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Klaas Willem Jonker
(Wilko)
† April 30, 2018

On Monday 30 April 2018, Wilko Jonker died after a long illness at the age of 58. He leaves behind a wife and two children. The Dutch military aviation and plastic modeling were his hobby and on this website he shared all the knowledge he has collected over the years. His hobby has been able to distract him from the persistent disease in his body until the last week of his life. The contacts with other hobbyists were a major support for him.

This website will be maintained by different people for as long as possible, so that other enthusiasts can continue to benefit from extensive content.

DeHavilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver

Published: Wednesday, 10 November 2010 07:41 | Print | | Hits: 11631
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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.

 

Technical information
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