Eastern Air
Command formed a project cell for reconstruction work under Gp Capt CS
Sohoni. After a careful evaluation, it was decided that the reconstruction
work on BM 774, lying at Jorhat, should be attempted first.
A team of one officer and eight airmen worked for more
than two months for the reconstruction of the aircraft. The frame for the
entire 32-feet long wing was fabricated by using MS angles and MS square
pipes. Aluminium ribs were fabricated to provide the leading edge contour.
The tail portion of the aircraft had deteriorated extensively. The
horizontal stabiliser and rudder were missing. These were fabricated with
aluminium sheets. The missing nose cone was completely refabricated and
fitted. In addition, all windows and windshields of cockpit and doors
which were missing were fabricated and fitted. Panels of cargo
compartment, which were also missing, were reconstructed using aluminium
sheets. After repairs, the aircraft was airlifted by IL-76 to Palam. The
parts of the aircraft were then reassembled and the whole aircraft was
painted and brought to display standard.
Caribou (also known as DHC-4) was developed by De
Havilland of Canada. The construction of the aircraft began in 1957 and
the first prototype flew on July 30, 1958. Initially five Caribou were
delivered to the US Army in 1959. The US Army handed over the Caribou to
the Indian Air Force in January 1963, for evaluation in the Himalayan
terrain. The aircraft successfully demonstrated its capability to operate
on short length runways. The Indian Air Force subsequently placed an order
for 20 more Caribou.
Caribou, on induction, were involved in casualty
evacuation after the Chinese aggression. Since then it had been operating
in the difficult terrain of the North Eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh
and Nagaland, and the Mizo Hills. Caribou had been of great value
for transporting men and material for construction of border roads in the
North-East. It was also utilised during the counter-insurgency operations Zonga
in the Mizo hills in 1966.
During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Caribou took part
in Bangladesh operations for supply-dropping missions as well as decoy
drops at Tangail. It also had the distinction of carrying out bombing
missions over targets in the erstwhile East Pakistan. This aircraft was
privileged to fly in Sheikh Mujibur Rehman from Calcutta to Dacca and fly
out Gen Niazi from Dacca to Calcutta. Caribou also dropped nearly
160 tons of food for Bangladesh refugees under operation Annapurna. After
a faithful service of over 24 years, Caribou was phased out from
service on March 31, 1987.
-Sanjeev K Sharma
