De Havilland BC DHBC-1 Dove

From Dominion of British Columbia
De Havilland BC DHBC-1 Dove
Role Airliner
Manufacturer De Havilland BC
National origin British Columbia
Introduction 1947
Retired ---
Primary users Pacific Western Airlines (15)
Air BC (12)
Cubana/Aero Caribbean (9)
Ransome Airlines (8)
Central BC Airways (7)
Number built 73 (BC)
Status One in service

The De Havilland BC DHBC-1 Dove is an eleven-passenger piston-engined airliner built by De Havilland British Columbia between 1947 and 1954 based on the DH.104 Dove type of DHBC's parent company, De Havilland Aircraft of the United Kingdom.

Design & development

The only significant difference between the BC and UK-built versions of the Dove was the use of Hoffar Aero Engines' HIV-12A Harrier 12-cylinder air-cooled inverted-V engine producing 475 hp, giving the BC Dove a major power boost over the UK built versions, including the Dove 7 fitted with 400 hp engines.

Operational history

See also: DHBC-1 Dove operators

The original DH.104 Dove first flew on 25 September 1945, entering service in December 1946 with Central African Airways. DHBC was set up to produce the type during 1946, with the design being modified to use locally produced engines. Designated DHBC-1 Dove, the first was delivered to Associated Airways of Alberta, Canada. A total of 73 were built between 1947 and 1954, being delivered to airlines in BC, Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and the United States. Most remained in regular service until the late 1970s and early 1980s, with a handful continuing into the late 1990s. Two bought by Orca Airways in 1988 remained in service into the 21st century; one of these was retired in 2021, the other continues as the last DHBC Dove in commercial service.

Operators

Operators who took delivery of aircraft new from the factory are marked with a star (★).

Current

Former

  • El Salvador

Production

Deliveries by year

Year 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 Total
Deliveries 12 14 9 11 8 6 4 9 73

Specifications

DHBC-1 Dove DH.104 Dove 7
Crew
2
Passengers
11
Length
39 ft 3 in
Wingspan
57 ft 0 in
Height
13 ft 4 in
Powerplant 2× HAE HIV-12A Harrier
12-cyl air-cooled 60° inverted V piston engine, 475 hp		 2× DH Gipsy Queen 70 Mk.3
6-cyl air-cooled inverted in-line piston engines, 400 hp
Propellers
3-bladed Hawker Siddeley Hydromatic, 7 ft 6 in diam. constant-speed feathering propellers
Maximum speed
225 kn
200 kn
Cruise speed
187 kn
162 kn
Range
805 nmi
760 nmi
Service ceiling
21,700 ft
Years built
1947–1954
1946–1967
Number built
73
544
(all variants)

Accidents & incidents

  • 11 May 1953 Canadian Pacific Air Lines Dove VB-CPD (c/n C221/1947), operating as Flight CP323 from Prince George to Prince Rupert, bounced several times on landing; the third and final bounce was so severe that the nosegear collapsed. Of the three crew and sixteen passengers, the flight attendant and one passenger were killed; the aircraft was written off.
  • 17 March 1957: TACA Dove YS-TGA (c/n C329/1954), operating a flight from San José, Costa Rica to Medellín, Colombia, crashed into the mountainside at Cerro del Padre Amaya. The five passengers and three crew were all killed.
  • 24 June 1957: Associated Airways Dove CF-SCB (c/n C213/1947), making positioning flight to Cape Perry, Northwest Territories, Canada for a charter flight, ran off the runway on landing due to brake failure. Neither crewmember was seriously injured, but the aircraft was written off.
  • 3 May 1959: TACA Dove YS-TGB (c/n C330/1954), operating a flight from Nicoya, Costa Rica to San José, Costa Rica, caught fire shortly after take-off and crashed three miles from the airport. The nine passengers and two crew aboard were all killed.
  • 29 September 1961: Pacific Western Dove VB-CBO (c/n C234/1948), operating as Flight PW397 from Bella Coola to Comox, made an emergency landing at Port Hardy Airport due to a fire in the cabin. All eleven people aboard escaped, but the aircraft burnt out and was written off.
  • 23 June 1969: Dominicana Dove HI-88 (c/n C226/1947), operating as Flight DO401 from Miami, Florida, USA to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, crashed just after take-off. Immediately after the aircraft passed over the end of the runway after lifting off, thick white smoke began to emit from the No. 2 engine along with puffs of black smoke from the No. 1 engine. Declaring an emergency, the crew opted to return to the airport, and after reaching an altitude of 300 feet a left turn towards Runway 27 was made, but the aircraft then lost height and crashed into a building a mile short of the runway. Investigators determined that the crew's confusion whilst attempting to deal with the catastrophic engine failure led to the crash. The two crew and eight passengers, as well as six people on the ground, were killed.
  • 18 March 1981: North Cariboo Air Dove VB-NCA (c/n C291/1952), operating a charter flight from Trail to Spokane, Washington, USA, crashed after making several non-standard turns in the traffic pattern at Spokane. Both crew and all four passengers were killed.

