The Chipmunk Experience

[Hurricane Boy]

 

 

[Ratch]

Why have you posted here? Wouldn't it be appropriate in the Workbench Forum?

[Hurricane Boy]

Hi Ratch. That is where I wanted it to go, but obviously did something wrong..... can you move it there

Thanks,

Tim

[Ratch]

That function is not available ATM. If you could re-post in the Workbench, I can delete this.

[Hurricane Boy]

That function is not available ATM. If you could re-post in the Workbench, I can delete this.

Ok Ratch I have added this post under the Workbench section and now see what I did wrong as well.

 

 

Please delete this one!

 

 

Thanks,

Tim

[Hurricane Boy]

Ok ... We will try this one more time... in response to the Workbench blog "The Chipmunk Experience"....a clarifiaction on the origins of de Havilland Canada..

With huge pressure being placed on de Havilland’s manufacturing capacity during the final few years of the Second World War and with a desire to support increasing numbers of Allied airmen being trained across the Atlantic and away from the rigors of war, de Havilland established an overseas subsidiary in Canada, the de Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada.

A de Havilland Canada (DHC) primer …..

DHC was formed in 1928 to support the ongoing sales and service of the DH60 Moth that was popular in Canada at the time. After a temporary assembly facility set up at Weston, Ontario, a new factory of 27,000 sq ft was built on a new parcel of land at Downsview Ontario in the late 1920’s. Although there were discussions regarding manufacturing the DH 60 Moth at this plant in the late 1920’s, these plans were dashed by the depression. The early thirties saw this plant in a caretaker mode until the global economy started to improve.

In 1936, P.C. Phil Garrett, the Manager of DHC proposed the production of DH-82 Tiger Moths for the Canadian Government. Production got under way in 1937 with a small order that grew after the war broke out. 1548 machines were completed by 1942. This production run was followed by orders for 375 Avro 652A Anson II. In August 1941, with over 700 Tiger Moths left on contracts and the Anson just starting to come off the line, an order for 400 DH 98 Mosquitos was placed. Although the first of 1,031 de Haviland DH 98 Mosquitos flew on 25 September 1942 production did not ramp up very quickly. A Canadian Government Order of Council was issued on June 8, 1943 for the government to take over management of the plant. The parent company in an apparent show of support for DHC management made Mr. P.C. Garrett a director of the parent company at this time.

A similar move had been made by the Canadian Government in November 1942 with the Government taking over the Malton plant from Nation Steel Car as Victory Aircraft due to the slow progress in getting the late 1941 order for the Lancaster into volume production.

Production of the Mosquito wrapped up in August 1945. By wars end, DHC had manufactured almost 3,000 aircraft!

Planning for a bush plane that would become the DHC-2 Beaver had commenced during the war but at the parent company’s suggestion DHC first developed an elementary trainer. As noted, the DHC-1 Chipmunk was a huge success. The bubble type canopy was introduced at DHC on the 101^st aircraft replacing the frame type canopy. Apparently export orders for Chipmunks off the Downsview line were influenced by the Canadian Governments demand that payment for the aircraft be made in US dollars which stymied these export orders.

The Chipmunk was the first of many successes for DHC, although like most aircraft manufacturers has had many difficult periods over its 90+ years of existence, yet it still exists under the ownership of Viking Air / Longview Aviation Capital Corporation

Other DHC successes…

DHC-2 Beaver Single engine STOL utility aircraft …. 1,692 aircraft built including mk3 turbo beaver

DHC-3 Otter Single engine STOL utility aircraft …. 466 aircraft built

DHC-4 Caribou twin engine STOL Transport aircraft … 307 aircraft built

DHC-5 Buffalo twin engine STOL Transport aircraft …. 122 aircraft built

DHC-6 Twin Otter twin engine STOL utility aircraft … 985 aircraft built*

DHC-7 “Dash 7” four-engine STOL airliner aircraft …. 113 aircraft built

DHC-8 “Dash 8” and “Q400” twin engine STOL airliner aircraft …. 1,259 aircraft built+ 58 orders*

*Still in production by Viking Air / Longview Aviation Capital Corporation retaining the de Havilland Canada name.

[MARU5137]

Wow, very comprehensive and informative post.

Thank you.

[Hurricane Boy]

Wow, very comprehensive and informative post.

Thank you.

You are very welcome! It is my pleasure to add to the forum in areas that I have a lot of interest.

As an additional point to those made about DHC, it can not be emphasized enough how much the Canadian Aviation industry benefited post war from support by the parent companies of de Havilland and A.V.Roe. Sir Roy Dobson of A.V.Roe worked with the Canadian Government to set up Avro Canada and Orenda Engines. Orenda Engines was developed from Turbo Research, a Canadian Crown Corporation that was set up to study and design jet engines late in WW2. It was assisted greatly by the British Government providing access to gas turbine manufacturers and made British and German engines available to this new fledgling company.

10 years later, in 1954, Orenda powered RCAF Sabres and CF-100’s were contributing to the NATO airforce over Europe and the Canadian Air Defence command respectively.

[Robbie-Jane-367255]

My commission complete, a one off scheme for a customer off WD373, a 71yo chipmunk.