Ultimate Issue: From Radial to Radical

Harbour Air Seaplanes has taken the bold initiative to put electric motors on its de Havilland Beavers fleet.

Monday, August 12, 2024 at 09:00 AM ET

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Based on the experience of the past four years with C-FJOS, Harbour Air has ordered 50 electric propulsion systems from magniX to convert its whole fleet of Beavers and will likely become the first airline to use electric power in scheduled passenger service, possibly by 2026. [Courtesy: Harbor Air Seaplanes/Blago Hristovski]

Key Takeaways:

An iconic DHC-2 Beaver bushplane, CF-JOS, originally built in 1956, is now pioneering electric aviation for scheduled passenger service.
Harbour Air Seaplanes converted CF-JOS to electric power in 2019 and plans to electrify its entire fleet of 50 Beavers by 2026, aiming to be the first airline to use electric power in scheduled service.
This modernization of a vintage aircraft exemplifies the broader aviation industry's push towards environmental responsibility and net-zero carbon goals by 2050.
The shift involves adopting diverse solutions like electric and hybrid systems, sustainable aviation fuels, and new aircraft designs, demonstrating continuous innovation and extended life for proven platforms.

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When it rolled out of the de Havilland factory in Toronto in 1956, DHC-2 Beaver registered as CF-JOS was launched into the typical life of the most iconic bushplane ever built. That is to say its life has been anything but typical because it was purpose built to challenge the norms of aviation in the postwar era.

Tough as nails, able to get in and out of small unimproved runways or high mountain lakes, while carrying a ton of freight, ponderously slow and superbly stable, the Beaver led a renaissance in backcountry air service. It also set standards for safety and reliability in the far-flung wilderness of northern North America.