OzMods 1/144 de Havilland DHC-4 Caribou By Chris Banyai-Riepl

Overview

The fourth design from de Havilland, the DHC-4 Caribou was the first twin from the company and quite a bit larger than its earlier designs. Created in response to a U.S. Army requirement for a tactical airlift aircraft, the first Caribou flew on July 30, 1958. With the typical excellent STOL capabilities familiar to de Havilland designs, the Army was impressed with the Caribou and ordered 159 aircraft. Designated the C-7, the Caribou saw combat operations in Vietnam, with both U.S. and Australian forces. Other military operators included Spain, Oman, Malaysia and India.

While mainly a military aircraft, some civil usage of the Caribou occurred. Ansett MAL operated the type in New Guinea. Other non-military operators included Greatland Air Cargo, Air Inuit, Intermountain Aviation, and Wardair Canada.

The Kit

This release from OzMods provides the only 1/144 Caribou kit that I know about. Luckily it is an excellent kit, well cast in a brown resin. The kit features recessed panel lines throughout, with white metal landing gear and propellers. A small decal sheet provides markings for Australian and U.S. Army examples, and for those ambitious souls a couple of vacuformed canopies are included.

Construction is very simple and straightforward, with most of the parts molded as solid pieces. The one-piece fuselage has notches in the fin for the horizontal stabilizer pieces, and a notch in the top for the one-piece wing. The wing itself has the engine nacelles molded in place, as well as all the flap hinges. The landing gear has metal struts with resin wheels, which will help greatly in supporting the weight of what ultimately will be a solid resin model. The packaging of the parts is very well done, with the wing and fuselage wrapped in bubble wrap. The smaller parts are taped to card stock, making sure they don't get broken in transit.

The decals provide markings for both RAAF and U.S. Army Caribous, all of which are camouflaged in one way or another. The first two RAAF options are overall dark green, with the third option camouflaged in standard SEA camouflage. The latter, and one of the overall dark green planes, are from No. 35 Squadron and feature the squadron marking of an orange band outlined in white, with a white kangaroo superimposed on top. The remaining RAAF example dates from the late 1980s and has reduced visibility markings.

The two U.S. Army examples date from the 1960s and are finished in overall gloss olive drab. Both are from the 61st Aviation Company and served in Vietnam. The first, serialed 12593, carried the name "Snake Eater 2" on the nose. The second, serialed 24171, had the name "Gizmotch" on the nose, with a set of eyes. The decals are well printed and include a set of cabin windows.

Conclusion

This is a wonderful kit of the Caribou, and a welcome addition to any 1/144 collection, either military or civilian. The great number of operators throughout the world means that there are lots of great options for markings out there. If you want to add a nice twin to your 1/144 collection, check this kit out.