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DHC-6 Twin Otter

A West Coast Air Twin Otter floatplane. West Coast Air is a scheduled and charter Airline based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A floatplane is a type of Seaplane, with slender Pontoons (known as "floats" mounted under the fuselage only the floats of a floatplane normally come

Typeutility aircraft
Manufacturerde Havilland Canada
Designed byFred Buller and Dick Hiscocks
Maiden flight20 May 1965
Introduced1966
Produced1965–1988
Number built844
Variantsde Havilland Canada Dash 7

The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a 20-passenger STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada. A bush plane is a General aviation Aircraft serving remote undeveloped areas of a country usually the African bush Alaskan and Canadian An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The de Havilland Canada company was an aircraft manufacturer with facilities based in what is now the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1965: Events January January 2 - Denis Healey, the UK's Secretary This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1966: Events Puerto Rican International Airlines begin services WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout STOL is an Initialism for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe Aircraft with very short Runway requirements A bush plane is a General aviation Aircraft serving remote undeveloped areas of a country usually the African bush Alaskan and Canadian The de Havilland Canada company was an aircraft manufacturer with facilities based in what is now the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada It has often been called the most successful aircraft program in Canada's history. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL abilities and relatively high rate of climb have made it a successful cargo, regional passenger airliner and MEDEVAC aircraft. Medical evacuation, often termed MEDEVAC or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being In addition, the Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations.

Contents

Design and development

Development of the aircraft began in 1964, with the first flight on 20 May 1965. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1965: Events January January 2 - Denis Healey, the UK's Secretary A twin-engined replacement for the Otter had been planned by de Havilland Canada. Twin engines not only provided improved safety but also allowed for an increase in payload while retaining the renowned STOL qualities. Design features included double slotted trailing edge flaps and ailerons that work in unison with the flaps to boost STOL performance. The availability of the 550 shp Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-20 propeller turbine engine in the early 1960s made the concept of a twin more feasible. To bush operators, the enhanced reliability of turboprop power and the enhanced performance of a twin-engined configuration made it an immediately popular alternative to the single engine, piston-powered Otter which had been flying since 1951. The de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter is a single engined high wing Propeller -driven STOL aircraft developed by De Havilland Canada.

DHC6 Super Twin Otter taking off
DHC6 Super Twin Otter taking off

The first six aircraft produced were designated Series 1, indicating that they were prototype aircraft. The initial production run consisted of Series 100 aircraft, serial number seven to 115 inclusive. In 1968, Series 200 production began with serial number 116. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1968: Events January January 21 - a US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress Changes made at the beginning of Series 200 production included improving the STOL performance, adding a longer nose that was equipped with a larger baggage compartment (except to aircraft fitted with floats) and fitting a larger door to the rear baggage compartment. All Series 1, 100 and 200 aircraft and their variants (110, 210) were fitted with the 550 shaft horsepower PT6A-20 engines. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

In 1969, the 300 series was introduced, beginning with serial number 231. Both aircraft performance and payload were improved by fitting more powerful PT6A-27 engines. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout This was a 680 hp engine that was flat-rated to 620 hp for use in the Series 300 Twin Otter. The Series 300 proved to be the most successful variant by far, with 614 Series 300 aircraft and their sub-variants (Series 310 for United Kingdom operators, Series 320 for Australian operators, etc. ) sold before production ended in 1988. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1988: Events January January 26 - the French defence ministry approves full-scale

Twin Otter taking off from a gravel airstrip near Sila Lodge at Wager Bay (Ukkusiksalik National Park, Nunavut, Canada)
Twin Otter taking off from a gravel airstrip near Sila Lodge at Wager Bay (Ukkusiksalik National Park, Nunavut, Canada)

