DHC8 #1

Kosiw · Post by **Kosiw** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:31 am

Who owns and where is the very first Dash 8 every built ? Is it at the Canadian National Aviation Musuem in Ottawa or does Bombardier still have it? Or....?

grimey · Post by **grimey** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 7:27 am

The oldest one I can find in Canada's civil air register is serial number 003, made in 1983.

http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/activepage ... archtype=2

Snowgoose · Post by **Snowgoose** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:01 am

Doesn't serial #1 go through destructive testing?

Dash7nomad · Post by **Dash7nomad** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:23 am

Believe serial #1 was delivered to Norontair during the early1980's.

linecrew · Post by **linecrew** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 8:23 am

The prototype DASH-8, C-GDNK, first flew as a -100 on June 20th 1983.

http://www.airlinehobby.com/fullsize_th ... 213442.jpg

I was sick from grade school the day they brought it to YOW to do
circuits. I still remember thinking how sleek it looked compared to the
usual City Express Dash 7's and CanForce and Air Ontario Convair 580s
we were used to seeing.

C-GDNK then got stretched and flew as the first -300 series in May 1987.

http://www.airlinehobby.com/fullsize_th ... 649321.jpg

I have seen a picture of how this airframe ended up and it's not pretty.
Somewhere in the States, the cockpit section was cut off and all usable
parts removed. I assume it was scrapped after that.

vanishing point · Post by **vanishing point** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 11:16 am

#003 was GGOM recently retired from JAZZ. I heard it went back to the leasing company. Don't know where it is now.

Rumour was the NAM was interested in it.

I think #002 is in a desert somewhere and #001 (as mentioned) was scrapped.

Kosiw · Post by **Kosiw** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:28 pm

Thats too bad about Dash 8 #1 being scrapped, kinda a loss of some CDN aviation history, I know Dash 7 #1 is at the Ottawa museum, and I think the first Twin Otter is there as well, though not a 100% sure...anyone know where the rest of the "firsts" of the deHavilland series are....would be neat to know...

Trevor · Post by **Trevor** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 12:47 pm

Beaver #1 is in the NAM too. Not sure about the Chipmunk, Otter, Caribou and Buffalo.

pushyboss · Post by **pushyboss** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:03 pm

Norontair took delivery of serial #6 in 1988. Serial #6 C-GJCB was the first commercially registered DHC-8 in Canada. An earlier serial number went to Mobil Oil. JCB was also the first crashed DHC-8. It took out the approach lights in Sault Ste. Marie on a training flight in '88.

VSF · Post by **VSF** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 1:06 pm

i've seen a picture in the sault of a dash 8 with one of the props impaled into the fuselage. was that one of the protos?

Siddley Hawker · Post by **Siddley Hawker** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:11 pm

That's the one. JCB was the initials of Jimmy Bell, a long-time CP of Austin Airways.

W5 · Post by W5 » Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:16 pm

I flew GOM (#003) and GTO (#005) with City Express in 85/86.
GOM was leased from Air BC, and flew around in those colours.
Norontair also had some -8's at that time.

The Hammer · Post by **The Hammer** » Tue Nov 08, 2005 6:19 pm

VSF wrote:i've seen a picture in the sault of a dash 8 with one of the props impaled into the fuselage. was that one of the protos?

And that was the beginning of the nick name "Tony bent one wing"

pushyboss · Post by **pushyboss** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:50 am

Actually it was "Tony Prang One Wing"

wrc · Post by **wrc** » Wed Nov 09, 2005 12:40 pm

I remember that clown from my Austin days. He wanted to hire me for his loser Ontario Express outfit. It was funny since he had just crashed the Dash 8, in 86 BTW, and now said he "didn't like the Dash 8".
The Shell guy in YAM gave me some pics of the dash smash just after while refueling our Austin rig. Tony Bend-a-wing

Canoehead · Post by **Canoehead** » Thu Nov 10, 2005 8:42 am

Here's a link to the report for PYD. I believe this airplane went to New Zealand when the NorOntair ops ceased (not sure though).

I know the AME who put that thing back together. Part of it involved a "splint" on the spar of the damaged wing. Apparently from that point on, DeHavilland wanted to hire him for years. He declined all offers.

He's still in the Soo maintaining the "Czech Air Force"

http://www.avsaf.org/reports/CANADA/198 ... -8-101.pdf

linecrew · Post by **linecrew** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 7:37 pm

Found number 002. It was donted by Bombardier to a tech school in Tuscon Arizona.

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/950977/L/