BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Tues Dec 30 2025
REBIRTH OF THE BEAVER THREAD into the new HPA site
I now have the Beaver almost done. I kept building for five weeks since the Hip site went down Nov 26 2025. My last post was Reply #318 on Nov 23 2025, putting six pics into almost every reply. I started this model June 13 2025, so that is about 6 months worth of taking pics editing and writing text, and blogging about my favorite hobby. I will try and see what I can post out of all that now. I still have my, 'now full', Studio Notebook 9" x 6" of 250 ruled pages of diary handwritten Journal, and I have just my own comments, my own text, and my pic numbering is saved for all of my replies on my computer. So .... it is possible to re-post a lot of the original build thread, and lots that I could cut out also.
I would like to start off with some cool Beaver pics, and then the kit contents after that. For my build, I pinned my two large plan sheets onto a 3/16" x 20" x 30" white foam board (built up to 36" x 24" backing), and I stood it up on my sofa chair, and I just pin everything on it as I go, so I can readily see it all the time. The two pics of the two large plan sheets are not the greatest, and I included those 'rough' plan pics, so you can see the details and features of the model before you buy it. And for whatever it is worth, you get my kit review evaluation, and build, to refer to as well.
I intended to build the Beaver exactly as per plan, but I made a lot of changes in order to strengthen it up for free flight rubber powered landings, in a Cricket field of 110 yards by 130 yards, slight oval.
Pic #1 BEAVER AND CANOE
Pic #2 BEAVER CROSSWIND LANDING WITH CANOE
Pic #3 BEAVER HAULING IN A CANOE
Pic #4 BEAVER WITH A LOAD OF LUMBER ON EACH FLOAT
And that is the start of the Phoenix rising out of the ashes ....
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Wed Dec 31 2025
More re-posting of the lost build part ....
Here are four more pics of float Beavers.
Song: Song of the Old Bush Pilot 6 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvPHUJSonOs
6 min 41 sec
Pic #1 BEAVER FREEBIRD WILDERNESS TOURS
Pic #2 BEAVER AT ADVENTURE AIR
Pic #3 BEAVER BEST ONE
Pic #4 BEAVER FLOATPLANE AND LODGE
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Wed Dec 31 2025
Reply #2
It was time to turn my retirement attention "span" to a new build. I was looking for a new 30" high wing model to bash around and fly in the Cricket field of Jackson Park, Windsor, Ontario.
The local hobby store, Windsor Hobbies, had one in stock .... a DH C-2 Beaver, kit 306, with over 80 laser cut parts.
Pic #1 Alaska Seaplanes Beaver
Pic #2 Beaver 1
Pic #3 Beaver 2
Pic #4 Beaver Ballad by the Fretless Bar Girls
Song: Beaver Ballad by the Fretless Bar Girls
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w_v0k57KhE
4 min 17 sec
eleven paragraphs of song lyrics are under the title
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Wed Dec 31 2025
Reply #3
And four more preliminary pics ...
Pic #1 Beaver Dumas Kit 30 inch
Pic #2 Dumas Beaver Kit
Pic #3 Beaver On Still Water
Pic #4 Beaver Fly In Trip
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Wed Dec 31 2025
Reply #4
I now don't think I will put floats on it, just because I will fly it in the park's Cricket Field. But I just might put wheelpants on it. I have a big sheet of 1/8" balsa that I could use to make wheelpants parts from, the same size of the wheelpants of my best flying model, that I beat to death with many Flight reports and repairs - my Dumas 30 inch Rearwin Speedster, which is now out of commission, and all my Speedster Flight reports and detailed repairs are now gone into the ether with the recent final crash - I can just trace out the wheelpant parts from the Speedster plan, and they should fit. I got a 42 sec flight from that Speedster.
Pic #1 Beaver on Skiis With Dog Sled Team
Pic #2 Beaver leaving packs are ashore
Pic #3 Beaver Painting
Pic #4 Beaver Russel Armstrong 1
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Wed Dec 31 2025
Reply #5
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306 June 16 2025
This is a great old documentary from the 1970s, flying in the North of the Province of Manitoba (and monster lake Winnipeg). The province of Manitoba lies just west of, and right beside, the province of Ontario, Canada.
