Brand New Twotters
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Planet Tharg
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10 deg flap and 20 psi brings fuel flow down to less than 200lbs/hr/engine at around 7000' so endurance/loiter capability increases substantially.
Let's see what they eventually come up with...
Let's see what they eventually come up with...
]Viking announced today that Twin Otter 400 production will begin. Below is the text of the press release.
Viking Launches Twin Otter Series 400 Aircraft Production Program
Company secures enough firm and option orders to proceed with “Series 400” aircraft production from customers worldwide
Victoria, British Columbia, April 9, 2007……Viking Air Limited, which last year announced that it was considering re-starting production of the 19-passenger DHC-6 Twin Otter, has today confirmed the program will proceed. The company met its required goals: sufficient firm orders, further investment in the company by its majority shareholder Westerkirk Capital, approval by the company board of directors, and the existence of a federal government program that could provide repayable financial assistance for research and development to update the Twin Otter design for operation in the 21st century.
Viking president and CEO, David Curtis said he was encouraged by the recent announcement by the federal government of the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) program. Curtis fully expects the Viking Twin Otter program will meet the requirements set out by Industry Canada, which will administer the SADI program.
Viking has also had positive discussions with Export Development Canada (EDC), a federal government crown corporation which can provide a number of financial services for purchasers of new Twin Otters. EDC has expressed a desire to work with Viking and its customers on this newly-launched program.
The company is encouraged by the strong show of confidence from both existing and new Twin Otter operators, allowing it to proceed. Negotiations with several others are also underway adding to the program’s success.
Independent market studies by Conklin & deDecker reflect a ten-year demand for over 400 new aircraft.
One of the lead orders, for five aircraft, was received from Trans Maldavian Airlines (TMA). The airline currently operates 15 Twin Otters built by the original manufacturer, de Havilland Canada.
Loch Ard Otters, LLC, of Palm Beach, Florida has also stepped up for six aircraft firm plus six options. These aircraft will be offered for lease to operators worldwide.
Other launch customers include Air Seychelles for two airplanes, Air Moorea for two and Zimex Aviation of Switzerland for one. Between them, these three airlines currently operate more than 25 ‘heritage’ Twin Otters.
Deliveries of new aircraft will commence within 24 months and the anticipated
production rate will ramp up to fulfill the demand as necessary, according to Curtis. Production airplanes will be built under a slightly-modified original type certificate.
The new aircraft, on wheels, with a standard 19-seat commuter interior and basic instrumentation, sells for US $3.2 million in 2006 dollars, adjusted to the consumer price index at the time of delivery. Full de-ice, float, amphibious and ski landing gear will be offered as aftermarket options. Operators will also option exterior paint as well as avionics systems.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Viking and for the Canadian aerospace industry,” Curtis said. “With today‘s announcement we become the country’s only manufacturer of certificated aircraft west of Ontario by returning to production, after almost 19 years, the world’s best-selling 19-passenger aircraft, one that is respected worldwide for its capability, reliability and safety. We are extremely proud of this moment, this decision and this airplane.”
TMA managing director, Bram Stellar, believes new-production Twin Otters will allow his company to grow significantly. “Finding airplanes is next to impossible, and often requires major refurbishing or rebuilding,” he said. “Our current fleet is well-maintained but will benefit from the addition of new aircraft. The Twin Otter Series 400 will be perfect for our routes.”
Commenting on the move to purchase the new aircraft, Air Seychelles’ chairman and chief executive, Captain David Savy, says: “We have been seeking the replacement of our Twin Otter DHC-6 Series 300 fleet for some time now and we were looking at an aircraft which could meet the peculiarities of our demanding domestic operations. We fly very short sectors, land on rugged, short airstrips and operate in a saline, humid environment. This is a very challenging environment for our technical and maintenance crews.