Operational history

Twin Otters could be delivered directly from the factory with floats, skis or tricycle landing gear fittings, making them adaptable bush planes for remote and northern areas including Canada and the United States, specifically Alaska. Ukkusiksalik National Park is a National park in Nunavut, Canada. Nunavut (ˈnuːnəvʊt ( Inuktitut syllabics: ᓄᓇᕗᑦ is the largest and newest territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the A ski is a long flat device worn on the feet designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow Tricycle gear describes an Aircraft Undercarriage, or landing gear, arranged in a Tricycle fashion A bush plane is a General aviation Aircraft serving remote undeveloped areas of a country usually the African bush Alaskan and Canadian The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Many Twin Otters still serve in the far north, but they can also be found in Africa, Australia, Antarctica and other regions where bush planes are the optimum means of travel. Their versatility and maneuverability have made them popular in areas with difficult flying environments, including Papua New Guinea. In Norway, the Twin Otter paved the way for the network of short-field airports, connecting the rural areas with the larger towns with outstanding reliability, and remained in service until 2000 on certain routes. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Widerøe of Norway was, at one time, the world's largest operator of Twin Otters. Widerøes Flyveselskap ASA, branded simply as Widerøe, is the largest regional airline in the Nordic countries having a turnover of NOK 1 During one period of its tenure in Norway, the Twin Otter fleet achieved over 96,000 cycles (takeoff, flight and landing) per year.

Twin Otters, rated for flight down to −75°C (−103°F),[1] are a staple of Antarctic transportation. Four Twin Otters are employed by the British Antarctic Survey on research and supply flights. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS is the United Kingdom 's national Antarctic operator and has an active role in Antarctic affairs On 24 April 24–25 2001, two Twin Otters performed the only winter flight to Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to perform a medical evacuation. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Description and history The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station is the southernmost continually inhabited place on the planet [2][3][4][5]

As of August 2006, a total of 584 Twin Otter aircraft (all variants) remain in service worldwide. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Major operators include: Libyan Arab Airlines (16), Maldivian Air Taxi (17), Trans Maldivian Airways (15), Kenn Borek Air (17) and Scenic Airlines (11). Libyan Airlines ( Arabic: الخطوط الجوية الليبية transliterated: al-Khutut al-Jawiyah al-Libiyah formerly known as Libyan Arab Airlines Maldivian Air Taxi is an Airline based in Malé in the Maldives. Trans Maldivian Airways is a private Airline based in Malé International Airport and is the oldest air transfer operator operating in the Maldives. Kenn Borek Air is an Airline based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Scenic Airlines is an American Regional airline based in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Some 115 airlines operate smaller numbers of the aircraft including Yeti Airlines in Nepal and the British Airways subsidiary airline, Loganair. Yeti Airlines is an Airline based in Nepal. It operates across a domestic network of 29 destinations Loganair is an Airline based at Glasgow International Airport in Scotland.

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter on Beechey Island at seamen graves of John Franklin expedition (Nunavut, Canada) c. 1997. Note the "tundra tyres."
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter on Beechey Island at seamen graves of John Franklin expedition (Nunavut, Canada) c. Beechey Island is an Island located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago of Nunavut, Canada, in Wellington Channel. Sir John Franklin, FRGS ( April 16, 1786 &ndash June 11, 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page 1997. Note the "tundra tyres. "

Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources is also a long-time operator of the Otter. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec The Ministry of Natural Resources is a government agency of the Canadian province of Ontario that is responsible for managing and protecting

The Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations. It is generally limited to carrying 22[6] jumpers (a relatively large load compared to most other aircraft in the industry); presently, the Twin Otter is used in skydiving operations in many countries. The United States Air Force operates three Twin Otters for the United States Air Force Academy's skydiving team. The United States Air Force Academy ( USAFA or Air Force) is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air The cadets affectionately call the aircraft the "'Twotter. "

New production

After series production ended, the remaining tooling was purchased by Viking Air of Victoria which manufactures replacement parts for all of the out of production de Havilland Canada aircraft. Viking Air Limited is a manufacturer of aircraft parts and systems based in Victoria British Columbia. Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia. On 24 February 2006, Viking purchased the type certificates from Bombardier Aerospace for all the out of production de Havilland DHC-1 through DHC-7 aircraft. Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A Type Certificate, is awarded by aviation regulating bodies to aerospace manufacturers after it has been established that the particular design of a civil aircraft engine or propeller Bombardier Aerospace is a division of the Bombardier group It is the third largest aircraft company in the world in terms of yearly delivery of commercial airplanes (behind [7] The ownership of the certificates gives Viking the exclusive right to manufacture new aircraft.