Planes include BrittenNorman2, Beaver, Otter, Buck 80, Buck 85 which is a Funk Model B, Cessna206, and Cessna207, and the Norseman, the poor man's Beaver.
There is a lot of good reminiscing in the comments by old pilots ...
Title : Bush Pilot: Reflections on a Canadian Myth
Filmed in 1980 22 min documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlI2qAzQh9U
National Film Board of Canada
Pic #1 Lakes of Northwestern Ontario
Pic #2 Beavers are the coolest planes
Pic #3 Beaver Viking Air
Pic #4 Beavers Four at a Time
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Wed Dec 31 2025
Reply #6
This thread is open to anyone with good pics and or stories and or videos about anything regarding Beaver aircraft - it should just be a fun thread.
And here is a very short 33 sec video of a float Beaver fly by, and the sound of the Wasp engine
Radial Engine Roar | DHC-2 Beaver Takeoff
TheHDAviation 32 SEC June 18 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q13tN9y9jE&t=24s
And a link to the Beaver on Wikipedia
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Canada_DHC-2_Beaver
Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_R-985_Wasp_Junior
Pic #1 Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior 9 cylinder air cooled engine
Pic #2 NORSEMAN PLANE OF TEARS PLAQUE
Pic #3 NORSEMAN PLANE OF TEARS
Pic #4 NORSEMAN PLANE OF TEARS 2
Lastwoodsman
Richard
First Photo in post #5 Is a Norseman not a Beaver
Yes, Post #4 Pic #1 is a Norseman not a Beaver - I forgot about that - now I remember .... good catch!
Edit My 'modify' time allotted to change my text, under 'more' , has expired so I cannot fix it. :o
The definitive source of Beaver information is on Neil Aird's DH2 Beaver site
https://dhc-2.com/
He has a full listing of all 1,692 Beavers produced and photos of 1,288 of them. Many have details of their ownership and history.
As a mining geologist with over 50 years of bush flying in Canada's North, I have flown in many Beavers, some of which I can trace on his site.
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Thur Jan 1 2026
Reply #10
Hi JohnOSullivan! Thanks for the link again, and filling in that gap in my build thread! I was just about to write how I lost all the contributions and pics and links from other modelers, that helped make the Beaver an interesting topic.
"As a mining geologist with over 50 years of bush flying in Canada's North, I have flown in many Beavers, some of which I can trace on his site." Wow John! 8) Please feel free to chime in any time with any stories pics comments links. I was trying to make mining and rough air strips the theme for the Alaskan Bush-Wheeled Beaver. It would need a proper Diorama Mining-based theme, for a model show, though. Prospectors are the real deal as far as the outdoorsmen go. I met a couple of them. I digress. ;D You got me going ....
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Thur Jan 1 2026
Reply #11 This is the continued re-post of the lost original thread.
I hope everyone has a Happy New Year. Things are really looking up as far as the new HPA site goes!
I am finding out what a daunting task it is to re-post my entire old original Beaver thread, from it's start June 13 2025 to the HPA crash of Nov 26 2025 - especially changing from six pics per post max, down to four pics per post max, and losing the comments that made the thread interesting.
In talking with George about this, he recommended to post some of the current latest progress and pics (Nov 26 2025 onwards to the present), and post some of the lost old thread, at the same time, as I go, and try not get mixed up.
Well, .... I have to split them up - the current re-post (this one I am typing) of the old lost Beaver thread will some take time, and will go from its inception June 13 2025, up to and eventually stopping at Nov 26 2025.
In the meantime, I have a lot of posts and pics and text ready, from Nov 26 to the present day, of the continuing final stages of the build, that I have not posted yet. I will start these posts on a separate 2nd
no 2 Beaver thread, so I don't get anything mixed up.
I will use the following Subject title as number 2:
"BEAVER DH C2 no 2 30 INCH RUBBER PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306 Nov 25 2025 to Present"
The no 1 is the original re-post topic I am in right now:
"BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306"
That is the plan .... here goes ....
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Fri Jan 2 2026
Reply #12
Hi Bjrn. Thanks for the link to the Beaver pictures. Hi Bjrn - I lost you link in the crash. Feel free to post it back in if you want.
