Asobo has released yet another entry in its growing Local Legends aircraft series for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This entry, the eighth in the collection so far, coincides with the release of World Update 12 – New Zealand. Swooping into Microsoft Flight Simulator is the DHC-4 Caribou, a classic twin radial engine that has a bit of an odd look, but a whole lot of heart.
Caribou: A ’50s era air hauler coming to Microsoft Flight Simulator
Produced back in the 1950s for military and cargo operations, the DHC-4 Caribou was created by de Havilland Canada: a manufacturer well known for its rugged, utilitarian aircraft. Based on the preceding DHC-2 Beaver (added to the sim with the 40th Anniversary Update) and DHC-3 Otter, the Caribou evolves on Havilland’s design concepts by sporting a twin engine configuration and larger fuselage for greater cargo capacity.
Despite its larger size, however, the DHC-4 Caribou still retains solid STOL (short takeoff and landing) performance, allowing it to easily slip in and out of rugged, small airstrips.
Image via Asobo/Microsoft
Sporting 1,450 horsepower per engine, the Caribou is also a little more powerful than its predecessors. It’s not really a speedster (though it can sail up to 215 mph), but the real benefit of the extra power is that it allows the airplane to carry heavy loads. It also has an impressive range of 1,300 miles, allowing to fly longer-range missions.
This gameplay trailer for the Caribou shows just how versatile the twin prop is at getting in and out of remote airstrips.
Caribou carrier
Just like Asobo’s other entries in its Local Legends (and Famous Fliers) aircraft collections, the DHC-4 Caribou is going for the price of $14.99 USD. It can be scooped up via the in-game Microsoft Flight Simulator marketplace. There are various paint schemes included with the plane, with more that can be nabbed from sites like flightsim.to.
