Flying the Dehavilland Beaver

Russell Armstrong takes us for a ride in his beautiful Dehavilland Beaver. This Beaver looks different than most as it sit on wheels and not floats. After flying this plane, it's very obvious why it is such a great plane to fly up in Alaska.

[@CaptainSwoop]

Back in 1970 as a freshly minted commercial pilot, I had the honor of flying a Beaver around the mining camps of north western Australia. My first landing while being endorsed was a 'greaser." The Chief Pilot looked across at me and said wryly "You won't do that again for a while." How right he was. That dear old girl certainly taught me to "feel for the ground" because if you "dropped her on" she'd launch you back up to 50 ft in no time. Precious airplane. Fond memories. Thanks for the upload.

[@pauld5530]

Very nice. Beavers are common here in B.C. But I still enjoy watching them. The sound of the R985 starting is the ringtone on my phone. 😎

[@johnstorring8834]

My Wife and I, both retired pilots, flew Beaver no. 1, C-FFHB, originally FBX, while working for NorCanAir in Laronge Sask in mid 70s. She flew it all summer and I was flying DC3s but did circuit in it just to get my name in the logbook.

[@N.i.l]

Incredible engine sound! thanks for sharing

[@cbm2156]

I was stationed with the US Army Security Agency in Ankara Turkey, the Capitol city, during the period Nov 1962-May 1964 and our little aviation-liaison Detachment had two Beavers [ L-20/ U-6A] and one twin Beach-craft either an L-23A or D as I recall . We were in support of TUSLOG Det 4 at Sinop , Turkey on the Black Sea. We used the three AC to transport primarily personnel, mail, and movies and "VIPs" in and out of Sinop daily. At that time we only had a short primitive Air Field located about a mile from the installation in Sinop. Our AC were stationed on the military side of the Esenboga International Airport about 20 plus miles outside of Ankara. There was no civilian Air Service during the time I was there to Sinop. The heavy stuff went by truck convoy operated once a week between Ankara and Sinop or ships around Istanbul and up the Black Sea Coast. Brings back memories of a time long ago.

[@ErikJohnston]

CBM 215 very cool, thanks for sharing your memories!!

[@timothygodwin7049]

It was cool to see how this plane took off and landed. I never knew how flat the take offs where in one of these. Great job on this video.

[@mickkennedy1344]

The chrome spinner on the prop is the cherry on the cake.

[@Goodman69]

Something beautiful!!! Envy! ;)

[@shakul12]

One day, when I win a lottery, I will buy a Beaver.

[@sky-11]

thats cool loved it

[@Wrench245]

It is absolutely obligatory for me to quote Leslie Nielsen from the movie "Naked Gun," so please don't be offended when I say "Nice Beaver!" The Beaver Ron Furnig was flying did have a stall warning. I know because I listened to it for what seemed like forever each time we landed or took off from Lake Lewisville. I cringe whenever I hear a party horn now. Amazing how you can hear that over the rumble of a supercharged radial engine.

[@ErikJohnston]

Wrench245 Haha, I knew someone would

[@holywells]

I enjoyed the landing with the "one wheel at a time touchdown" that he performed. Seemed like it could have been a possible tribute to the greatest airshow pilot of all times, Mr. Bob Hoover. That was always Bob's signature landing style. It probably wasn't done on purpose, but it was a nice touch anyhow.

[@poppys3728]

Possible or cross wind or maybe counteracting the engine torque. Not sure. Mr. hoover was an awesome pilot.

[@ben3989]

I grew up under kenmore air’s home base shop route. Dozens of radial beavers fly overhead everyday.

[@fracharron]

Superbe video

[@tomcummin6801]

Fiddlesticks! It's just not fair! I have two opposable thumbs but I'm only able to give you one. What a lovely example of a superb machine.

[@ErikJohnston]

Tom Cummin Haha, thanks a lot!! Sure glad you liked it

[@scottmarshall6766]

Thanks! You guys make nice videos. I enjoyed your walkaround as well. Learned a lot. You're living the dream (for many of us anyhow). I fly RC (because it's what I CAN do) and have 4 DHC-2 models from a small foamy to a balsa 30cc twin powered one. All on wheels. Scott

[@scenicbearviewing]

Nice wheel landing.

