The de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is a short takeoff and landing (

STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a conventional fixed-wing aircraft that has short runway requirements for takeoff and landing. Many STOL-designed aircraft also feature various arrangements for use on airstrips with harsh condit ...

) utility transport

turboprop A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fu ...

aircraft developed from the earlier piston-powered DHC-4 Caribou. The aircraft has extraordinary STOL performance and is able to take off in distances much shorter than even most

light aircraft A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a maximum gross takeoff weight of or less.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 308. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. Light aircraft are used as utility aircraft c ...

can manage.

Design and development

The Buffalo arose from a 1962

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

requirement for a STOL transport capable of carrying the same payload as the CH-47A Chinook helicopter.''Air International'' August 1976, p. 59.

De Havilland Canada De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited is an aircraft manufacturer with facilities formerly based in the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The original home of de Havilland Canada was the home of the Canadian Air and Space Museum lo ...

based its design to meet the requirement on an enlarged version of its DHC-4 Caribou, already in large-scale service with the United States Army, to be powered by

General Electric T64 The General Electric T64 is a free-turbine turboshaft engine that was originally developed for use on helicopters, but which was later used on fixed-wing aircraft as well. General Electric introduced the engine in 1964. The original engine design ...

s rather than the Pratt & Whitney R-2000

piston engine A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common feat ...

s of the Caribou. (It had already flown a T64-powered Caribou on 22 September 1961). Egyptian Air Force de Havilland DHC-5 Buffalo Janura

De Havilland's design, the DHC-5 Buffalo, was chosen as the winner of the United States Army competition in early 1963, with four DHC-5s, designated YAC-2 (later CV-7A and subsequently C-8A) ordered.Harding 1990, p. 104. The first of these aircraft made its maiden flight on 9 April 1964.''Air International'' August 1976, p. 70. All four aircraft were delivered in 1965, the Buffalo carrying nearly twice the payload as the Caribou while having better STOL performance. The prototype CV-7A was exhibited by the manufacturer at the 1965

Paris Air Show The Paris Air Show (french: Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace de Paris-Le Bourget, Salon du Bourget) is a trade fair and air show held in odd years at Paris–Le Bourget Airport in north Paris, France. Organized by the French ...

wearing US Army markings. No further US orders followed, however, as at the start of 1967 (See the

Johnson-McConnell agreement of 1966 The Johnson-McConnell agreement of 1966 was an agreement between United States Army Chief of Staff General Harold K. Johnson and United States Air Force Chief of Staff General John P. McConnell on 6 April 1966. The U.S. Army agreed to give up ...

), inter-service politics led to large fixed-wing transports being transferred to the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

, who considered themselves adequately equipped with the

Fairchild C-123 Provider The Fairchild C-123 Provider is an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and then built by Fairchild Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. In addition to its USAF service, which included later service with the Air Force Res ...

. Company data claims a takeoff distance over a obstacle of at and a landing distance of over a obstacle of at for the DHC-5A model. In the early 1980s, de Havilland Canada attempted to modify the Buffalo for civilian use. The aircraft was to be branded as the "Transporter." After loss of the demonstration aircraft (SN ''103 C-GCTC'') at the 1984

Farnborough Airshow The Farnborough Airshow, officially the Farnborough International Airshow, is a trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries, where civilian and military aircraft are demonstrated to potential customers and investors. Since its fir ...

, the project was abandoned. A production DHC-5D Buffalo was used for breaking time-to-height records for the weight category on 16 February 1976, reaching in 2 min 12.75 sec, in 4 min 27.5 sec and in 8 min 3.5 sec.''Air International'' August 1976, p. 64.

New production

On 24 February 2006,

Viking Air Viking Air Ltd. is a manufacturer of aircraft, as well as aircraft parts and systems, based at Victoria International Airport in North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The company produces new versions of the DHC-6 Twin Otter, upgraded vers ...

Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. Th ...