“The current Twin Otter Series 300 aircraft is an ideal, robust aircraft adapted to inter-island operations of Air Seychelles,” Savy added. “We faced a lot of difficulty in finding a suitable replacement to the Series 300. For some years now we have been urging the manufacturers to re-commence production. Fortunately, Viking Air has taken-up the challenge.”
Loch Ard will be Viking's preferred leasing partner, providing potential operators with an alternative to straight purchase. Loch Ard is owned and managed by a team with extensive experience in transportation asset financing and leasing.
Commenting on its order, Loch Ard Otters president Matthew Lorentzen said, "We selected Viking and the Series 400 because of the unmatched capabilities of the aircraft and the demonstrated capabilities of Viking to manufacture it."
Zimex, whose 12 existing Twin Otters form the backbone of its current fleet, have been operating for 30 years providing reliable, worldwide aircraft support to international organizations and the oil industry in desert and remote areas.
The new Series 400 aircraft, based on the original 19-seat Series 300, will have their major components built in Victoria with aircraft assembly and customer delivery in Calgary, Alberta. It will incorporate a number of improvements based on today’s available technologies. The original Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 engines will be replaced by higher output PT6A-34 engines, flat-rated for better performance in all flight regimes. PT6A-35 engines and four blade propellers will be offered as optional equipment.
Twin Otters are flown by such diverse operators as commuter airlines, Antarctic and desert expeditions, inter-island and coastal taxis, para-droppers, airborne research firms and corporate transportation departments.
Viking acquired the type certificate and production rights to the Twin Otter from Bombardier Aerospace in early 2006.
The original de Havilland Twin Otters were built between 1965 and 1988, when 844 were delivered. More than 600 remain in active service today.
Incorporated in 1970, Viking Air Limited has established itself in the aviation community as a high-quality aerospace manufacturer and an aircraft modification, sales, leasing and repair facility.
Viking owns the Type Certificates for the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk, DHC-2 Beaver, DHC-2T Turbo Beaver, DHC-3 Otter, DHC-4, Caribou, DHC-5 Buffalo, DHC-6 Twin Otter and DHC-7 DASH 7 and has been providing all product support functions for the fleet since May 2005. Viking is part of Westerkirk Capital Inc., a Canadian private investment firm with substantial holdings in the hospitality, aviation and real estate sectors.
Viking Launches Twin Otter Series 400 Aircraft Production Program
Company secures enough firm and option orders to proceed with “Series 400” aircraft production from customers worldwide
Victoria, British Columbia, April 9, 2007……Viking Air Limited, which last year announced that it was considering re-starting production of the 19-passenger DHC-6 Twin Otter, has today confirmed the program will proceed. The company met its required goals: sufficient firm orders, further investment in the company by its majority shareholder Westerkirk Capital, approval by the company board of directors, and the existence of a federal government program that could provide repayable financial assistance for research and development to update the Twin Otter design for operation in the 21st century.
Viking president and CEO, David Curtis said he was encouraged by the recent announcement by the federal government of the Strategic Aerospace and Defence Initiative (SADI) program. Curtis fully expects the Viking Twin Otter program will meet the requirements set out by Industry Canada, which will administer the SADI program.
Viking has also had positive discussions with Export Development Canada (EDC), a federal government crown corporation which can provide a number of financial services for purchasers of new Twin Otters. EDC has expressed a desire to work with Viking and its customers on this newly-launched program.
The company is encouraged by the strong show of confidence from both existing and new Twin Otter operators, allowing it to proceed. Negotiations with several others are also underway adding to the program’s success.
Independent market studies by Conklin & deDecker reflect a ten-year demand for over 400 new aircraft.
One of the lead orders, for five aircraft, was received from Trans Maldavian Airlines (TMA). The airline currently operates 15 Twin Otters built by the original manufacturer, de Havilland Canada.
Loch Ard Otters, LLC, of Palm Beach, Florida has also stepped up for six aircraft firm plus six options. These aircraft will be offered for lease to operators worldwide.
