De Havilland Aircraft of British Columbia Ltd. (DHBC) was an aircraft manufacturer of British Columbia active from 1929 to 1993. Along with Supermarine British Columbia and Hoffar Aero Engines it was one of the "Big Three" of the aviation industry of British Columbia.

History

The company was established in 1929 by the British de Havilland Aircraft Company to build aircraft for the British Columbian market, both civilian and military, and subsequently designed and produced indigenous designs as well.

Having gained extensive experience building piston-powered commercial aircraft after the Second World War, in 1956 DHBC began production of its largest commercial airliner to that point, a 60 passenger development of the DH (UK) Heron. This paved the way for a transition to jet airliners in the form of the DHBC-7 Trident, a variant of the British Hawker Siddeley HS-121 Trident, and ultimately the DHBC-9 Kehloke.

Products

The very first DHBC aircraft, the DH.50B built for Vancouver Island Air Service (G-BCVI, c/n C1/1929) in its original livery, as preserved at the Royal BC Museum.

Civilian types

DH.50B Bluebird, 1929–1932, 4 passenger light airliner
DH.66 Hercules, 1929, 7 passenger light airliner/mailplane
DH.84 Dragon, 1933–1935, 6-10 passenger airliner
DH.86C Express, 1935–1936, 10-16 passenger airliner
DH.89C Dragon Rapide, 1935–1946, 8 passenger airliner; military version designated DH.89D Dominie
DH.90B Dragonfly, 1937–1939, 6 passenger light airliner/mailplane
DH.91B Albatross, 1938, 28 passenger airliner
DH.95B Flamingo, 1939–1948, 17 passenger airliner
DHBC-1 Dove, 1947–1954, 11 passenger airliner
DHBC-2 Heron, 1951–1964, 14–17 passenger airliner
DHBC-3B Sandpiper, 1955–1960, licence-built Percival Pembroke, 10 passenger airliner/utility aircraft; military version designated DHBC-3A Victoria
DHBC-4 Skylark, 1956–1964, 50-60 passenger airliner
DHBC-5 Swan, 1963–1973, 55–70 passenger airliner
DHBC-6 Twin Otter, 1966-1977, licence built De Havilland Canada DHC-6 for BC customers, 20 passenger airliner/utility aircraft
DHBC-7 Trident, 1966–1986, derivative of Hawker Siddeley HS-121 Trident, several variants of trijet airliner
DHBC-9 Kehloke, 1983–1993, twinjet airliner; last DHBC product

Military types

Production

Constructor's Number (c/n) 1 was the first aircraft built by DHBC, a DH.50B Bluebird. When production of military types began in 1932 with the DH.82 Tiger Moth, the first DH.82 received c/n M1, and the prefix C was retroactively added to the c/n of commercial types already built. Even if built for a military customer, a type officially designated "civilian" received a C number; similarly, in the rare case of an officially "military" type being built for a civilian customer, it received an M number.

Civilian types

Production of types by year

Type \ Year	1929	1930	1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949
DH.50 Bluebird	3	5	2	4
DH.66 Hercules	4
DH.84 Dragon					22	20	12
DH.86 Express							4	8
DH.89 Dragon Rapide/Dominie							10	14	14	20	13	5	4	0	2	0	0	3
DH.90 Dragonfly									9	6	1
DH.91 Albatross										3
DH.95 Flamingo											4	6	4	0	0	0	0	9	4	6
DHBC-1 Dove																			12	14	9
Total	7	5	2	4	22	20	26	22	23	29	18	11	8	0	2	0	0	12	16	20	9

Type \ Year	1950	1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960	1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969
DHBC-1 Dove	11	8	6	4	9
DHBC-2 Heron		7	18	12	20	25	29	37	27	21	29	21	24	9	6
DHBC-3 Sandpiper/Victoria						19	20	4	7
DHBC-4 Skylark							2	4	13	13	17	23	24	16	3
DHBC-5 Swan														5	28	36	33	36	43	24
DHBC-6 Twin Otter																	6	6	17	9
DHBC-7 Trident																	3	9	21	33
Total	11	15	24	16	29	44	51	45	47	34	46	45	48	30	37	36	42	51	81	56

Type \ Year	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993
DHBC-5 Swan	17	7	9	6
DHBC-6 Twin Otter	9	6	7	6	6	7	8	4
DHBC-7 Trident	40	57	66	64	69	66	60	45	37	54	52	40	43	41	25	25	22	15
DHBC-9 Kehloke														1	2	3	14	18	25	25	26	31	28	37
Total	66	70	82	76	75	73	68	49	37	54	52	40	43	42	27	28	36	33	25	25	26	31	28	37