De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou
Encyclopedia : D : DE : DEH : De Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou
| C-7 Caribou | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | STOL utility transport | |
| Crew | 3 | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 72.58 ft | 22.12 m |
| Wingspan | 95.58 ft | 29.13 m |
| Height | 31.66 ft | 9.65 m |
| Wing area | 912 ft² | 84.7 m² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 18,260 lb (B variant) | 8,283 kg |
| Loaded | 31,000 lb | 14,198 kg |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engines | Two Pratt and Whitney R-2000-7M2 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder | |
| Power | 1,450 hp | 1081 kW |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 216 mph | 348 km/h |
| Combat range | 1,307 mi | 2,103 km |
| Ferry range | 242 mi | 389 km |
| Service ceiling | 24,800 ft (B) | 7,559 m |
| Rate of climb | 1,355 ft/min | 413 m/min |
The de Havilland Canada DHC-4 Caribou (known in the US military as CV-2 and C-7 Caribou) was designed as a specialized transport with short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. It was first flown in 1958.
The United States Army ordered 173 in 1959 and took delivery in 1961 under the designation AC-1 which then changed to CV-2 Caribou.
US combat service
The Army purchased 159 of the aircraft and they served their purpose well as a tactical transport during the Vietnam War, where larger cargo aircraft such as the C-123 Provider and the C-130 Hercules could not land on the shorter landing strips. The aircraft could carry 32 troops or two Jeeps or similar light verhicles. The rear loading ramp could also be used for parachute dropping.
In 1967, a political decision was made by the United States Air Force who, believing that all fixed-wing aircraft operations were its own province, demanded that the Army turn over the Caribou. The Army ultimately traded the Caribou to the Air Force in exchange for an end to restrictions on Army helicopter operations.
Most of the C-7s have since been phased out of the US military. The Royal Australian Air Force still operates 14 Caribous.
Operators
- Abu Dhabi, Australia, Cameroon, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kuwait, Liberia, Malaysia, Oman, Spain, South Vietnam, Sweden, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, United States (Army, Air Force), Zambia,
External links
Related content
- Redirect
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.