More jobs!
 

* CARIBOU FREIGHT OPERATION PLANNED: Queensland company Caribou Cargo plans to soon commence operations with a re-engined turbo Caribou STOL transport, pitched at customers in Australia, PNG and Asia who require loads of up to 4500kg to be carried into small or unprepared airstrips.
Company principal, Paul Strike, says the aircraft has been retrofitted by US based Caribou specialist Pen Turbo under a supplementary type certificate (STC) to remove the old radial engines and replace them with PT6A turboprops and associated propellers.

Sounds very interesting.......about to ask me old mate Paul about this venture:)



Seems he is up in PNG again........not answering his phone.

Photos please!

Link here Caribou freight operation planned | Australian Aviation Magazine

Sounds interesting, although 4,500 kgs sounds a bit over the top although I could be wrong.
There was a clip on Youtube a while back with a turbine power Bou going near vertical up and then vertical down ending in a big fire ball.

Good luck to them. :ok:

Anyone got some more info about the operation. Where they are basing, how many aircraft etc etc??

If that is the video clip I think it is, the aircraft was not a DHC4 Caribou re-engined with PT6 turbines (approx 1,400 SHP each), but in fact, the red and white de Havilland company demonstrator DHC5 Buffalo, equipped from new with 2 × General Electric CT64-820-4 turboprop, 3,133 hp (2,336 kW) each.

The accident happened at an air show (Paris from memory?)in the early 1980s and was the result of pilot error, not a fault in the aircraft.

Full, Free and Correct.

Linked edited - just cope and past all after v= and insert between the youtube brackets.

Much Ado

Yes Tail i think that was the one where they left the control lock in if i'm correct.
(I think thats what povopilot has said but i cant see what he posted just a blank post)

It was infact a DHC4. I am led to believe it was the civil varient that was to be released if the testing succeeded.

Date: 27 AUG 1992
Time: 10:20
Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-4T Caribou
Operator: NewCal Aviation
Registration: N400NC
Msn / C/n: 240
Year built: 1965
Crew: 3 fatalities / 3 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Total: 3 fatalities / 3 on board
Airplane damage: Written off
Location: Gimli, MB (Canada)
Phase: Initial climb (ICL)
Nature: Test
Departure airport: Gimli Airport, MB (YGM)
Destination airport: Gimli Airport, MB (YGM)
Narrative:
The aircraft took off for a test flight for a turbine-engine conversion programme. It climbed steeply, rolled to the right and crashed in a nose-down, rightwing-low attitude.

Its happening..........not sure yet what I can post but I wish them well! great project indeed.:ok: Top bloke and all, which is a handicap in this industry it seems:sad:

With the owners permission I will let you know more!

J:ok:

That's the clip I was referring to, control lock left in ! What a sad an unavoidable loss if that was indeed the case.

Anyway on a positive note, good luck to them if it goes ahead certainly would work if it was managed correctly, especially in places like PNG with the current mining boom going on up there at the moment.

Keep us posted Jab.

There's a bunch of Caribous sitting around up at Oakey with the engines already off! I wonder if the RAAF would reconsider their "we will not sell" line? :ok:

The video clip shows the initial test-bed for the Caribou PT6 re-engineering project. The crew DID NOT takeoff with the control locks engaged. Unfortunately due to the re-routing of the engine controls and gustlock with the re-engining, it was possible for the control lock to become engaged without intentional selection by the pilots. Postmortem of the captain indicated he was still attempting to disengage the gustlock at impact. The accident delt a major blow to the aircraft development project.

Sounds Great:ok: I would love to see the 'bou back in the sky, even a turbine model. A nice ride to aspire to once again....


I think the accident you refer to, Tail Wheel, was Farnborough in 1984. Exactly as you described.
ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo C-GCTC Farnborough Airport (FAB)

When the Dash 8s first arrived at Talair the DHC company pilots told the story of that Farnborough crash.

As the Buffalo pilots walked out of the tent the Dash 8 pilot asked him not to make to too spectacular because the then new -8 would be upstaged.

As he walked back in the - 8 pilot said "Gee thanks":hmm:

Apocryphal?

Probably.:E

Yes, that was the Buffalo Demonstrator prang I was thinking of. Havn't seen that video clip for a few years. No injuries except to a few egos and the airframe.

I'd forgotten the DHC4 Caribou prang.

Crew: 3 fatalities / 3 on board
Passengers: 0 fatalities / 0 on board
Total: 3 fatalities / 3 on board
Airplane damage: Written off
Location: Gimli, MB (Canada)

Interesting that it was at Gimli - made famous by the "Gimli Glider" incident.

There have been two previous civil Caribous operating in PNG. Ansett in the 1960's and another more recently which I seem to recall pranged in the Kiunga area.

P2-VTC, tail wheel?

Regarding the Farnborough crash..............

Mmmm..........a bit late on the roundout Hoskins.

With the usual apologies.

I believe the 4500 Kgs of freight is possible due to the reduction in ZFW possible by removing the P&W's and replacing them with the lighter turboprops.