Other launch customers include Air Seychelles for two airplanes, Air Moorea for two and Zimex Aviation of Switzerland for one. Between them, these three airlines currently operate more than 25 ‘heritage’ Twin Otters.
Deliveries of new aircraft will commence within 24 months and the anticipated
production rate will ramp up to fulfill the demand as necessary, according to Curtis. Production airplanes will be built under a slightly-modified original type certificate.
The new aircraft, on wheels, with a standard 19-seat commuter interior and basic instrumentation, sells for US $3.2 million in 2006 dollars, adjusted to the consumer price index at the time of delivery. Full de-ice, float, amphibious and ski landing gear will be offered as aftermarket options. Operators will also option exterior paint as well as avionics systems.
“Today marks a significant milestone for Viking and for the Canadian aerospace industry,” Curtis said. “With today‘s announcement we become the country’s only manufacturer of certificated aircraft west of Ontario by returning to production, after almost 19 years, the world’s best-selling 19-passenger aircraft, one that is respected worldwide for its capability, reliability and safety. We are extremely proud of this moment, this decision and this airplane.”
TMA managing director, Bram Stellar, believes new-production Twin Otters will allow his company to grow significantly. “Finding airplanes is next to impossible, and often requires major refurbishing or rebuilding,” he said. “Our current fleet is well-maintained but will benefit from the addition of new aircraft. The Twin Otter Series 400 will be perfect for our routes.”
Commenting on the move to purchase the new aircraft, Air Seychelles’ chairman and chief executive, Captain David Savy, says: “We have been seeking the replacement of our Twin Otter DHC-6 Series 300 fleet for some time now and we were looking at an aircraft which could meet the peculiarities of our demanding domestic operations. We fly very short sectors, land on rugged, short airstrips and operate in a saline, humid environment. This is a very challenging environment for our technical and maintenance crews.
“The current Twin Otter Series 300 aircraft is an ideal, robust aircraft adapted to inter-island operations of Air Seychelles,” Savy added. “We faced a lot of difficulty in finding a suitable replacement to the Series 300. For some years now we have been urging the manufacturers to re-commence production. Fortunately, Viking Air has taken-up the challenge.”
Loch Ard will be Viking's preferred leasing partner, providing potential operators with an alternative to straight purchase. Loch Ard is owned and managed by a team with extensive experience in transportation asset financing and leasing.
Commenting on its order, Loch Ard Otters president Matthew Lorentzen said, "We selected Viking and the Series 400 because of the unmatched capabilities of the aircraft and the demonstrated capabilities of Viking to manufacture it."
Zimex, whose 12 existing Twin Otters form the backbone of its current fleet, have been operating for 30 years providing reliable, worldwide aircraft support to international organizations and the oil industry in desert and remote areas.
The new Series 400 aircraft, based on the original 19-seat Series 300, will have their major components built in Victoria with aircraft assembly and customer delivery in Calgary, Alberta. It will incorporate a number of improvements based on today’s available technologies. The original Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 engines will be replaced by higher output PT6A-34 engines, flat-rated for better performance in all flight regimes. PT6A-35 engines and four blade propellers will be offered as optional equipment.
Twin Otters are flown by such diverse operators as commuter airlines, Antarctic and desert expeditions, inter-island and coastal taxis, para-droppers, airborne research firms and corporate transportation departments.
Viking acquired the type certificate and production rights to the Twin Otter from Bombardier Aerospace in early 2006.
The original de Havilland Twin Otters were built between 1965 and 1988, when 844 were delivered. More than 600 remain in active service today.
Incorporated in 1970, Viking Air Limited has established itself in the aviation community as a high-quality aerospace manufacturer and an aircraft modification, sales, leasing and repair facility.
Viking owns the Type Certificates for the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk, DHC-2 Beaver, DHC-2T Turbo Beaver, DHC-3 Otter, DHC-4, Caribou, DHC-5 Buffalo, DHC-6 Twin Otter and DHC-7 DASH 7 and has been providing all product support functions for the fleet since May 2005. Viking is part of Westerkirk Capital Inc., a Canadian private investment firm with substantial holdings in the hospitality, aviation and real estate sectors.