, a manufacturer of replacement parts for all out-of-production de Havilland Canada aircraft, purchased the type certificates from Bombardier Aerospace for all versions of the DHC-1 through DHC-7 series aircraft, giving Viking exclusive rights to manufacture and sell new aircraft of those types. In December 2008, Viking Air indicated their intention to put the Buffalo series back into production at their home factory in Victoria, British Columbia or in

Calgary, Alberta Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

. A potential new production Buffalo would have had Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150 turboprops, a

glass cockpit A glass cockpit is an aircraft cockpit that features electronic (digital) flight instrument displays, typically large LCD screens, rather than the traditional style of analog dials and gauges. While a traditional cockpit relies on numerous me ...

, enhanced vision and night vision goggle capability. The aircraft was proposed as a replacement for the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

fleet of existing DHC-5As but was not one of the three aircraft in the final assessment, in 2016, which selected the

EADS CASA C-295 The CASA C-295 (now Airbus C295) is a medium tactical transport aircraft that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA. Work on what would become the C-295 was started during the 1990s as a derivative of ...

. Several letters of intent for the DHC-5NG were received in 2014.

Operational history

In late 1965, one of the prototype DHC-5s operated by the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

was deployed to Bien Hoa Air Base in

South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of t ...

for a three-month evaluation period, assigned to the 2nd Flight Platoon of the

92nd Aviation Company This is a List of aviation companies of the United States Army from the United States Army Aviation Branch The United States Army Aviation Branch is the administrative organization within the United States Army responsible for doctrine, manning ...

. The

first acquired 15 DHC-5A designated as CC-115 for tactical transports. These were initially operated at CFB St Hubert, QC by No. 429 Squadron in a tactical aviation role as part of Mobile Command. In 1970, the Buffalo aircraft were transferred to a transport and rescue role with No. 442 Squadron, No. 413 Squadron and No. 424 Squadron as part of Transport Command. No. 426 Squadron also flew the aircraft for training. Some were leased back or loaned back to the factory for trials and eventually returned to military service. Three of the aircraft were also deployed on UN missions to the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...

with No. 116 Transport Unit until 1979. They had a white paint scheme which was retained while they were serving in domestic transport with 424 Sqn in between deployments. On 9 August 1974, Canadian Forces CC-115 Buffalo 115461 was shot down by a

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

, killing all nine CF personnel on board. This represents the single biggest loss of Canadian lives on a UN mission as well as the most recent Canadian military aircraft to be shot down. Production of the DHC-5A ended in 1972 after sales to

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

but restarted with the DHC-5D model in 1974. This variant sold to several overseas air forces beginning with

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medite ...

. Production of the DHC-5D ended in December 1986.Taylor 1988, p. 21. In 1975, the Buffalo dropped its tactical transport role and was converted to domestic search and rescue, except for a few that kept serving on UN missions. The initial paint scheme for the SAR converted aircraft were white and red while others still had the original drab paint. The previous drab paint and white paint were eventually replaced with the distinctive yellow and red scheme commonly seen today. The number of aircraft have been reduced to eight, with six on active service, one in storage (recently dismantled) and one used for battle damage training. The remaining operational Buffalos operate in the

Search and Rescue Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...

role for No. 442 Squadron at

CFB Comox Canadian Forces Base Comox , commonly referred to as CFB Comox or 19 Wing, is a Canadian Forces Base located north northeast of Comox, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air ...

. Air Command was renamed the ''Royal Canadian Air Force'' in 2011, meaning the CC-115 has served with the RCAF, Air Command and now the RCAF once again. The Buffalo was replaced by the

CC-130 Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...

aircraft at search-and-rescue bases in

CFB Greenwood Canadian Forces Base Greenwood , or CFB Greenwood, is a Canadian Forces Base located east of Greenwood, Nova Scotia. It is primarily operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is one of two bases in the country using th ...

and

CFB Trenton Canadian Forces Base Trenton (also CFB Trenton), formerly RCAF Station Trenton, is a Canadian Forces base located within the city of Quinte West, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is the h ...

