAF. A number were left behind by the US services when the United States withdrew from Vietnam and these were put into service by the Vietnamese. Also, a number were supplied to Air America, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) airline, and operated in South East Asia during the war for covert operations.

First of the type seen in this region was CF-LVA, a de Havilland Canada demonstrator exhibitedto the RAAF and civil operators, this aircraft arriving in Lae, PNG on 6 February 1960, subsequently making a tour until 26 February that year when it left for the Middle East.

A total of 33 examples was operated by the RAAF, these having serial numbers, not consecutive, in the range A4-134 to A4-299, the numbers being the aircraft’s construction number. The first aircraft A4-134 (c/n 134) was handed over at Downsview on 25 February 1964 and it, and two others, was ferried by crews from No 38 Squadron RAAF the 25,700 km (16,000 miles) to Australia via the Atlantic Ocean, Europe and the Indian Ocean, arriving at RAAF Richmond, NSW on 22 April that year. Initially 18 aircraft were obtained.

In July 1964 three aircraft which were being ferried from Canada were directed to divert to Butterworth Airbase in Malaysia to become part of the Australian military involvement in the Vietnam conflict. On 20 July the RAAF Transport Flight was formed to operate the aircraft from Vung Tau, three further aircraft being delivered a month later. In 1965 a seventh aircraft was delivered, the unit becoming No 35 Squadron. The unit was known as ‘Wallaby Airlines’ and, in addition to carrying freight and munitions, carried more than 600,000 passengers.

The Caribou was operated by Nos 35 and 38 Squadrons at Richmond, following its introduction in 1964. In later years the Caribou operated from Townsville, QLD, to where the units were transferred. In the six-and-a-half years the Caribou operated in Vietnam, only one aircraft was totally destroyed due to enemy action. This machine A4-193 (c/n 193), loaded with aviation fuel, landed at a small strip in the Mekong Delta region to restock an American Army helicopter fuel dump and was hit by an enemy mortar. Two other Caribous were lost in Vietnam, A4-171 on 30 August 1967 and A4-185 on 18 November 1964. The Caribou unit was withdrawn from Vietnam in June 1971, returning to Richmond in February 1972.

Other Caribou losses in service were A4-134, which crashed at Nowra, NSW on 1 July 1964; A4-147 which crashed in New Guinea on 6 October 1968; A4-233 which crashed in New Guinea on 28 August 1972; and A4-264 which crashed at Camden, NSW on 4 July 1986. A4-134, A4-179 and A4-264 later became training aids at RAAF Richmond, as did A4-208 at Oakey, QLD, and A4-164 was broken up for spares at Amberley, QLD.

Australian Caribous were operated by No 38 Squadron from Port Moresby, PNG, providing transport for the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, being withdrawn in 1975. Between 1968 and 1971 a further four were obtained and these aircraft were used to support survey operations in Indonesia, as well as various commitments by the Australian Government to the United Nations and the Red Cross, these aircraft being painted white overall. They were operated with the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan, being used to supply and re-man observation posts which had been set-up to monitor the ceasefire on the North West Frontier. During the problems in Timor in 1975 No 35 Squadron Caribous were used in Red Cross markings to fly mercy missions from Darwin, NT into East Timor.

The Caribou was able to operate out of crude strips which could not be used by many other aircraft, and became a very difficult aircraft to replace. It was used for flare dropping missions, medical evacuation, search-and-rescue, and paratroop training. Its main role was to lift troops, civilians, supplies, ammunition, mail and food.

Following the re-location of the Caribou fleet from Richmond to Townsville a composite wing was formed with DHC-4 Caribou and Bell Iroquois helicopters but later the helicopters were transferred to the Army, the two Caribou units Nos 35 and 38 Squadrons becoming No 84 Wing of the Operational Support Group. The Caribous were regularly used at the Parachute Training School at ‘HMAS Albatross’ at Nowra, NSW.

As a military transport the Caribou could carry 32 fully-equipped troops, 24 paratroops, or 14 casualty stretchers and 12 sitting casualties or medical attendants. As a freighter, three tonnes of cargo or two loaded jeeps could be carried.

One DHC-4A Caribou VH-BFC³ (c/n 23) was operated in New Guinea from September 1965 to June 1969 by Ansett/MAL but, due to departmental restrictions on its use in the STOL role, was not being permitted to land and take-off at certain airfields well within its capabilities.  It was withdrawn and eventually sold overseas, becoming N11HB in the United States.

A further Caribou was operated in New Guinea as P2-VTD (c/n 13). This aircraft commenced service as a C-7A with the US Army in January 1961. In 1973 it was in service with Air America and then went to the USAF again as 60-3762 in June 1974. It was disposed of to Darryl Greenamyer in February 1987 and became N9014W, flying with Air Cal. It was obtained by Vanimo Trading and operated with Garamut Exploration Services. On 1 July 1995 it left Port Moresby for Tabubil but, due to bad weather, had to divert to Kiunga. On approach to the airstrip an engine failed, followed by the other engine, and it crashed into trees and was destroyed.

In 2000 the Australian Government announced the type had come to the end of its useful life in RAAF service and an order would be placed for a replacement. This did not occur and work proceeded with a view to extending the type’s life. By 2003 14 remained in service but only a few were airworthy at any one time, and some were used for spares to keep the others flying.

Around the world the number of operators of the type dwindled and a number were re-engined with 1,062 kw (1,424 shp) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67R turboprops, becoming known as the DHC-4T, the prototype flying on 16 November 1991. An option was given to the Australian Government to re-engine its fleet of Caribous but was not taken up.

The RAAF was considering retiring the surviving fleet of 14 Caribous in 2008 in lieu of 2009 due to fatigue cracking and corrosion found in the fleet following damage to an aircraft which made a heavy landing in New Guinea, this being attributed to structural failure caused by severe fatigue.

After retirement examples were allotted to museums, including two to the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) at Albion Park, NSW these preserved in flying condition with the support of Australian Aerospace, with a spares package including a propeller and 15 engines. These aircraft became VH-VBA (c/n 210 – ex A4-210) and VH-VBB (c/n 234 – ex A4-234).

Caribou A4-152 joined the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, VIC. Seven were allotted to Amrock Aviation, based at Brisbane, QLD, and these were to be used for humanitarian aid missions to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, reports indicating they would be overhauled and fitted with turboprop engines before re-entering service. However, this deal did not take place.

The propellers from a number were obtained by various museums and RSL clubs for display. Other aircraft which have survived have included A4-134 with the Army Museum at Bandiana, VIC; A4-140 with the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT; A4-173 with the Queensland Air Museum at Caloundra; A4-195 with the Army Museum at Oakey; A4-204 and A4-231 with the Vietnam Veterans Museum at Phillip Island, VIC; A4-208 as a training aid at Oakey; A4-225 with the South Australian Aviation Museum; A4-228 with the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre at Caboolture, QLD; A4-236 with the Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre, QLD; A4-275 which was removed from the gate at RAAF Townsville and taken to the HARS annexe at Parkes, NSW; and A4-299 with the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Heritage Aviation Association, NSW.

In late 2014 the fuselage of Caribou A4-179 was donated to the HARS Museum at Albion Park. This aircraft was the first Australian Caribou to go to Vietnam in 1964 and the last to leave. After retirement it was used at RAAF Richmond for some years as a loadmaster training aid. It was placed in containers and delivered to Albion Park pending its assembly for eventual display as a non-flying exhibit, being conveyed to various aviation events by low loader where it was initially used by HARS members as a shop to sell aviation memorabilia. In due course it was placed on display as part of the children’s playground at Albion Park.