History
The DHC-2 Beaver was developed in the second half of forties as a successor of the Noorduyn Norseman, which was then used as so-called "bush-plane".
The Beaver could be equipped with skis, floats or wheel undercarriage and it appeared not to be a fast machine.
The whole design was focused on a robust and practical use under primitive conditions. There were relatively large doors on both sides of the hull.
Originally a British engine with a relatively low performance was selected, causing the wing area to increase, but Pratt & Whitney Canada offered surplus Wasp Juniors with an output of 450 hp. The larger wing was retained, which happened to be a positive contribution to the STOL characteristics.
In August 1947 the prototype made its first flight.
In 1948 the U.S. Army was looking for a light utility aircraft and ordered six aircraft for evaluation.
They received the designation YL-20 and the machines tested intensively.
This comprehensive tests were relatively unscathed and in 1951 followed an order.
In 1967 production ended with a total of over 1600 units produced.
The U.S. Army Air Corps had a few hundred in use and also the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary has a number used for SAR purposes.
The Beaver was used for passenger transport and light transport orders.
Currently the parts supply for the Pratt & Whitney engine is the biggest problem, reason for looking for replacement engines, such as a turboprop.
Versions.
- Beaver I:
- the original STOL version.
- AL Beaver Mk 1: a version built for the British Army.
- Beaver YL-20: Test and trial for the U.S. military.
- L-20A Beaver: The U.S. Army version, of which 968 units were built. Later, in 1962, the designation was changed to U-6A.
- L-20B Beaver: Basically the same as the L-20A, with small changes in equipment, six examples built for the U.S. Army. The designation became U-6B in 1962.
- Beaver II:
- fitted with an Alvis Leonides radial engine.
- Turbo Beaver III:
- A version with a 431 kW Pratt & Whitney PT6A-6 or -20 turboprop.
- DHC-2/PZL-3S:
- in 1980 released conversion from Airtech Canada PZL-3S with a radial engine of 600 hp.
There are plans to put the Beaver back into production, given the demand for this kind of robust aircraft.
| Dimensions: | |||
| Length: | 9,22 m | Wingspan: | 14,63 m |
| Height: | 2,74 m | Wing area: | 23,2 m2 |
| Weights: | |||
| Empty weight: | 1360 kg | Max. start weight: | 2310 kg |
| Performances: | |||
| Max. speed: | 255 km/hr | Rate of climb: | - m/min |
| Range: | 732 km | Service ceiling: | 5500 m |
| Miscellaneous: | |||
| Engine type: | One Pratt 7 Whitney R-985 An-6B Wasp Junior rated 420 hp | ||
| Crew: | One aviator | ||
| Armament: | None | ||
Nederlands (nl-NL) 
English (United Kingdom)