SIDNEY, BC, Oct. 13, 2022 /CNW/ – Today at Viking Air Limited’s facilities in Sidney, British Columbia, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (“De Havilland Canada”) owner Sherry Brydson and Canada Post representatives unveiled a new Canada Post stamp celebrating the DHC-2 Beaver’s contribution to Canadian aviation. The DHC-2 Beaver is one of five achievements featured in Canada Post’s new “Canadians in Flight” series.
Canada Post explained its selection of the iconic DHC-2 Beaver this way:
The Beaver is considered the best bush plane ever built and was named one of Canada’s top 10 engineering achievements of the 20th century. The all-metal plane’s short takeoff and landing capability – along with its ability to be fitted with wheels, floats or skis – made the Beaver ideal for accessing and connecting remote areas of the country.
“We are honoured that Canada Post has chosen the DHC-2 Beaver to be part of this new series celebrating achievements in Canadian aviation,” said De Havilland Canada CEO, Brian Chafe. “This is a special day for our company and for the people whose lives have been improved by this amazing aircraft over the past seven and a half decades, with many more to come.”
The new stamps will be available at postal outlets across Canada starting Monday, October 17, with pre-sales beginning today at www.canadapost.ca.
Some key facts about the DHC-2 Beaver:
- De Havilland Canada began designing the DHC-2 Beaver in 1946; company engineers surveyed bush pilots from remote communities of Northern Canada and several countries on what mattered most to them in a new aircraft.
- Pilots requested a rugged and reliable all-metal aircraft capable of carrying a half-tonne payload with good takeoff, landing and climb performance; as well, an aircraft that could operate year-round on wheels, floats or skis from isolated outposts, and exposed to climatic conditions ranging from the blazing sun to sub-zero cold, ice, and snow.
- The first DHC-2 Beaver flew from the runway at Toronto’s Downsview Airport on August 16, 1947, 75 years ago this summer. De Havilland Canada produced a total of 1,692 DHC-2 Beavers over the aircraft’s 20-year production period.
- The DHC-2T MK III Turbo Beaver – a turboprop variant – was first flown on December 30, 1963. 60 of these aircraft were produced between 1963 and 1968.
- In 1983, De Havilland Canada awarded Viking Air Limited the contract to build spare parts for the DHC-2 Beaver and DHC-2 MK III Turbo Beaver; as well, many of the engineering drawings and production tooling for these parts were transferred to the Sidney, British Columbia company.
- In 1987, the Canadian Engineering Centennial Board named the DHC-2 Beaver one of the top ten Canadian engineering achievements of the 20th century.
- In 2006, Viking acquired the Type Certificates for seven De Havilland Canada aircraft, including the DHC-2 Beaver.
- Today, over 750 of these iconic aircraft remain operational worldwide.
About De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited
With more than 5,000 aircraft delivered, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (De Havilland Canada) is well established across the globe and our talented team of aviation professionals is dedicated to advancing our near-100-year reputation for excellence in innovation, production and customer support. Our aircraft operate reliably in some of the world’s harshest climates and provide vital connections between rural communities and urban centres – transporting essential cargo and millions of passengers annually. Our aircraft also support a wide variety of special mission operations including aerial firefighting, search and rescue, medical evacuation, reconnaissance and coastal surveillance. In February 2022, De Havilland Canada became the operating brand for the companies that previously operated as Longview Aviation, Viking Air Ltd, Pacific Sky Training and De Havilland Canada. https://dehavilland.com