Production list

C/n Year Customer
C212 1947 Associated Airways
C213 1947 Associated Airways
C216 1947 Central BC Airways
C217 1947 Skeena Air Transport
C218 1947 Skeena Air Transport
C219 1947 Cubana de Aviación
C220 1947 Cubana de Aviación
C221 1947 Canadian Pacific Air Lines
C222 1947 Canadian Pacific Air Lines
C225 1947 Dominicana de Aviación
C226 1947 Dominicana de Aviación
C227 1947 Air BC (VIAS)
C228 1948 Air BC (VIAS)
C229 1948 Air BC (VIAS)
C230 1948 Air BC (VIAS)
C234 1948 Central BC Airways
C235 1948 Central BC Airways
C236 1948 Central BC Airways
C238 1948 Canadian Pacific Air Lines
C239 1948 Canadian Pacific Air Lines
C240 1948 Cubana de Aviación
C243 1948 Central BC Airways
C244 1948 Kootenay Airways
C245 1948 Kootenay Airways
C246 1948 Kootenay Airways
C247 1948 Canadian Pacific Air Lines
C248 1949 Canadian Pacific Air Lines
C249 1949 Air BC
C250 1949 Air BC
C251 1949 Inter-Dominion Air Lines
C252 1949 Inter-Dominion Air Lines
C253 1949 Canadian Pacific Air Lines
C254 1949 Cubana de Aviación
C255 1949 Maritime Central Airways
C256 1949 Maritime Central Airways
C257 1950 San Juan Airlines
C258 1950 San Juan Airlines
C259 1950 San Juan Airlines
C260 1950 Air BC
C261 1950 Air BC
C262 1950 Central BC Airways
C263 1950 Central BC Airways
C264 1950 Cubana de Aviación
C265 1950 Dominicana de Aviación
C266 1950 Dominicana de Aviación
C267 1950 Kamloops Air Service
C268 1951 Kamloops Air Service
C272 1951 Air BC
C273 1951 Air BC
C276 1951 Dominicana de Aviación
C277 1951 Pacific Coastal Airlines
C278 1951 Pacific Coastal Airlines
C281 1951 Air BC
C282 1951 Air BC
C291 1952 North Cariboo Air
C292 1952 North Cariboo Air
C293 1952 Pacific Coastal Airlines
C294 1952 Pacific Coastal Airlines
C299 1952 Port Alberni Airways
C300 1952 Port Alberni Airways
C307 1953 North Cariboo Air
C308 1953 Cubana de Aviación
C309 1953 Cubana de Aviación
C319 1953 BCGAS
C329 1954 TACA
C330 1954 TACA
C337 1954 TACA
C338 1954 TACA
C341 1954 Island International Airways
C342 1954 Island International Airways
C343 1954 BC Ambulance Service
C348 1954 Cubana de Aviación
C349 1954 Cubana de Aviación
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