Hi Dput Dave. I don't think I will put floats on it, just because I will fly it in the park's Cricket Field. But I just might put wheelpants on it. I have a big sheet of 1/8" balsa that I could use to make wheelpants parts from, the same size of the wheelpants of my best flying model, that I beat to death with many Flight reports and repairs - my Dumas 30 inch Rearwin Speedster, which is now out of commission, and all my Speedster Flight reports and detailed repairs are now gone into the ether with the recent HPA site crash - I can just trace out the wheelpant parts from the Speedster plan, and they should fit. I got a 42 sec flight from that Speedster.
I am also looking for a sheet of 1/2" x 4 ft x 8 ft of Homasote Board (34 pounds) of fire resistant pressed fibre board, of unfaced cellulose with sound barrier board insulation. It used to be called 'Beaver Board' in the olden days, and was used for bulletin boards, and modellers boards, because it takes round head pins readily. I have to watch out for warps. Apparently they are not sold in Canada any more, according to Home Depot. There is plenty to do in the meantime, including a mandatory trip to Staples to make a copy of the two kit plan pages.
Pic #1 Homasote Board at Home Hardware 37 dollars
Pic #2 Homasote
Pic #3 Is this a Beaver with wheelpants
Pic #4 Vintage wheel pants
Lastwoodsman
Richard
PS I lost the link to the floor tiles that can be used - I wrote it down somewhere - I can't find it ...
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Fri Jan 2 2025
Reply #13
With the final Hip Pocket Aeronautics modeling web site "crash" of Nov 26 2025, I regrettably lost the comments and pics of fellow modeller JOE H. He had great pics and stories for this Beaver build, about Alaska and Beavers and fishing and hunting - a real outdoorsman before cellphones.
Bruce Feaver, Shoeless Bruce, Sundance12, Bruce/Ratz, would you please email JOE H and send him a link to this new HIP site we are on right now, to help him get here? Thank you.
JOE H also had a 24" Guillow's Beaver model that he was flying without landing gear. He started a thread where he was putting actual floats on it. I hope Joe show back up. I thought I had his pics save somewhere - I can only find his Beaver pic, so far ...
Pic #1 JOE H's 24" Guillow's Beaver
Well, I looked out at the balcony porch at 3:20 pm. It was 24 Deg F (feels like 17 deg F) or -5 deg C (feels like -9 deg C). Was that deep dish plate of water ever crowded! There was four or five in there splashing around in the fresh, not frozen, water, like mad - never saw that many before - the House sparrows - all of them all together, having a good time!
Pic #2 0833 Sparrows
Pic #3 0834 Sparrows
Pic #4 How about these wheelpants
My response to Joe was :
Joe .... - Beaver flights into a LOT of remote lakes ? Wow, that is the life ... I only had three Beaver flights in and out, guiding for fishing out of the small town of Sioux Lookout in North Western Ontario, in the early 1980's. That was guiding on the massive Lac Seul (Lake Seul), on its Eastern side, from south to north and back to the south - day trips. The first of the fly-in outpost camp locations was way up to the North starting at Wapesi Bay on the North East end of Lac Seul from starting from the south of Lac Seul, leaving Sioux Lookout. The fishing was so great on those fly-in trips!
We also fished all the way up the East side of Lac Seul from starting at Sioux Lookout in the South. There was a MNR Ministry of Natural Resources "Portage Man" with a boat and trailer, to pull lots of boats out of the water for free, and trailer them around the Pelican Rapids, right away upon leaving Sioux Lookout, and then we were on Lac Seul spreading North! We were using 20 horse power Mercury outboard engines. We would even go (not all the time though), all the way up to Wapesi Bay from Sioux Lookout using these 20 hp engines - but, ... it would take three hours one way, smacking the waves, and another three hours back, smacking the waves, so there is an idea of how far up Wapesi Bay is from Sioux Lookout. Definitely need a seat cushion!
I also had a handwritten map of major landmarks on the water all the way up. I kept this under the top inside of my hat, and I would take my hat off and look at it for a second and put it back on - my clients never knew the difference ! Haw Haw Haw ... it is easy to get lost navigating all the islands and channels and bays and shorelines !