. As early as 2002, Canada has tried to replace both the Buffalo fleet and the SAR Hercules fleet with a newer aircraft. For some time, the Alenia C-27J Spartan was seen as the likely replacement, with the government considering sole-sourcing the new aircraft. However, after changes in Canada's defence budget as well as accusations of bias from the aerospace industry, the Buffalo replacement program was relaunched as an open competition. After review from the National Research Council, the Department of National Defence as well as consultation with the Canadian aerospace industry, a request for proposal was published in 2015. Bidders included Alenia offering the

C-27J Spartan The Alenia C-27J Spartan is a military transport aircraft developed and manufactured by Leonardo's Aircraft Division (formerly Alenia Aermacchi until 2016). It is an advanced derivative of Alenia Aeronautica's earlier G.222 (C-27A Spartan i ...

Airbus Defence and Space Airbus Defence and Space is the division of Airbus SE responsible for the development and manufacturing of the corporation's defence and space products, while also providing related services. The division was formed in January 2014 during th ...

with its C-295 and

Embraer Embraer S.A. () is a Brazilian multinational aerospace manufacturer that produces commercial, military, executive and agricultural aircraft, and provides aeronautical services. It was founded in 1969 in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, where i ...

with its

KC-390 The Embraer C-390 Millennium is a medium-size, twin-engine, jet-powered military transport aircraft designed and produced by the Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer. It is the heaviest aircraft the company has constructed to date. Work on ...

. In 2016, the Department of National Defence awarded Airbus a contract for 16 C-295s with delivery scheduled to begin in 2019 and running through 2022. On 15 January 2022, the RCAF officially retired the final two operational CC-115s.

Demonstrators for new technologies

The Buffalo was a suitable airframe for converting to demonstrate some new technologies. NASA C-8A AWJSRA in flight

Augmented Wing Jet-flap STOL Research Aircraft

A cooperative NASA/Canadian Government research program on augmentor wing concepts started in 1965 and culminated in the need for a proof-of-concept aircraft. A NASA C-8A Buffalo (later named ''Bisontennial'' in 1976) was modified in 1972 for augmentor-wing jet STOL research. The modifications were done by

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and pr ...

de Havilland Canada De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited is an aircraft manufacturer with facilities formerly based in the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The original home of de Havilland Canada was the home of the Canadian Air and Space Museum lo ...

and Rolls-Royce of Canada Ltd. The wing had a reduced span to give a wing loading representative of future aircraft. It also had full-span leading edge slats, blown ailerons and double-surface flaps enclosing a venturi-shaped passage. The usual turboprop engines were replaced with

Rolls-Royce Spey The Rolls-Royce Spey (company designations RB.163 and RB.168 and RB.183) is a low-bypass turbofan engine originally designed and manufactured by Rolls-Royce that has been in widespread service for over 40 years. A co-development version of t ...

801 SF (Split Flow) bypass engines with a new bypass duct which separated the hot and cold flows to provide both propulsion and augmentor airflow to the powered lift system. Baugher, Joseph F
"1963 USAF Serial Numbers."
''USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to Present'', 2008. Retrieved: 13 September 2009.Buser, Wayne E

''The deHavilland Caribou (DHC-4) and Buffalo (DHC-5) Website'', 2006. Retrieved: 13 September 2009."First Augmentor Wing Aircraft Flight."
''The Astrogram'', Volume XIV, Issue 16, 11 May 2005, pp. 1–2. Retrieved: 13 September 2009."N716NA."
''Airliners.net'', Aviation Photos. Retrieved: 13 September 2009. The hot flow was directed through Pegasus-engine swivelling nozzles to ensure it deflected with the flap downwash. The cold flow was directed into the flap venturi and entrained extra airflow. Beginning in 1972 with its first flight in this experimental configuration, this aircraft was used jointly by the

NASA Ames Research Center The Ames Research Center (ARC), also known as NASA Ames, is a major NASA research center at Moffett Federal Airfield in California's Silicon Valley. It was founded in 1939 as the second National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) labo ...

and the Canadian Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce for STOL research."STOL Buffalo Flies."
''Flight International'', Volume 101, Issue 3295, p. 658. Retrieved: 13 September 2009.

Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, NASA used another C-8A Buffalo in the Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft program.Norton, Bill
''STOL Progenitors: The Technology Path to a Large STOL Transport and the C-17A''.
Reston, VA: AIAA, 2002. .
''GlobalSecurity.org''. Retrieved: 13 September 2009.Shovlin, Michael D. and John A. Cochrane
"An Overview of the Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft Program."
''nasa.gov'', 1978. Retrieved: 13 September 2009."N715NA."
''Airliners.net'', Aviation Photos. Retrieved: 13 September 2009. Boeing designed and installed an experimental swept, supercritical wing incorporating a boundary layer control system. Instead of the standard engines, this aircraft was powered by four prototype Avco Lycoming YF102 high-bypass turbofan engines (originally from the

Northrop YA-9 The Northrop YA-9 was a prototype attack aircraft developed for the United States Air Force A-X program. The YA-9 was passed over in preference for the Fairchild Republic YA-10 that entered production as the A-10 Thunderbolt II. Design and de ...

program) mounted above the wing to take advantage of the

Coandă effect The Coandă effect ( or ) is the tendency of a fluid jet to stay attached to a convex surface. ''Merriam-Webster'' describes it as "the tendency of a jet of fluid emerging from an orifice to follow an adjacent flat or curved surface and to en ...

. In 1980, this aircraft participated in carrier trials aboard USS ''Kitty Hawk'', demonstrating STOL performance without the use of catapults or arrestor gear. The aircraft is currently stored at NASA's

Ames Research Center The Ames Research Center (ARC), also known as NASA Ames, is a major NASA research center at Moffett Federal Airfield in California's Silicon Valley. It was founded in 1939 as the second National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) labor ...

Mountain View, California Mountain View is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Named for its views of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it has a population of 82,376. Mountain View was integral to the early history and growth of Silicon Valley, and is the ...

Air Cushion Landing System Aircraft

After demonstrations by Bell aircraft using a Lake LA-4 light amphibian with Air Cushion Landing Gear the development of this type of gear was pursued in a joint effort between the

USAF The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signa ...

and the Canadian Government by retrofitting a similar system to a medium cargo transport, a Buffalo. The air supply to the cushion was provided by an air supply package consisting of a PT6F-70 and two-stage axial flow fan under each wing. The aircraft also had underwing combination floats/skids.

Variants

;DHC-5 Buffalo: Originally designed as a twin-engined STOL tactical, utility transport aircraft for the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, c ...

. Original US Army designation AC-2. ; :Utility transport aircraft for the

Brazilian Air Force "Wings that protect the country" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Hino dos Aviadores , mascot = , anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...

and Peruvian Air Force. Canadian designation CC-115. ;DHC-5B : Proposed version, powered by two General-Electric CT64-P4C turboprop engines. Not built. ;DHC-5C : Proposed version, powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart RDa.12 turboprop engines. Not built. ;DHC-5D : Improved version, powered by two 2,336 kW (3,133 shp) General Electric CT64-820-4 turboprop engines. ;DHC-5E Transporter : Civil transport version. ;NASA / DITC C-8A AWJSRA : One C-8A aircraft converted into an augmentor wing research aircraft. ;XC8A ACLS : One C-8A aircraft converted into an air-cushion landing system research aircraft. ;NASA / Boeing QSRA C-8A : One C-8A converted into a quiet short-haul research aircraft. ;Viking DHC-5NG Buffalo NG : Proposed redesigned new production version to be built by Viking Air. ''NG'' is the company marketing term indicating ''Next Generation''"DHC-5NG Buffalo versus C-27J Spartan."
''Viking Air'', January 2009. Retrieved: 13 September 2009."Buffalo NG News."
''Viking Air'', January 2009. Retrieved: 13 September 2009.

