REVIEW: HERPA 558792 Wardair DeHavilland Canada DHC-7 Dash 7 1978

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Herpa Wings
558792
Wardair Canada DeHavilland Canada DHC-7-103 "Dash 7"
C-GXVF "Don Braun"
Yellowknife, North West Territories, Canada 1978
1/200 Scale

Announced as part of the 11/12 2017 Catalog.

Available February 2018.

In 1946 Maxwell W. Ward founded the Polaris Charter Company at Yellowknife, North West Territories flying a single DeHavilland Fox Moth. In 1952 the airline was formed as Wardair and operations began in June 1953 using a single engine De Havilland Canada Otter. In 1962 it entered the trans-atlantic charter market using leased DC-6Bs and changed its name to Wardair Canada Ltd. Ward purchased Canada's first Boeing Jetliner B727-100 in 1966 and added a pair of B707-320s shortly after. Wardair's first of two B747-100s arrived in 1973. Later two new B747-200s were added to the fleet as well as three DC-10-30s. Wardair was immensely successful in the Canadian Holiday leisure market. Flights to Europe, Hawaii and the Caribbean were the core markets and passengers marvelled at the "Wardair Class" level of service.

While Wardair was primarily known to Canadians for Jet service to holiday destinations - Wardair’s “Northern Division” continued to operate and serve Canada’s North out of its’ headquarters in Yellowknife. Wardair’s Northern Division acquired their first Bristol Freighter in 1957. In fact Wardair Captain Don Braun landed a Wardair Bristol Freighter at the Geographic North Pole on May 5th 1967 (the first wheel equipped aircraft to do so). DeHavilland Canada products were aways forefront with Wardair’s Northern Operations. Wardair DHC Beavers, Otters, and later Twin Otters flew throughout the vast Canadian North. It was only natural, given Wardair’s long association with DeHavilland products, that Wardair would be the first Canadian Airline to order the “Dash 7”. It was also natural that Wardair would name their first Dash 7 “Don Braun”.

Wardair purchased two Dash 7s in 1978 and operated them until the Northern Division was sold off in 1979.

The model by Herpa is an excellent representation of DeHavilland Canada’s DHC-7. Notably the landing gear now only comes fixed in the down position. The finer details are all on the model. Even the landing lights on the nose gear door and on the wing leading edges are represented (a fraction of a millimetre in size!). The registration is correctly printed in white under the port wing as well. The anti glare panel on the nose was added later to the actual aircraft - so the model represents how the aircraft looked when first delivered to Wardair.

Overall another gorgeous Dash-7 model by Herpa. Highly recommended.

Dan




Delivery ceremony at Downsview of Wardair’s first DHC-7. Max Ward is visible at the Podium.




Wardair’s Dash 7 at the North Pole. Note the landing light on the nose wheel door which is present on the model.