Sunday, August 27, 1995 ~ North Shore News —- 3 In its day, De Havilland manufactured the Caribou, Chipmunk, Otter and Dove but it’s the Beaver that has attaine HE SEAPLANE. played a pivotal role in the develop- ment of post-war Canada. In total, 1.632 of the planes were made. An estimated 1,400 are still buzzing about. By Michael Becker News Editor The first could be had for. $28,000. A nice one today will set you back a cool $250,000. -. Much of the design of this flying Jeep came as the result of sugges- tions made to De Havilland by bush pilots who were asked to make a ~ wish list about;a-rugged “dream machine.” Dick Hiscocks wis on the De Havilland teanr that made the bush pilots’ dream a reality. Hiscocks, now. 81 dynamics designer ¢ “4 worked there: _ right back after. _ to get into desig: 7 tions,”. he said “Canada led the world for many years in operating hush planes, In the 1920s and 1930s when Canada was opening up the north,; Canadian bush pilots New imported airplanes, typically Fokkers, Fairchilds and Junkers. : The’ planes’ were not ideully suited for often harsh Canadian - conditions. “They were all good airplanes on wheels, but they suf- :- fered on floats and skis and cold weather operations in the bush ‘where they were never put in’ the, hangar foi) m maintenance,” ' i Hiscocks said. ; : the aircraft. : a student in my. ‘college: days and I came orld War Two. The company decided it. wanted ork and design airplanes for Canadian’ condi-, iy challenges, Canada carried more air freight’ than: untry in the world for a number of, years’ fn, these ’ The Beaver represents the culmination of that experience. | Said Hiscocks,'“A lot of operators bezrd that De Havilland was uilding ‘an’ airploi fe -AN. AIRY. combination ‘of seafood ‘and: seaplanes has become 2 magnet ‘for diners and travellers in the Richmond area. By Jan Noble : News Reporter Where trailers perched on the south side of Vancouver International Airport, Harbour Air recently opened its seaplane ter- minal. It houses the Flying Beaver restaurant. _ Harbour Air president, general manager and operating partner Greg McDougall told the News the novel marriage of the two busi-. nesses has taken off. . 2 We're real excited, It has generated 1 a fot of interest out here, said the Indian Arm re {it’s a fun business to have attached to the airline business,” Relaxing views of the Fraser River, its estuary, sunsets and a” winged Beavers landing and taking flight entertain the rest taurant patrons, many y of them Harbour Air travellers. . The seaplane side itself pumps 40,000 customers ‘through the terminal annually, and the restaurant is proving to be a lunch and after-work attraction for the area’s 3,000 orkers, said McDougall... ‘i “Richmond residents are also flocking to the restaurant in the “West Coast, cannery- tyle” building, said MeDougail, - McDougall called the new $1.5 million terminal the Napship for the expanding busi- eSS. THE BEAVER design team poses with the plane in 1947, Left to right are Dick Hiscocks, Fred Buller, Dou Hunter, W. Jackimuik and James Houston. ’ in 1982. to'an operation hoasting 40 airéri and. Fevenues of ‘Harbour in Vancouver, ' New Westminster,’ Victori > wall Fourteen-year-old Harbour Air has Ss Brown from two planes and $40, 000 i in revenue’ >d the status of ‘The final product was all metal, abit of a novelty in’ a smaller plane. ; ; : . Its predecessors used wood and * fabric and glues ‘that came: ‘unstuck in winter conditions. But: added | Hiscocks, ‘Now . the Junkers was an exception. It was metal: but. not.a very. efficient. design. The Beaver, improved on that significantly.” _> De Havilland ended its Beaver production run in 1968, Hiscocks said. Although there: was: ng. serious ‘competition, ' “there just weren't enough. orders to support a pro- duction fine’ Smail airplanes are-, not very profitable to huild..The company set its sights on bigger airplanes like the Twia Otter and the Dash-7. The original civilian version of ® the Beaver was designated the DHC-2. The US. airforce eventually bought some for operations in Alaska and dubbed the aircraft the L-20, 0 / - “The U.S. Army were having great troubles with helicopters in Korea and they desperately | needed an airplane. that could get out of small fields, so they bought the Beaver,? Hiscecks: ; said. He is amazed by how many of the planes: are still flying. Photo submitted ‘o. “When we designed the airplane, a bush plane typically lasted © for about 10 years. We would be surprised all right had-we known then that they sould still he.sraund nearly $0 years later’. Le He. gives much of the ‘credit’ for longevity to Viking Air at vo Sydney on Vancouver Island. The compuny bought the rights from De Havilland to manufacture parts. “New when something wears out you can buy’ from Viking Pius there's been a lot of blood sweat “and téars on the part of the operators themselves, There's quite a cottage indsistry. a 7 you go to any number of the svialler ports and you hop doing Beaver repair and overhaul,” he said . A good many modifications have come:in the pI CSS. er Pin ie the. beast in many respects. They’ ve ‘extended Meanwhile: h he continues to ki ep his hand on. the log. Murphy Aircraft’ in Chilliwack. ds: eg a ‘kit airplane “ve hel a SINDIAN' ARM. resident Greg | McDougall ‘steers Harbour Ait. "NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge 12 million annually, ; MeDougall said. . : Now Canada’s largest seaplane ‘airline, Harbour Air has bases‘in ‘Richmond, Coal Prince Rupert, Sechelt, Sands it." and Masset... , a ara The Flying Be ver, which sports a Beaver aircraft theme aud Beaver parts, ad is named after the revered Beaver aircrait : The Beaver holds a hatlowed place i in Canadian aviation history’ yes Between 1947 and 1968, Ontario’s De Hay Hand built 1,632 DH2 Beayve Fifteen ofthem still ply the skies. for Harb .