Can't agree more. The door was designed that way as s specification to get a 45 gal drum in either way up, and open flaps down. Apparently the majority of 820s sisters ended up back in the USA and Canada. They do fly like a truck.
Many of our retired AL1s are still flying Paul but as you say, perfect for FIGAS. This one is still flying nicely and is just getting a new pilot bedded in.
@@Flingwing24 FIGAS operated about 7 beavers and 1 Norseman till replaced by BN2 Islanders, and a UH-1 acquired from Argentina in 1982. Some of the floats from the beavers where used as pontoons as late as 1982
Funny you should say that. Just in the last 24 I have seen an image of the bright red UH1. I wasn't aware of it until then. I did a tour 84/85 out on mount Alice. I understand the FIGAS Beavers were pretty trashed.
A beaver without floats is like a duck with wheels for feet and I don't know what's worse. Poor thing. Tragedy. Shame the P&W plate photo isn't straight-on, could be used for decals but ebays a good source for that. Some great flix buried in there! So ugly with gear. Frankenstol. Just awful.
See....we as an Army had zero use for a floatplane and in fact, I think they look hideous with floats. Loads of drag, no good for landing in a field, bit like the USS enterprise upside down.
@@Flingwing24 :) But they did have use for a floatplane! Needed it so bad for land missions that they put wheels on one! I don't look at it like floats cause loads of drag, just because there is less drag when removed. It's been said before the Beaver may have been designed from the start as a stol floatplane intended to fly slow but powerful, hence the large wing and flaps, and R-985. It flies exactly as it should with floats. Lets talk about stowed canoe drag, or quad atv rigged to floats drag...lol. EDO floats are aerodynamic af, I just wonder if the steps need a redesign update to keep up with the times. Those H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Race Boat Teams just keep adding more and more step each season lol.
That’s as maybe, but this cab belonged to the British Army and did exactly what we wanted of it. We did fit skis but floats were not (as far as I know) used on the British AL1, which this is. Perfect for task, saved a lot of lives in various ways, and has legendary STOL capacity. As for ugly....unnecessary 😢. I spent some happy times in this one over a couple of years, she deserves better than ugly chap😉
Funny old thing saying that but the Beaver was designed from the start for floats. Problem was that Downsview was land locked, so they had to fit wheels. Good job they did as an awful lot of Beavers would never have been bought, given the lions share went to the US Army etc.
Ahh the lifeline of many small communities in Canada and Alaska. Love the Beaver ever since I first flew in one.
Can't agree more. The door was designed that way as s specification to get a 45 gal drum in either way up, and open flaps down. Apparently the majority of 820s sisters ended up back in the USA and Canada. They do fly like a truck.
Love a bit of beaver 😜 seriously folks, The were the mainstay of the Falklands air service for many reasons
Many of our retired AL1s are still flying Paul but as you say, perfect for FIGAS. This one is still flying nicely and is just getting a new pilot bedded in.
@@Flingwing24 FIGAS operated about 7 beavers and 1 Norseman till replaced by BN2 Islanders, and a UH-1 acquired from Argentina in 1982.
Some of the floats from the beavers where used as pontoons as late as 1982
Funny you should say that. Just in the last 24 I have seen an image of the bright red UH1. I wasn't aware of it until then. I did a tour 84/85 out on mount Alice. I understand the FIGAS Beavers were pretty trashed.
A beaver without floats is like a duck with wheels for feet and I don't know what's worse. Poor thing. Tragedy. Shame the P&W plate photo isn't straight-on, could be used for decals but ebays a good source for that. Some great flix buried in there! So ugly with gear. Frankenstol. Just awful.
See....we as an Army had zero use for a floatplane and in fact, I think they look hideous with floats. Loads of drag, no good for landing in a field, bit like the USS enterprise upside down.
@@Flingwing24 :) But they did have use for a floatplane! Needed it so bad for land missions that they put wheels on one!
I don't look at it like floats cause loads of drag, just because there is less drag when removed. It's been said before the Beaver may have been designed from the start as a stol floatplane intended to fly slow but powerful, hence the large wing and flaps, and R-985. It flies exactly as it should with floats.
Lets talk about stowed canoe drag, or quad atv rigged to floats drag...lol. EDO floats are aerodynamic af, I just wonder if the steps need a redesign update to keep up with the times. Those H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Race Boat Teams just keep adding more and more step each season lol.
That’s as maybe, but this cab belonged to the British Army and did exactly what we wanted of it. We did fit skis but floats were not (as far as I know) used on the British AL1, which this is. Perfect for task, saved a lot of lives in various ways, and has legendary STOL capacity. As for ugly....unnecessary 😢. I spent some happy times in this one over a couple of years, she deserves better than ugly chap😉
Funny old thing saying that but the Beaver was designed from the start for floats. Problem was that Downsview was land locked, so they had to fit wheels. Good job they did as an awful lot of Beavers would never have been bought, given the lions share went to the US Army etc.