Aeroplane Model - DHC-2 Beaver

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Summary:: Aircraft History

De Havilland Canada (DHC) has designed and built a range of useful and enduring aircraft since the 1940s including the Chipmunk trainer, the Otter, Twin Otter and Dash 8 passenger aircraft and the Caribou/Buffalo transport aircraft. The DHC-2 Beaver was designed as a 6-7 seat utlilty aircraft suitable for bush operations in Canada. The first flight took place in August 1947. Production began in 1948 with the Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial for a powerplant. The type quickly established a reputation for reliability and strength and more than 1,600 were built when production ceased in Canada in the late 1960s. The DHC-2 could be operated from land or from water with twin floats fitted. Many still operate as floatplanes.

In Australia, the DHC-2 has been used by civil and military customers. The RAAF used five Beaver aircraft for its Antarctic Flight between 1953 and 1964. Two of the Flight's aircraft suffered major damage in a blizzard in December 1959. One of the five aircraft was also used at Woomera in South Australia.

Model History

This model was commissioned by the Museum and built by Mr R.D. Ramsay in 1955. It is painted to represent an aircraft of the RAAF Antarctic Flight.

Discipline:

Technology

Tagged with:	aeroplanes, antarctic exploration, military aircraft, model aeroplanes, scale models
Themes this item is part of:	Antarctica Collection, Engineering Collection, Science & Measurement Collection, Transport Collection
Primary Classification:	AIR TRANSPORT
Secondary Classification:	Aircraft
Tertiary Classification:	model propeller aircraft - military
Modelmaker:	Mr R. Ramsay, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1955
Manufacturer of Item Modelled:	De Havilland