De HAVILLAND C-7A CARIBOU
With a long history of designing light transports with excellent short take-off and landing capabilities, Canada’s De Havilland Aircraft Company stood in perfect position to exploit the instability of the post-World War II world. Limited military incursions and small brush fire wars erupted in a near continuous stream throughout the decades following the surrender of the Axis powers. With a firm commitment to stemming the spread of Soviet style communism the United States needed a rugged, dependable, transport capable of landing on primitive strips in poorly developed war zones.
The high-wing, twin-engine C-7A Caribou with its light footprint, capacious cargo load and short takeoff and landing capability fit the United States needs perfectly. In 1959, the United States Army ordered 173 Caribous with the first deliveries in 1962, just as US involvement in Southeast Asia began heating up. The Caribou’s record in Vietnam with the United States Air Force and Army, as well as with civilian agency operators like Air America, was impressive. With the ability to land on strips with as little as a 1,200-foot runway or, when necessary, airdrop at low altitudes and extremely slow speeds the Caribou kept supplies flowing in the most trying of conditions.
The museum’s C-7A Caribou serial number 63-9757 was delivered to the United States Army in 1965 and assigned to the 17thAviation Company before being immediately deploying to Vietnam. Flying out of An Khe until 1967 before being transferred to the United States Air Force along with all other United States Army C-7A Caribous in the U.S. inventory.
Although transferred to the US Air Force as part of an agreement granting the Air Force control of all fixed wing aircraft, 63-9757 remained at An Khe and was assigned to the 537th Tactical Airlift Squadron. A part of the 483rd Tactical Airlift Wing, the 537th flew combat support operations flying into and out of hot landing strips delivering men and material to 1st Cavalry Division troops and Special Forces camps engaged in combat with Vietnamese communist forces until it was withdrawn from Vietnam in 1971.
Returning to the United States 63-9757 served in the 357th Tactical Airlift Squadron, 908th Tactical Airlift Group, 94th Tactical Airlift Wing (AFRES) before being returned to the United States Army National Guard. In 1991 the aircraft was assigned to the Hill Air Force Base Museum where it stayed on exhibit until 2024 when it was moved to the March Field Air Museum. The aircraft will be reassembled and restored to its 357th TAS Vietnam service livery.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Crew: Three
Capacity: Thirty-two troops / twenty-six fully-equipped paratroops / twenty-two stretchers, four sitting patients and four attendants
Length: 72 ft 7 in
Wingspan: 95 ft 7.5 in
Height: 31 ft 9 in
Weight: 18,260 lb
Maximum payload: 8,740 lb
Maximum zero fuel weight: 27,000 lb
Max takeoff weight: 28,500 lb
Maximum landing weight: 28,500 lb
Fuel capacity: 830 US gal.
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7M2 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 1,450 hp.
Propellers: 3-bladed Hamilton Standard type 43D50-7107A fully-feathering constant-speed reversible-pitch propellers
Maximum speed: 215 mph, at 6,500 ft
Cruise speed: 182 mph, at 7,500 ft
Stall speed: sixty-eight mph.
Range: 1,307 mi
Service ceiling: 24,800 ft.
Caribou C-7A #63-9757
1965 Construction # 220 de Havilland
Delivered to the U.S. Army CV-2B 1/29/1965 63-9757.
CV-2B 63-9757 Assigned to 17th Aviation Company, U.S. Army
C-7A 1/1/1967 63-9757 Transferred to USAF – assigned to the 537th Sq. Tactical Airlift Wing Pacific Air Force U.S. A. F.
C-7A 9/71 63-9757 Returned to the Sacramento Air Materiel Area McClellan AFB, CA
C-7A 12/71 63-9757 Assigned Air Materiel Area (AMA) Warner-Robins AFB, GA
C-7A 5/72 63-9757 Assigned to 908TAG – Maxwell AFB (AFRES) U.S. Air Force
C-7A 9/77 63-9757 Assigned to 357TAS/908TAG/94TAW (AFRES)
C-7A 10/83 39757 Returned to U.S. Army U.S. Army (UT ARNG)
C-7A 11/83 39757 West Jordan, UT U.S. Army (UT ARNG)
C-7A 11/83 39757 Assigned to 19th SF Gp. (UT ARNG)
C-7A 1991 39757 Assigned to Utah State STARC (State Area Command) U.S. Army (UT ARNG)
C-7A 8/23/1991 39757 Flown to Hill AFB, UT and delivered to Hill Aerospace Museum USAF
C-7A 8/29/1991 63-9757 Accepted by Hill Aerospace Museum for static display.
C-7A 7/24 63-9757 March Field Air Museum