Developed from the DHC-4 Caribou, being an enlarged fuselage version of that aircraft, the de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo was known originally as the Caribou II. Four were ordered for evaluation by the US Army, their development cost shared by the US Army, together with the Canadian government and de Havilland Canada; the first of these transports made its maiden flight on 9 April 1964. The DHC-5 had been developed to meet the requirements of the US Army for a transport that would be able to carry loads such as the Pershing missile, a 105-mm howitzer or 3/4-ton truck.

No further orders resulted from US Army evaluation of the DHC-5 (designated originally YAC-2 by the US Army, and later C-8A), but the Canadian Armed Forces acquired 15 of the DHC-5A which it designated CC-115: six were converted subsequently for deployment in a maritime patrol role. Following delivery of 24 to the Brazilian air force and 16 to the Peruvian air force, the production line was closed down. In 1974 the company realised there was a continuing demand for the Buffalo and production of an improved DHC-5D Buffalo was initiated. This had more powerful engines which permitted operation at higher gross weights, and offered improved all-round performance. Production of the Buffalo ended in 1982, but the last of 122 aircraft built was not delivered until April 1985. DHC-5Ds were bought by the armed forces of Abu Dhabi (5), Cameroun (3), Chile (1), Ecuador (3), Egypt (10), Kenya (8), Mauritania (1), Mexico (3), Sudan (4), Tanzania (6), Togo (2), Zaire (3) and Zambia (7). With some interest being shown by civil operators, DH Canada developed the DHC-5E Transporter, certificated in Canada in 1981. Generally similar to the military Buffalo, it could seat 44 passengers in a standard layout but with quick-change passenger/cargo and VIP/executive interior. Two were acquired by Ethiopian Airlines.

VARIANTS

DHC-5B: designation of proposed version with General Electric CT64-P4C engines, not built.

DHC-5C: designation of proposed version with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.12 engines, not built.

NASA/DITC XC-8A: designation of C-8A following conversion for use as an augmentor wing research aircraft; extensively modified, it has clipped wings, fixed landing gear, two Rolls-Royce Spey engines with vectored nozzles complementing the augmentor wings.

XC-8A ACLS: redesignation of C-8A following conversion for use as an Air-Cushion Landing System research aircraft; instead of conventional landing gear it has an inflatable but perforated rubber air cushion which permits operation from and to almost any type of surface, including ice, rough airfields, soft soils, snow, swamps and water.

NASA/Boeing QSRA: redesignation of C-8A following conversion for use as a Quiet Short-haul Research Aircraft; this aircraft has a new wing incorporating upper-surface blowing and boundary-layer control; engines are four Avco Lycoming F102 turbofans.

3-View

A three-view drawing (1000 x 492)