Lastwoodsman
Richard
It's good to see you continuing with the build story. The covered and painted beaver looks impressive.
John
BEAVER NOV 2025 TO PRESENT
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #21
I am still posting from my lost thread.
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306 June 16 2025
This is a great old documentary from the 1970s, flying in the North of the Province of Manitoba (and monster lake Winnipeg). The province of Manitoba lies just west of, and right beside, the province of Ontario, Canada.
Planes include BrittenNorman2, Beaver, Otter, Buck 80, Buck 85 which is a Funk Model B, Cessna206, and Cessna207, and the Norseman, the poor man's Beaver.
There is a lot of good reminiscing in the comments by old pilots ...
Title : Bush Pilot: Reflections on a Canadian Myth
Filmed in 1980 22 min documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlI2qAzQh9U
National Film Board of Canada
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER NOV 2025 TO PRESENT
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #22
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306 June 18 2025
Hi Joe, you lucky guy! That collage pic says it all. You must have had a memorable flight or two, when flying that much, of an interesting anecdote of a bush plane story. So sure, whenever you want, give us a good Beaver flight story. I would not mind reading one here. A little diversion from a strict build, won't hurt anybody.
Hi msc Mike. That 2' x 4' drop ceiling tile sounds perfect. Thanks so much for the tip. In order to build a one piece through wing for the 30" Beaver, I need a long piece of tile a bit longer than 30" to build it straight and flat, and I have 39" up the side of my building table, and I was going to cut a 4' x 8' sheet into four 2' x 4' pieces anyway. I will definitely check out the tiles from USG Ceilings, in styles of "Fifth Avenue 280", and "Radar Basic R2310", on the web before I go buy them. One less thing to worry about for now. The price is right! I will bring a round head pin.
There are still a few things to get done before I dive back into the build.
- buy an new "used" camera - HP 315 Photo-smart Digital Camera 2.1 MP with 32 MB Memory Card - they are old, but they are out there on Ebay see Pic #1 , the one that I have always used for this hobby
- buy some Ceiling Tile as per msc Mike
- take good pics of my two kit plans, so everyone can see the model features
- photocopy the instructions etc., weigh the individual laser cut balsa sheets of parts, and calculate the weight of the balsa
- clean off and prepare my building board (not a small task)
- start cutting out and labelling parts
And here is a very short 33 sec video of a float Beaver fly by, and the sound of the Wasp engine
Radial Engine Roar | DHC-2 Beaver Takeoff
TheHDAviation 32 SEC June 18 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q13tN9y9jE&t=24s
And a link to the Beaver on Wikipedia
de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Canada_DHC-2_Beaver
Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_R-985_Wasp_Junior
Pic #1 HP 315 Digital Camera
Pic #2 Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior 9 cylinder air cooled engine
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306 June 19 2025
Reply # 15
Hi Joe - great fly-in fishing story! Not too long at all. The myth of the Bush Pilots lives on. Those pilots must have developed a real "feel" for a sluggish take off run with an over loaded float plane, and smart enough to abort the take off, with enough lake water left to do so, before hitting the shoreline. It got me wondering just how much space in the float is used in the floats, for the load, and how many pounds one fully loaded float can carry .... Thanks for the pics too. It looks like you guys had such a great time! Just barely missing the tree tops on takeoff climbout !?! ....
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER NOV 2025 TO PRESENT
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #18
HAWKER SIDDELEY HS 748 WALKAROUND May 10 2025
June 19 2025
Here are some walkaround pics of the HAWKER SIDDELEY HS 748 Cargo plane. It is huge! These pics were taken at the May 10 2025 Bruger Burn BBQ at our Historic Hangar in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Pic #1 6592
Pic #2 6597
Pic #3 6606
Pic #4 6614
Wikipedia link
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Siddeley_HS_748
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306 June 19 2025
Reply #19 Sat Jan 3 2026
This should be a straight forward build. There is only a one piece wire for the landing gear, which means no soldering.
There are two large plan sheets needed, but Dumas printed them on both sides of one sheet - separate sheets are needed for my liking.
There are 80 laser cut parts on three sheets that are slightly thicker than 1/16" and 3" x 17 31/32" (almost 18").