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Have you heard of ANY other company in Africa flying Twotters??
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Behind 1480mm RHA equivalent
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Nothing special, I'm sure we've all got plenty of Twotter photo's, but I really had fun in this legendary machine.
At the office:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/1Jpg.jpg
Early riser:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/2Jpg.jpg
End of the day:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/3Jpg.jpg
Happy Twotter:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/4Jpg.jpg
Those who've been there will know....
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/5Jpg.jpg
The usual mudbath:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/6Jpg.jpg
At the office:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/1Jpg.jpg
Early riser:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/2Jpg.jpg
End of the day:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/3Jpg.jpg
Happy Twotter:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/4Jpg.jpg
Those who've been there will know....
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/5Jpg.jpg
The usual mudbath:
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m...ke200/6Jpg.jpg
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: St Pierre et Miquelon
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Schreiner No Longer Lives
ColeFace,
Schreiner went out of existence when it was bought by CHC Helicopters. They do still operate DH6 in Cameroun and Tchad.
Schreiner went out of existence when it was bought by CHC Helicopters. They do still operate DH6 in Cameroun and Tchad.
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Face down in a gutter.
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G1000?
I've got a fair amount of G1000 time in every thing from the 172 to the Columbia 400. Its seems like the tach on them wants to crap out on the regular, not so much an issue in the 172, but a real pain in the a** in something like the Col. Im not a big fan of relying on them in the dirt and muck. Much rather have something that you can pop in and out in a few min vs needing a computer to find out whats wrong. 
Hi All:
Thought I would bring this post up to date, because Viking Air has now announced that the new Series 400 Twin Otter will be equipped with Honeywell Primus Apex avionics.
The layout and functionality of the new Twin Otter panel will be almost identical to that of the new PC-12 NG, except that some of the components will be upgraded to suit the 19 seat size of the Twin Otter. For example, TAWS A and TCAS 1, as well as support for Mode S EHS with ADS B out via 1090 MHz extended squitter. (Plain language translation = the controller sees not only your altitude and heading, but also your selected altitude, selected heading, lat/long, rate of turn, etc.)
The standard avionics package for commercial operators (public operators) will include four screens, flight director, and dual fitment of all of the following: VHF Nav, VHF Com, DME, Mode S EHS, WAAS capable GPS (full LNAV support), as well as single fitment of TAWS A, TCAS 1, weather radar, CVR and FDR.
There is a very interesting write-up about flying the Primus Apex system in this week's issue of Flight International. You can view it online at this link: New Avionics.
Primus Apex is a derivitive of the Honeywell Primus Epic system that is currently flying in the Gulfstream 550, Falcon 7x, and Embraer 170/190 series of jets.
Before anyone starts posting questions about whether this type of system is "rugged enough" for bush operations - let me mention that the Barco display screens used in in the Twin Otter are the same display screens as the US Military use in their battle tanks in Iraq. If the screens can perform satisfactorily for 5 years in a desert war, they should be robust enough for a Twin Otter. All the rest of the equipment has been certified to DO-178 Level B mil spec robustness. Honeywell provides a full 3 year warranty on the entire system, and an extended warranty can be purchased if anyone has concerns.
Regards,
Michael
Thought I would bring this post up to date, because Viking Air has now announced that the new Series 400 Twin Otter will be equipped with Honeywell Primus Apex avionics.
The layout and functionality of the new Twin Otter panel will be almost identical to that of the new PC-12 NG, except that some of the components will be upgraded to suit the 19 seat size of the Twin Otter. For example, TAWS A and TCAS 1, as well as support for Mode S EHS with ADS B out via 1090 MHz extended squitter. (Plain language translation = the controller sees not only your altitude and heading, but also your selected altitude, selected heading, lat/long, rate of turn, etc.)
