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C-7 Caribou
The Caribou made its first flight in 1958. In 1959 the U.S. Army flew
several prototypes for evaluation and, in 1961, the first 22 out of a total
of 159 production versions were delivered to the Army. Originally designated
AC-1, the aircraft was redesigned CV-2 in 1962 and retained that designation
for the remainder of its Army career. In January 1967, when responsibility for
all fixed-wing tactical transports was transferred to the U.S. Air Force,
the Caribou received the designation C-7. During the Southeast Asian
conflict, the Caribou's STOL capability made it particularly suitable for
delivering troops, supplies, and equipment to isolated outposts.
With a maximum payload of three tons, the C-7A can take off and clear a 50-foot obstacle in about 1,200 feet. The aircraft, used for landing at short, unimproved airfields, can land on a 1,000-foot runway. The wings are high-mounted with straight leading edge and forward-tapered trailing edge from engines to the blunt tips. Two piston engines are mounted in the wings� leading edges, and the engine nacelles extend beyond leading edges. The slab-sided fuselage has a solid, rounded nose with a stepped cockpit and upswept rear section. The tail flats are mid- to low-mounted on the tail fin and tapered with blunt tips. The large fin is tapered with a blunt tip.
The C-7A is a twin-engine, short takeoff and landing (STOL) utility
transport built by DeHavilland Aircraft of Canada, Ltd. It is used
primarily for tactical airlift missions in forward battle areas with
short, unimproved airstrips. It can carry 26 fully equipped paratroops
or up to 20 litter patients. As a cargo aircraft the Caribou can haul
more than three tons of equipment.
| Description | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | DeHavilland of Canada |
| Designation: | C-7 |
| Version: | A |
| Serial Number: | 57-3082 |
| Nickname: | Caribou |
| Type: | Prototype |
| Crew: | 3 - Pilot, Copilot and Flight Engineer/Load Master |
| 7th Bomb Wing Sponsor: | 39th Airlift Squadron |
| Specifications | |
| Weight: | 18,380 lbs |
| Gross Weight: | 26,000 lbs |
| Propulsion | |
| No. of Engines: | 2 |
| Powerplant: | Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7M2 Fourteen Cylinder tow-row Radial Air Cooled engine with Hamilton Standard three blade fully-feathering Hydromatic propellers |
| Horsepower (each): | 1,450 |
| Performance | |
| Range: | 1,400 mi |
| Cruise Speed: | 182 mph |
| Max Speed: | 216 mph |
| Ceiling: | 27,700 ft |
| Armament (none) | |