Sheet A = 11.70 grams equals 12.0 lbs/cubic feet
Sheet B = 11.31 grams equals 11.58 lbs/cubic feet
Sheet c = 12.80 grams equals 13.1 lbs/cubic feet
Strength for the hard landings? We will see if it still flies, with these onerous weights.
Pic #1 6648 large plan sheet no 1
Pic #2 6649 large plan sheet no 2
Pic #3 6651 Kit contents
Pic #4 6653 three laser cut balsa sheets = 80 parts
For comparison, there are 250 laser cut parts for the Dumas 30 inch Gipsy Moth Biplane.
It should be a snap to cut these laser parts out.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Reply #20 Sat Jan 3 2026
HAWKER SIDDELEY HS 748 WALKAROUND June 7 2025
June 20 2025 posted these pics
I was not able to attend this arrival on May 30 2025, but here is the flight and landing and water salute and air to air footage from pilot Mark Brandon flying our Museum's yellow Harvard.
Built in 1975, and owned by the Cree nation and flown by their native pilot.
FINAL FLIGHT! Air Creebec Hawker-Siddeley HS-748 last moments before retirement - Air2Air
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WgV9N4H2hY
13 min 40 sec
Pic #1 6598
Pic #2 6599
Pic #3 6600
Pic #4 6601
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Reply #21 Sat Jan 3 2026
CUTTING OUT THE LASER CUT PARTS 17 pics
Well, I just finished cutting out, final sanding, and labeling of all of the heavy balsa parts, as good as I could. This was another ordeal. Even though the kit was laser cut, those small balsa bridges were difficult to cut through with the exacto knife. It was even more difficult to sand those balsa bridges flush to the 'kerf' of the laser cut.
Before I started cutting out the parts, there was one slightly damaged (damaged enough !) rib. It had a straight vertical shear (strange?) , right through the rear of Rib 1, 3/4 distance from the front of the rib, that rib being located on the lower left corner of Parts Sheet 'C'. These ribs have deep under camber (or so I thought), but are really hollowed out ribs - see Pic #17 IM006686 TYPICAL SECTION AT RIB snip diagram of Typical Section of Rib.
I white glued it all up where it sat, with pins and strips of waxed paper and small balsa planks, and let it dry overnight - it came out OK ! Better than cutting it out first, because of the rib shape - "small things ..."
I haven't read through the instructions yet or read the plans completely. Here are some notable features so far.
1 constant wing chord
2 unique wing rib construction
3 the stab is enlarged from the original scale outline (which is also shown on the plan). Dumas does this to make the model fly better.
Pic #1 6656m photocopies of balsa sheets now have parts numbers on them
Pic #2 6659m new fresh cutting mat - the old one was really bad
Pic #3 6662R med window view of good laser cuts
Pic #4 6663m the other side of the new mat
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Reply #22 Sat Jan 3 2026
Repair of R1 rib
Pic #1 6665 snip cracked rib
Pic #2 6667 snip Rib1 all glued up
Pic #3 6668m the pins are off Rib 1 - all dry
Pic #4 6669m close up - no visible crack - good to go
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Reply #23 Sat Jan 3 2026
Cutting Out The Balsa parts
Pic #1 6670m starting on sheet 'C'
Pic #2 6672m Sheet C is done
Pic #3 6674m Starting Sheet B
Pic #4 6676m Sheet B is done
Lastwoodsman
Richard
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Reply #24 Sat Jan 3 2026
Cutting Out The Balsa parts
Pic #1 6678m Starting on Sheet A
Pic #2 6680m Sheet A is half done
Pic #3 6683m Sheet A is done
Pic #4 6685m All parts are now complete
Lastwoodsman
Richard
New song the best put it on "loop" and listen to it all day
Soothing Classical Music: Cello, Violin & Piano to Calm Your Mind by Viola Femme 1:01:14 Nov 2 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5twYDmIGQZ4&list=RDSFpqGrcZlFc&index=8
The end of cutting out parts.
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Reply #25 Sat Jan 3 2026
I have been making a lot of 8 1/2" x 11" photocopies of the plan sections to work on, and reading up on all of the instructions.
There are some changes to consider, as I was going with the Kit Box Art, for the color scheme.