The standard avionics package for commercial operators (public operators) will include four screens, flight director, and dual fitment of all of the following: VHF Nav, VHF Com, DME, Mode S EHS, WAAS capable GPS (full LNAV support), as well as single fitment of TAWS A, TCAS 1, weather radar, CVR and FDR.
There is a very interesting write-up about flying the Primus Apex system in this week's issue of Flight International. You can view it online at this link: New Avionics.
Primus Apex is a derivitive of the Honeywell Primus Epic system that is currently flying in the Gulfstream 550, Falcon 7x, and Embraer 170/190 series of jets.
Before anyone starts posting questions about whether this type of system is "rugged enough" for bush operations - let me mention that the Barco display screens used in in the Twin Otter are the same display screens as the US Military use in their battle tanks in Iraq. If the screens can perform satisfactorily for 5 years in a desert war, they should be robust enough for a Twin Otter. All the rest of the equipment has been certified to DO-178 Level B mil spec robustness. Honeywell provides a full 3 year warranty on the entire system, and an extended warranty can be purchased if anyone has concerns.
Regards,
Michael
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Gauteng
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I love that machine, flew them in Algeria and all over Sudan and Chad and would go and fly them again anyday before the 1900 or 200..yes, 2 SA company`s, Executive Turbine have, I think 3 or 4 of them in Sudan (Rumbek)and somewhere else (Darfur region) and then I know Solenta also had some in Sudan..and most SA company`s always have an engineer at the base full time..long live the old twatter..and by Jimmy, if you lose all the glass stuff you can still fly that thing and get it on the ground..most places we fly it was low level FL65 or 75 85, and VFR only, but some glass would be nice in there..!
We've replaced the original pump with a new pump that has better performance. The electric motor is the same. I have not heard the new pump run yet (power-up will be sometime next month, probably). If it is as noisy as the old one, we'll take a look at putting some kind of sound insulation around it.
In other news - there will be no AC system on the Series 400, it will be an all DC aircraft. There will be no switches or circuit breakers of any kind up on the flight compartment roof, everything has been moved down onto the instrument panel (the starter panel over the left pilot windshield remains untouched). All lighting, both internal and external, will be LED. There will be no beta backup system on the Series 400, but the indication of when the propellers are in the ground beta range (two blue lights) will remain.
The standard engines will be PT6A-34s. The flat rating at 620 HP remains - this is an aerodynamic issue, because the fin is only big enough to cope with a 620 HP asymmetry, but the full 620 HP will now be available all the way up to ISA +24°C.
Best of all - the pilots now get their own individual large air gaspers mounted directly in front of them on the outboard sides of the instrument panel, in the same manner as a Dash 8.
In other news - there will be no AC system on the Series 400, it will be an all DC aircraft. There will be no switches or circuit breakers of any kind up on the flight compartment roof, everything has been moved down onto the instrument panel (the starter panel over the left pilot windshield remains untouched). All lighting, both internal and external, will be LED. There will be no beta backup system on the Series 400, but the indication of when the propellers are in the ground beta range (two blue lights) will remain.
The standard engines will be PT6A-34s. The flat rating at 620 HP remains - this is an aerodynamic issue, because the fin is only big enough to cope with a 620 HP asymmetry, but the full 620 HP will now be available all the way up to ISA +24°C.
Best of all - the pilots now get their own individual large air gaspers mounted directly in front of them on the outboard sides of the instrument panel, in the same manner as a Dash 8.
Join Date: Nov 2003
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Dang, that sounds like a nice machine. Hope the pilots still get the overhead fans to smack them on the back of the pip when they lean back. An extra notch on the rudder pedal setting or the seat rail (with bulkhead moved back 2 inches) to accommodate us big guys would also be nice. High density foam cushions in a seat pan without hard edges to counter the dreaded long distance arse bite would not go unwelcomed either.