De Havilland Canada DHC-5A Buffalo
De Havilland Canada · Canada · first flew 1965 · transport aircraft
The DHC-5A Buffalo is an upgraded variant of De Havilland Canada's STOL tactical transport, featuring more powerful General Electric CT64 engines for improved payload and hot-and-high performance. It can operate from short unprepared strips with full military cargo loads.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | T-tail with upswept rear fuselage and rear ramp |
| T — Tail | T-tail |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing STOL tactical transport
- T-tail with upswept rear fuselage and rear ramp
- Twin GE CT64 turboprops in large square nacelles
Unmistakable high-wing twin-turboprop with a slab-sided fuselage, T-tail, rear loading ramp, and a pronounced upswept rear fuselage—larger and more powerful-looking than the Caribou it replaced.
Specifications
- The De Havilland Canada DHC-5A Buffalo has a length of 24.08 m (79 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 29.26 m (96 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 467 km/h (290 mph).
- Typical crew: 3 crew + 41 troops.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The DHC-5 Buffalo evolved from the earlier DHC-4 Caribou, retaining its exceptional short-field performance but scaling up capacity and switching to turbine power. The A-variant increased engine rating to CT64-820-4 standard. Canada, Brazil, and several smaller air arms ordered the type, which proved its worth in remote-area logistics.
Variants
The DHC-5 family includes the base DHC-5 with CT64-820-1 engines, the improved DHC-5A, and the further upgraded DHC-5D with 3,133 shp engines; the D became the definitive export version.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the Canadian Armed Forces, Brazilian Air Force, and forces in Kenya, Mauritania, Togo, and other nations; prized for relief and logistics missions into rough terrain.
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