This is not a super scale model. There will be no three blade scale flying prop. Also the stab is enlarged to 12 1/2" from a 10" length.
The kit prop is not the 9" black square tipped plastic prop on the kit box. It is now a 9 7/16" white plastic rounded tip prop. A new color scheme is now needed, no rush. And a Beaver logo to chose from.
It is just a fun park flyer (no floats), so I am still considering something instead of just bare wheels. I still can't find a pic of a Beaver with wheel pants -- maybe nobody ever put wheel pants on a real Beaver, even just for fun.
Here are a couple of ideas ...
Pic #1 Is this a Beaver with wheel pants - it looks like metal car fenders. Maybe those fenders were early mining airstrip wheel pants, you know ... , for blocking the fine stones from hitting the bottom of the fuselage ? Or maybe not ... I need a round steel mandrel so I can hammer out some thin metal fenders ...
Pic #2 Vintage Wheel Pants
Pic #3 THIS BEAVER HAS WHEEL PANTS SPATS not a beaver LOL
Pic #4 Beaver with Wheelpants or No -- solid wood model wood radial engine wood cowl blisters
Sorry for any double posts of pics
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Reply #26 Sat Jan 3 2026
COWLING ASSEMBLY
Pic #1 6700 Front Fuse Top and Side View
Pic #2 6701 Rear Cowl Pattern Iso View - there is a 3" x10" x 0.020" white plastic sheet provided to cut the rear cowl pattern out of
Pic #3 6702 Parts are ready - inside of cowl view
Pic #4 6703 Close-up of inside of Cowl
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Reply #27 Sat Jan 3 2026
COWLING ASSEMBLY
Pic #1 6706 Closeup of inside of Cowl
Pic #2 6707 Closeup of outside of Cowl
Pic #3 6710 Pic with flash - ready to cut out the 0.010" thick white plastic cowl - I think the light curved cuticle scissors will work easier than the heavy curved cuticle scissors
I think I will try to build this model without going to Staples to photocopy the two big sheets.
Pic #4 6712 Here the white plastic cowling has been cut out and sanded, leaving a sliver of the plastic edge flare, proud (I will final sand that much later). I tested the thickness of the white plastic with calipers ~ 0.010" plus or minus a thou.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Reply #28 Sat Jan 3 2026
COWLING ASSEMBLY
Pic #1 6714 I 'invisible tape' taped, a paper photocopy of the plan's "rear cowl ring pattern", to the 0.020" x 3" x 10" white plastic sheet. Before I do cut it out, I did extend all the lines, with a clear 6" scale, and a French curve, out past all of the ring part outlines, out to the edges of the three by ten plastic. I may later on need this carefully cut out 'template', thusly created ... That is, to help make that dotted cowl reference line, easier to locate later.
Pic #2 6716 Here I meticulously cut out the four 1/4" sq balsa frame supports, and sanded them. A nice tight fit of the noseblock is everything ... Ever hear the flying 'rattle' of a loose noseblock?
Pic #3 6718 Here I white glued the two 1/16" halves of the cowl firewall together, and hoped for the best. I also started gluing up those four supports, into a square.
I did a glue experiment with white glue to see if any of it would stick, using plastic and balsa combinations, and clamped them off with clothespins.
Pic #4 6721 Well, it took three glue applications to properly white glue those 1/4" sq supports. The butt ends really suck in a lot of glue. All nicely squared up now.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #29
Now I am thinking of going 180, and looking at large Tundra Tire Beavers with different color schemes. I especially like the first three pics for a nice color scheme. I would consider buying a pair of pre-made Tundra Tires for my 30 inch Beaver model ... if anyone knows a good site to buy them, please post a link.
Pic #1 BEAVER WITH TUNDRA TIRES 1
Pic #2 BEAVER WITH TUNDRA TIRES 2
Pic #3 BEAVER WITH TUNDRA TIRES 3
Pic #4 BEAVER WITH TUNDRA TIRES 4
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #30
Pic #1 6723 Glue experiment - nothing worked
Pic #2 6726 I got up at 5 AM and took apart the dried square balsa frame support. No pic - just a quick sand on a flat piece of sandpaper, and I glued it up on the E1A/E1B firewall.
