Twin Otter returns to Production
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Twin Otter returns to Production
Brent Jang
CALGARY — Globe and Mail Update
Published on Friday, May. 14, 2010 6:58PM EDT
Last updated on Friday, May. 14, 2010 7:00PM EDT
.On the shop floor of Viking Air Ltd.’s sprawling Calgary plant, Ken Copiak makes his way from one work station to another, inspecting the aluminum shells of Twin Otter planes as they begin to take shape.
The manager of the final assembly plant sometimes has to pinch himself when he sees the fabled bush plane back in production – 22 years after the last Twin Otter, serial number 844, came off the line in Ontario.
Viking workers are now putting the finishing touches on the first Twin Otter assembled in Alberta, the 845th built in Canada since 1965. Subject to certification from Transport Canada, the turboprop will be delivered next month to Switzerland’s Zimex Aviation Ltd., which has earmarked the new-generation plane for oil and gas exploration duties in Algeria.
The delivery to Zimex will kick off a new era for the iconic Canadian plane known worldwide for its ability to handle extreme climates, from jungles to deserts to ice caps. Privately owned Viking plans to capitalize on the demand that never died for a plane that some considered obsolete. It believes that while the Twin Otter may not have made sense for a giant aerospace company like Boeing Co., it can turn into a profitable niche for a smaller player like Viking.
Boeing shut down Twin Otter manufacturing in 1988, just two years after buying de Havilland from the Canadian government. Boeing wanted to stick with its forte of building larger aircraft.
But a funny thing happened on the Twin Otter’s way to the aviation museum. Over the years, the plane proved its resilience, with more than 600 of the 19-seat planes still operating around the world. Pilots who fly to remote areas love the way the landing gear can be fitted to suit the environment, whether its wheels for gravel or skis for snow or floats for water.
Bringing the plane back into production has been a test of endurance for Viking, which didn’t have many of the original manufacturing jigs – templates used to help produce certain parts and components at de Havilland’s Downsview plant in Toronto.
“The reason why we had to make a lot of jigs over was because Boeing figured no one was going to build the planes again and started chopping the jigs up,” said Mr. Copiak, 50, a former production supervisor at Winnipeg-based Bristol Aerospace, which was acquired by Magellan Aerospace Corp. in 1997.
Videos shot at the de Havilland plant and old microfilm unearthed clues for “engineering archeology” to rebuild the Twin Otter jigs.
This year, after overcoming a series of engineering delays, the Calgary plant is finally producing the Twin Otter, which carries a list price of roughly $4.5-million (U.S.). Viking has been able to temper the financial costs of the rising loonie by acquiring certain parts and components in U.S. dollars, including engines from Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.’s plant in Lethbridge, Alta.
Viking’s plant near Calgary International Airport has even become a tourist attraction of sorts for aviation buffs, especially retired de Havilland employees who marvel at the Twin Otter’s comeback.
The aircraft would have remained dormant were it not for Westerkirk Capital Inc., which recognized the Twin Otter’s rich history and future prospects. In 2003, Toronto-based Westerkirk bought Viking, a long-time supplier of spare parts for de Havilland planes, and in 2006, began studying the merits of manufacturing Twin Otters again. Later that year Viking acquired the rights to do so.
The strategy is to use the same basic, robust design as in the original plane, but to integrate upgrades such as modern avionics in the cockpit. Other updates include improved wiring and lightweight composite material in the nose as well as the exit and baggage doors, said Robert Mauracher, Viking’s vice-president of business development.
Plans call for Viking to build seven turboprops this year, a dozen in 2011 and 18 in 2012, said chief executive officer David Curtis, who notes the aircraft maker has a backlog of nearly 50 firm orders. The goal is to sell 200 Twin Otters over the next decade.
“Our order book has been pretty stable, when you consider the economic environment that we’ve been in,” said Mr. Curtis, 49, a licensed pilot.
This year’s manufacturing revival is making waves in the aviation world. Zimex’s Twin Otter is scheduled to be on display in July during the Farnborough International Airshow, a huge industry gathering held every two years at a sprawling airfield 60 kilometres southwest of London.
Viking’s other customers include Air Seychelles, Trans Maldivian Airways, Libya’s Petro Air, the United Arab Emirates’ air force and the U.S. Army’s Golden Knights parachute team.
National flags from around the world adorn the walls of the Calgary plant. The latest one to go up is from Vietnam, where Viking has signed a contract to deliver six Twin Otters to that country’s navy from 2012 to 2014.
