de Havilland DHC-2 BeaverDHC 2 Beaver airplane model. de Havilland Canada's first purpose designed bush aircraft, the Beaver was that company's most successful program sales wise (both military or civil), with almost 1700 built in a production run lasting two decades. Beaver development work began in 1946 and the Ontario Department of Lands and Forests had considerable input into the final design and configuration of this rugged and versatile utility. A prototype flew on

patrol aircraft

and P2V-1s began to enter service in March 1947 and proved effective in their role

After WW II

search and rescue guidance and communications relay

General (then Captain) Charles E

within a year

which was commissioned on November 1

interdiction

the aircraft was extensively modified for the Air Force's Short Takeoff and Landing Maneuvering Technology Demonstrator (S/MTD) program

The V-1 was used to attack London from sites near Calais

The blunt-end design for the Command Module was chosen to build upon experience gained with the similarly shaped Mercury and Gemini spacecraft

Designed for air superiority