Pic #3 6728 The firewall with the support square is done. The black thrust bearing is 0.300" diameter - the hole for it is now cut out of the plastic cowl. The rear cowl ring is now cut out also.
Pic #4 6732 Here is the white kit prop 9 7/16", and a prop wire hook of 0.040" which is quite wiggly in this prop. A wire of 0.046" ( 3/64") #54 is less wiggly than 0 .040, and this #54 drill bit is the max diameter of wire to fit into that white plastic prop. The hole in that white prop is 0.053" #54 max. I need an new 3/16" prop wire, and a smaller prop with a matching smaller hole.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #31
Pic #1 6734 The kit supplies a Wasp radial engine outline on the stiff paper pattern sheet - 0.0085" thick - that sheet also has outlines for the doos, windows, and wing fairing. I started working on a color scheme.
Pic #2 6737 Test piece to see how it looks. I added spark plug wires.
Pic #3 IM006736 EXPANDED VIEW
I'll try some 5 min epoxy tomorrow, and glue that small tab on the rear cowl ring, into the big ring to fit into the plastic cowl. The white glue experiment did not work at all. I will try some, thinned with acetone, 5 min epoxy, tomorrow.
Hi ZK AUD Mike! Thanks for the comment. I will take your advise on the CA glue. I did stock up a while back on CA glue and thinner from Windsor Hobbies. see 6747 . My medium 'gap-filling' CA will give me 5 to 10 seconds to dry, to move parts into place.
I finished the engine color scheme, and I am just building up the whole plane color scheme as I go now, but I have the engine color scheme finalized in good and waiting to be cut out, and an already cut out, previous colored engine version, is sitting in the engine now, just to see how it looks. The color scheme is finalized and shown in Pic #4 6742 .
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #32
I also painted up the thrust button and the forward crankcase of the engine, with three coats of "Silver Morning" acrylic. I found a good gray plastic prop 7 7/8" with rounded tips, and my last four prop hooks of 0.046" diameter wire of 3/64". And two prop wire washers or a bead - to come later.
Pic #1 6742 The good colored engine ring is finished on printer paper, and the older version is sitting in its spot on the plastic Cowl.
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The key for the six-color scheme on the engine ring, is as follows:
Two Studio "Staedtler" fine line felt tip markers were used ...
1 light blue for pushrods and pushrod nuts at the case
2 med gray for upper pushrod nuts and spark plugs
One crayon was used
3 a slightly darker blue, of Studio 12 Color Pencils/Crayons, for shading in the cylinders
Pencils were used to shade the background and engine casing
4 light pencil gray for shading the background
5 light pencil darker gray for engine casing and spark plug wire harness
One fine line black gel marker was used
6 Studio black gel marker 0.5 mm thick, for spark plug wire and wire harness ring
Pic #1 6744 Close up of the finished "done" version.
Pic #2 6747 Cowl, rear cowl ring (not glues yet), Ca glues from Windsor Hobbies store.
Pic #3 6751 Looking at different pics for the engine crank case and the black (not for long) nose thrust bearing button.
Pic #4 6755 Engine crankcase and thrust button are now painted 'silver morning' acrylic. New gray plastic prop with rounded tips 7 7/8" , gray scale color of 5, and new prop shaft 0.047" (3/64") x 2 3/8" long.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #33
Pic #1 6757 Pic of new gray prop and cowl assy together.
Pic #2 6759 Another close up pic.
Pic #3 6761 Pic of cowl assy in sunlight.
CA GLUING THE REAR COWL RING
The trickiest hurdle of this kit is its removable square nose plug, called Mortise and Tenon Joinery in woodworking. The 1998 kit does not even say 'removable nose plug' anywhere - only "this will enable the cowl to slide in place without being cemented". Insert emoji
Pic #4 Types of Wood Joinery.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #34
Pic #1 6765 The 20 thou thick, white plastic Rear Cowl Ring, is bent around in a circle, to get glued. The top of that tab is CA glued to the bottom of the other end (outlined), of that cowl ring. It is very springy and difficult to glue while you use pressure to hold that little tab in place, for 5 to 10 seconds - I practiced the motions and finger positions several times before actually gluing ... I actually had to try gluing this three times to get the correct cone shape angle, and cone flare ... for everything to fit.