Canadian military designations

; :Canadian military designation for 15 DHC-5As. DHC-5 CV-7A 63-13688 Army LEB 19

United States military designations

;AC-2 :Designation for four DHC-5s for evaluation by the United States Army. ;CV-7A :Redesignation of four United States Army AC-2s. ;C-8A :United States Air Force designation for four CV-7As transferred from the Army in 1967.

Operators

Civil

; * Summit Air (8199400 Canada Inc.) operated two DHC-5D (ex-

Oman Police The Royal Oman Police (ROP), also known as Oman Police ( ar, شرطة عمان السلطانية), is the main law and order agency for the Sultanate of Oman. It maintains a helicopter fleet and also carries on the duties of safeguarding the lon ...

Air Wing 1979 and 1981/ Shuttle Air Cargo (Congo); transferred from Arctic Sunwest Charters in 2013); C-FASV was sold to Nyassa Air Taxi (Malawi) 2015 with lease to UN OFP and C-FASY stored since 2012 (civil registration cancelled in 2015) ; *

Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian Airlines (commonly referred to as Ethiopian; am, የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ, translit=Ye-Ītyōṗṗyā āyer menged), formerly ''Ethiopian Air Lines'' (EAL), is the flag carrier of Ethiopia, and is wholly owned by t ...

1 DHC-5D (ET-AHI lost in crash 1988) ; * Nyassa Air Taxi 1 ex- Summit Air DHC-5D

Military

; / * Abu Dhabi Defence Forces Air Wing – (Retired). *

United Arab Emirates Air Force The United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAEAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية والدفاع الجوي الاماراتي, al-Quwwāt al-Jawiyah wa al-Defa' al-Jawiy al-ʾImārāty) is the air force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), part of the ...

(Retired) ; *

Brazilian Air Force "Wings that protect the country" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Hino dos Aviadores , mascot = , anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...

(Retired) ; * Cameroon Air Force (Retired) ; *

(Retired) ; *

Chilean Air Force "With full speed to the stars" , colours = Indigo White , colours_label = , march = Alte Kameraden , mascot = , anniversaries = 21 March ...

(Retired) ; (previously ) * Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Retired) ; *

Ecuadorian Air Force The Ecuadorian Air Force ( es, Fuerza Aérea Ecuatoriana, FAE) is the Air arm of the Military of Ecuador and responsible for the protection of the Ecuadorian airspace. Mission To develop the military air wing, in order to execute institutional o ...

(Retired) *

Ecuadorian Army The Ecuadorian Army ( es, ''Ejército Ecuatoriano'', italic=unset) is the land component of the Ecuadorian Armed Forces. Its 160,500 soldiers are deployed in relation to its military doctrine. The contemporary Ecuadorian Army incorporates many jun ...

(Retired) ; *

Egyptian Air Force The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) ( ar, القوات الجوية المصرية, El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya), is the aviation branch of the Egyptian Armed Forces that is responsible for all airborne defence missions and operates all milit ...

(9)

TNI-AL De Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo at Halim Perdanakusuma

; *

Indonesian Army The Indonesian Army ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD), ) is the land branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It has an estimated strength of 300,000 active personnel. The history of the Indonesian Army has its r ...

(ex-UAE, Retired) *

Indonesian Navy The Indonesian Navy ( id, Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut, , Indonesian National Military-Naval Force, TNI-AL) is the naval branch of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. It was founded on 10 September 1945 and has a role to patrol ...

(ex-UAE, Retired) ; *

Kenya Air Force The Kenya Air Force (KAF) or sw, Jeshi la Wanahewa is the national aerial warfare service branch of the Republic of Kenya. The main airbase operating fighters is Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki, while Moi Air Base in Eastleigh, Nairobi is the h ...

(Retired) ; *

Mauritanian Air Force The Mauritania Islamic Air Force (french: Force Aérienne Islamique de Mauritanie or ''FAIM'') is the air force of the Armed Forces of Mauritania. It was established in 1960. Like many of the former French colonies, Mauritania received limited e ...