On 17 July 2006, at the Farnborough Air Show, Viking Air announced its intention to offer a "Series 400" Twin Otter. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. [8] Restarting the production would be dependent on the ability to realize enough initial orders.

In April 2007, Viking announced that it would restart production of the Twin Otter with a more powerful PT6A-34/35 engine. [9] At the time, Viking had 27 orders and options in hand. As of November 2007, 40 firm orders and 10 options have been taken and a new assembly plant has been established in Calgary, Alberta with production tentatively scheduled to start in January 2008. Calgary (ˈkælgəriː is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada [10] The parts are made in Victoria, British Columbia then shipped to Calgary, Alberta for assembly. Victoria (vɪkˈtɔɹiə is the capital city of British Columbia.

Variants

DHC-6 Series 100 
Twin-engined STOL utility transport aircraft, powered by two 432-kW (550-shp) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A20 turboprop engines.
DHC-6 Series 200 
Improved version.
DHC-6 Series 300 
Twin-engined STOL utility transport aircraft, powered by two 620-shp (462-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turboprop engines.
DHC-6 Series 300M 
Multi-role military transport aircraft. Two of these were produced as 'proof of concept' demonstrators
DHC-6 Series 300MR 
Maritime reconnaissance version.
DHC-6 Series 300S 
Six demonstrator aircraft fitted with 11 seats, wing spoilers and an anti-skid braking system.
CC-138 
Twin-engined STOL utility transport, search and rescue aircraft for the Canadian Forces. The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence
UV-18A 
Twin-engined STOL utility transport aircraft for the U.S. Army Alaska National Guard. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. The Alaska National Guard is Alaska's component of the United States National Guard and comprises the Alaska Army National Guard and the Alaska Air National Guard Six built. It has been replaced by the C-23 Sherpa in US Army service. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout
UV-18B 
Parachute training aircraft for the United States Air Force Academy. The United States Air Force Academy's 98th Flying Training Squadron maintains three UV-18s in its inventory as freefall parachuting training aircraft, and by the Academy Parachute Team, the Wings of Blue, for year-round parachuting operations.
de Havilland Twin Otter in British Airways Livery taking off from Barra Airport in summer 2004
de Havilland Twin Otter in British Airways Livery taking off from Barra Airport in summer 2004

Operators/Former Operators

Civil operators

Military operators

Accidents and incidents

Specifications (300 series)

Orthographically projected diagram of the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter.

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Comparable aircraft

References

  1. ^ NSF PR 01-29—Civilian Aircraft to Evacuate South Pole Patient
  2. ^ 2001—Doctor Evacuated from the South Pole
  3. ^ Pilot says pole flight wasn't his most challenging
  4. ^ Pilots return after historic South Pole rescue
  5. ^ | url = Aircraft in Antarctica: British Antarctic Survey Retrieved: 31 December 2007. The de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter is a single engined high wing Propeller -driven STOL aircraft developed by De Havilland Canada. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft mainline airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman The Britten-Norman Trislander (more formally designated the BN-2A Mk III Trislander) is an 18-seat three-engined piston -powered civilian utility Aircraft WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The GAF Nomad is a twin-engine turboprop high-winged " short take off and landing " (STOL Aircraft. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Let-410 Turbolet is a twin engined short-range Transport aircraft, manufactured by the Czech aircraft manufacturer LET, mostly used for passenger transport The Skyvan is a 19-seater twin Turboprop aircraft manufactured by Short Brothers, at the time Short Brothers & Harland Ltd, and used mainly for short-haul Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  6. ^ hauling loads of up to 22 skydivers to over 13,500'[1]
  7. ^ Viking acquires DeHavilland type certificates Press Release, 24 February 2006. Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
  8. ^ Viking seeks to launch new Twin Otter production Press Release 17 July 2006
  9. ^ Viking restarts Twin Otter production
  10. ^ News releases: Viking Air
  11. ^ AirDisaster.Com Accident Database

Notes

Bibliography

External links

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