[@Marty2Man]

Loved the video. I have always had a passion for the Beaver. Have Russell do a walk around and tell about the exterior of the plane. Thanks.

[@ErikJohnston]

Frank South We did shoot a walkaround of it. I'm putting finishing touches on it now and hope to have it live in a few days

[@johannmckraken9399]

The sound of that engine is so soothing, it would lull me to sleep if I were a passenger. The reserves of power are reassuring. I can understand the economics of the PT6 conversion and the PT6 is a brilliant engine but this plane loses a lot of it's charm when you take the radial out.

[@jima28080]

Only if you have a good headset. Those radials are loud in the cabin.

[@mothmagic1]

I always thought that with its STOL performance if the tail came up it was just about fast enough to fly. Thank you for confirming my thoughts. Please get it right it's de Havilland not DeHavilland. Am I alone in thinking they look prettier on floats. Admitedly the one I flew in was on wheels but that hasn't stopped me preferring them on floats.

[@larrybrown6265]

I own a Beaver bar room model. Not sure how old it is, I've had it about 40 years. It was a Canadian Whiskey add. Yellow with the whiskey logos. Two blade prop and approx. 84 inch wing span. hung in my classroom over 20 years. Now hangs in our tearoom. Has a plaque with a little history hung between the struts.

[@CAPFlyer]

That is definitely an interesting throttle & prop control technique. Pretty effective though.

[@carmenseeger311]

quite common on radials. same on the An-2, move throttle and prop together and it will be a good power setting and you don’t need to play around :D

[@marlineharrold1937]

Thanks for the video. :D

[@JeffGillis1]

what kind of mini steady cam are you using @ 7:44?

[@albertogarciaarango2411]

Some years ago,the Havilland Beaver was the more important air taxi plane, in america.Strong and really stol plane

[@donvaledon1]

Does the plane have an autopilot?

[@gunsaway1]

Nice Beaver

[@flightsaitek4087]

Impressive take off for the throttle setting. Non stock engine in it?

[@russell461]

It's a stock R-985

[@flightsaitek4087]

Super impressive. Absolutely loved the airframe to find out how much of a powerhouse it is really amazing. Thanks for the reply

[@Bigchuckthewoodchuck]

J. Russell Armstrong Hey Mr. Russell. My KZbin feed just suggested this video to me. I want to get my license so bad, so I’m always looking at stuff. Do you ever fly this one when you come here? Have a great day!!!

[@skylab14]

✅Nice 👍

[@jameshazou]

Lovely video. I used to fly the last British Army Beaver in the AAC Histroic Aircraft Flight. Amazing performance, but it can bite back. Have to be careful low-level maneuvering at low-speed. There is no incipient stall warning, so it can drop a wing in a stall-in-the-turn.

[@hackprine5691]

What did June Cleaver say at the breakfast table..??? ans: "Ward, you were a little hard on the Beaver last night"..............

[@Monsoon.96]

Hardly even recognize it without floats.

[@pauld5530]

Monsoon_96 a Beaver without floats is like a woman without boobs!

[@mirandatennis4628]

the beaver at my airport has no floats

[@johnc.hastie2679]

Did that mean he glad he bough aCSADAIAN BEVUER

[@dpurplefox]

Russell didn,t keep this plane very long

[@BobJones-zf6ie]

Why does the propeller start turning one way and then all of a sudden starts turning the other way....don't explain I'm just yanking yer chain. If I could go back in time I would become a pilot.

[@maricidevamega939]

If my memory serves me correctly, this airplane is the one in "Otter Three Two Calling" that I read almost 40 years ago?

[@maricidevamega939]

Or maybe more likely it is a de Havilland Otter. I just located a book from Amazon and I am going to find out.

[@hackprine5691]

If it were a female pilot... would it be called... " shooting the Beaver?".............