- bought four DHC-5Ds in 1978 (retired) Mexican Navy DHC-5D Buffalo

; *

Mexican Navy The Mexican Navy is one of the two independent armed forces of Mexico. The actual naval forces are called the ''Armada de México''. The ''Secretaría de Marina'' (''SEMAR'') (English: Naval Secretariat) includes both the ''Armada'' itself and ...

(Retired) ; * Royal Oman Police Air Wing (Retired) ; * Peruvian Air Force (Retired) ; *

Sudanese Air Force The Sudanese Air Force ( ar, القوّات الجوّيّة السودانيّة, Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya As-Sudaniya) is the air force operated by the Republic of the Sudan. As such it is part of the Sudanese Armed Forces. History The Sudanese ...

– 1 in service as of December 2015. ; *

Tanzania Air Force Command The Tanzania Air Force Command ( sw, Kamandi ya Jeshi la Anga) is the aerial service branch of the Tanzania People's Defence Force (TPDF). The current commander of the Tanzania Air Force Command is Major General SB MANI , who replaced major ge ...

– 4 in service as of December 2015. and since retired ; * Military of Togo (Retired) ; *

(Retired) * NASA 2 C-8A at Ames Research Center (Retired) ; *

Zambian Air Force The Zambian Air Force (ZAF) is the air force of Zambia and the air operations element of the Zambian Defence Force. Following the creation of the Republic of Zambia in 1964, the former Northern Rhodesia Air Force was renamed as the Zambian Air ...

(Retired)

Accidents and incidents

In total, 26 accidents involving hull losses have been recorded. * On 9 August 1974, a Canadian Forces CC-115 operating for the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmonizi ...

was shot down over Syria with the loss of five crew and four passengers. * At the 1984

, a DHC-5D

demonstration ended in a very heavy landing which destroyed the aircraft. * On 21 June 1989, a Peruvian Air Force de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo crashed into a mountain near Tarma, killing all six crew and 53 passengers in the deadliest accident involving the DHC-5 Buffalo. *On 17 February 1990, a

de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo crashed on approach to Lusaka Airport in

Lusaka Lusaka (; ) is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is one of the fastest-developing cities in southern Africa. Lusaka is in the southern part of the central plateau at an elevation of about . , the city's population was about 3.3 millio ...

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are ...

, killing all 29 people on board. * On 16 April 1992, a

de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo lost power in one of its engines, and during its final approach, it overshot the runway and crashed into a residential area near

Moi Air Base Moi Air Base, formerly known as RAF Eastleigh and Eastleigh Airport is a military airport located to the east of Nairobi, in the Eastleigh suburb. The airport is used by the Kenya Air Force. Additionally, the airfield is the home of the East ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

. The accident killed all 42 passengers and four crew members and six people on the ground. * On 27 April 1993, a

de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo carrying most of the Zambian national football team to a FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Senegal in Dakar crashed shortly after takeoff from a refuelling stop in

Libreville Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon. Occupying in the northwestern province of Estuaire, Libreville is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea. As of the 2013 census, its population was 703,904. The area has been i ...

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, ...

. There were no survivors.

Specifications (DHC-5D)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * *

External links

Viking Air – current DHC-5 certificate holder and planned manufacturer

Royal Canadian Air Force CC-115 Buffalo website

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Havilland Canada Dhc-5 Buffalo

DHC-5 The de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is a short takeoff and landing (STOL) utility transport turboprop aircraft developed from the earlier piston-powered DHC-4 Caribou. The aircraft has extraordinary STOL performance and is able to take off ...

1960s Canadian civil utility aircraft 1960s Canadian military utility aircraft High-wing aircraft Viking Air aircraft T-tail aircraft STOL aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1964 Twin-turboprop tractor aircraft

Design and development

New production

Operational history

Demonstrators for new technologies

Augmented Wing Jet-flap STOL Research Aircraft

Quiet Short-Haul Research Aircraft

Air Cushion Landing System Aircraft

Variants

Canadian military designations

United States military designations

Operators

Civil

Military

Accidents and incidents

Specifications (DHC-5D)

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links