2007-Vol.-35-No.-05-DHC-2-de-Havilland-Beaver

DHC-2 de Havilland

Beaver Making a silk purse out of a . . .? by Budd Davisson

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de Havilland Beaver is one of those airplanes that is nearly impossible to be ambivalent about: You either love it, or you just don’t get it. In fact, you can tell where a person’s head is at concerning airplanes by making one simple statement: “De Havilland Beavers are cool, aren’t they?” If the listener launches off on his own series of positive adjectives, he’s one of “us.” If he says, “Are you nuts? It’s slow, noisy, ugly, greasy, and huge,” he isn’t one of us, although he has just run down

the list of some of the airplane’s more endearing qualities. Doug DeVries of Kenmore, Washington, is one of those who definitely gets it. However, those who are used to seeing Beavers that have a distinct rode-hard-put-away-wet patina are going to think Doug has his own definition of “it,” because even though his is ridden hard, he’s riding it in high style and comfort. And it is seldom put away wet. It’s possible that Doug’s 1955 Mk.1 Beaver may be one of the most luxurious Beavers in existence. At the very least, it has to be one of the

STEVE SCHULTE

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Doug DeVries, center, and his two friends Jim Clark (left) and Steve Samuelson (right) bask in the reflected sunshine from one of the cleanest Beavers flying today. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19