Sean RossiterCritiques

Developed soon after World War II, the de Havilland Beaver has become one of the most successful and long-lived designs in aviation history. The Beaver was conceived as a “half-ton flying pickup truck” capable of setting down on land, water, and snow. Since its conception the Beaver has been adopted worldwide, becoming the floatplane of choice for island-hopping along the Pacific Northwest, flying into the Arctic, transporting missionaries and doctors into remote spots in Africa, and serving as a support aircraft in Antarctic expeditions. The Beaver also became “the generals’ Jeep” during the Korean War — and the generals’ favorite transport to fishing spots in peacetime.

Picture a floatplane. It probably looks a lot like the de Havilland Beaver, the “flying pickup truck” that was developed shortly after the Second World War and still going strong today despite the fact that no new ones are being built. Many of them are in fact being rebuilt—to better than new. There’s a lot to love about Beavers, and this is a solid history of its development and capabilities. There are That said, I found it a bit of a slog at times, and there definitely weren’t enough photos — at least not enough full-size photos. This is the world’s most adorable bush plane (to borrow the subtitle) and there needs to be more photographic demonstration of this scientific fact!