There is only one piece of that 20 thou thick white plastic sheet in the kit. Game over and thread kill, insert emoji here if you don't have any extra sheets of that plastic, and you make an incorrectly glued up Cowl Ring, and there is no more ...
Luckily, .... The gods of free flight were shining down brightly, being that I already have two big sheets of two feet by one foot, of that 0.020" thick white plastic, that have been sitting around for years ... It really saved me, considering that I had to cut out and glue up, (comma, breathe), three rings before getting it right. Scowl ... Insert emoji here BEWARE fellow modelers. Stunk up the bathroom for 2 days, slow fan, and I was extremely quick and lucky on the third time, believe me, and I never got any CA on me at all which was a wonderful experience, in and of itself.
Pic #2 6769 The newly finished colored engine ring on printer paper, is now cut out and sitting in the vac formed Cowl. My printer ink color was misbehaving.
Pic #3 6771 Prop, prop wires, tiny brass washers, Crocket Hooks, Cowl, and black outlines.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #35
Cowling
Here is the Crux of the situation. That flat plate of the nose plug that has the square walled nose plug built up, the edge of that flat plate (E1 assembly of E1A and E1B), that flat plate must be glued, by its round edges only, to the inside of, and flush with, the back flared edge of the Rear Cowl Ring. NOT an easy task. Insert mad emoji here
The rear Cowl Ring is the shape of a sliced section of a cone shape, such that, one open end is slightly larger than the other open end.
So, the front opening of that rear cowl ring must be small enough to slip into the rear of the Front Vac Formed Cowling, but large enough at the flared larger opening to accept the E1 balsa plate assembly edge.
The square male end of the removable nose block that is glued to the firewall plate, that square noseblock, seats and locates, into the square female hole of the forward fuse plate former. Mortise and Tenon joint.
Pic #1 6773 The stiff paper engine outline 8.5 thou thick, is cut out free hand very incrementally, on a fresh new cutting board, and sanded inside and out.
Pic #2 6775 Ready to stack the black tracing first then the colored engine on top.
Pic #3 6777 There is still a little flare of plastic sitting proud on the vac-formed Cowl, yet to be sanded.
Pic #4 6781 Sitting on the plan front view.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #36
Gluing up the Rear Cowl Ring(s)
Pic #1 6781 Test fit of the nose block round 1/16" balsa plate, to the back of the Rear Cowl Ring, shows that I made the cowl ring large opening, too small! - cannot fit the balsa into it!
Pic #2 6783 Cutting a second Rear Cowl Ring out of a big 2 foot x 1 foot sheet of 0.020" white plastic.
Pic #1 6785 Progress.
Pic #2 6787 Finally on my third attempt. Everything fits now !! The second attempt also failed.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
BEAVER DH C2 30 INCH RUBBER POWERED FREE FLIGHT PARK FLYER DUMAS KIT 306
Sat Jan 3 2026
Reply #37
Pic #1 6789 The tiny plastic burr at the rear of the vac formed Cowl, has now been sanded away to a smooth transition.
Pic #2 6793 The rear Cowl Ring has to go in to the proper depth dotted line. This tricky procedure will be done later with Medium CA gap filling 5 to 10 seconds to dry to allow for adjustment time before drying ...
Pic #3 6795 Vac-formed Cowl and Rear Cowl Ring final fit of front view of the plan.
My third try of that Rear Cowl Ring, was just fine in order for it to slip into the front cowl, but a smidgeon too small of the larger flared opening, to accept the 1/16" balsa plate E1 assembly. But it was so close it was OK. I just sanded in the bevel edge angle , from the flare angle, into the edge of the E1 assembly, which brought it so very close. Then, I sanded incrementally all aound the edge keeping the same bevelled angle, and I finally got a super tight fit ! It should be pretty close when I match it up with the front fuse former(s).
I will edge glue this all up later, too.
And that's my story.
Lastwoodsman
Richard
I can't tell you how many hours I spent as a wee lad in Whiskey Flats (The poor side of Whitehorse) down on the Yukon River watching the Beavers come and go. Man, that growling motor always brings me back.