Breathing new life into the Twin Otter is paying off, said Westerkirk CEO James Lawson. More than 350 Viking staff are now based in Victoria, producing components, while nearly 100 employees are at the final assembly plant in Calgary.
“I’m so excited about the demand for this plane for so many uses worldwide,” Mr. Lawson said.
YAY!
Last edited by Rollingthunder; 17th Jul 2010 at 03:58.
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Good to see them finally back into production. 
Never flew one or ridden in one. But for some reason I've always been intrigued by the Twin Otter. Shoot, I might even come out of retirement to fly one.
Oops, I take that back about ridding in one. I did many, many years ago in Canada, it was a float equipped Twin Otter. It brought me back from a fishing camp. We went up on an old standard piston powered Otter.
Never flew one or ridden in one. But for some reason I've always been intrigued by the Twin Otter. Shoot, I might even come out of retirement to fly one.
Oops, I take that back about ridding in one. I did many, many years ago in Canada, it was a float equipped Twin Otter. It brought me back from a fishing camp. We went up on an old standard piston powered Otter.
Errrrrrrrrrrrrr............ it wouldn't be Twin Otter then.
Not flown in one would certainly love to.
Planemike...........
Not flown in one would certainly love to.
Planemike...........
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Wasn't there a post a year or two back, about this being a possible? Back then I made the comment that the only aircraft that could replace an old Twotter was a new Twotter. Good to see it's a reality. 500 hours on them, more years ago than I like to admit. (Oh, all right; 1977/78).
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Originally Posted by Herod
Wasn't there a post a year or two back,
The newspaper article seems a bit out of date in many ways, the first all-new Twotter actually flew a couple of months ago.
Here is a photo of the first flight of the first new production Twin Otter (SN 845):
and here is a photo of the instrument panel of the new Series 400 Twin Otter, which uses the Honeywell Primus Apex avionics suite (same as the new PC-12E):
and here is a photo of the instrument panel of the new Series 400 Twin Otter, which uses the Honeywell Primus Apex avionics suite (same as the new PC-12E):
No, it's not gone, because I'm the guy who has to do the ferry, and I'm still here. 
In the meantime, here is a picture of the aircraft in final paint (except for the Canadian registration sticker over the Swiss registration).
Michael
In the meantime, here is a picture of the aircraft in final paint (except for the Canadian registration sticker over the Swiss registration).
Michael
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I'm the guy who has to do the ferry, and I'm still here.
Is this how it's going to happen with all of them - assembled at YYC then flown back to YYJ ? Not sure I see the point of that unless it's just because this is number 1 (err.. 845).
Calgary is the production facility, and Victoria is the delivery facility.
It makes quite a bit of sense to deliver the aircraft (hand it over to the customer) in Victoria. Amongst other things, it gives those of us in engineering and production flight test an opportunity to fully suss out the aircraft during the 3 hour cross-country from Calgary to Victoria. That trip is, of course, in addition to all of the production flight test work done in Calgary prior to departure to Victoria.
Customers sometimes request minor customizations or tweaks be made to their aircraft before delivery, and it is easier to do this work at the Viking MRO facility in Victoria than at the production facility in Calgary.
Plus - Calgary is cold as heck in the winter, and Victoria is nice and mild all year round.
Michael
It makes quite a bit of sense to deliver the aircraft (hand it over to the customer) in Victoria. Amongst other things, it gives those of us in engineering and production flight test an opportunity to fully suss out the aircraft during the 3 hour cross-country from Calgary to Victoria. That trip is, of course, in addition to all of the production flight test work done in Calgary prior to departure to Victoria.
Customers sometimes request minor customizations or tweaks be made to their aircraft before delivery, and it is easier to do this work at the Viking MRO facility in Victoria than at the production facility in Calgary.
Plus - Calgary is cold as heck in the winter, and Victoria is nice and mild all year round.
Michael
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Thanks, so I can look forward to lots of "exotic" Twotters then ?
Amen. I don't envy you those 3-hour jaunts in Dec/Jan though.
Calgary is cold as heck in the winter, and Victoria is nice and mild all year round.
Where are you v1.. oops? We've got you planned out of Aberdeen today at 0900 and with the struggle you had filing your ifps flight plan, we thought you'd be here. Maybe filed for the wrong day?
good luck with the crossing
good luck with the crossing
Last edited by exlatccatsa; 7th Jul 2010 at 12:11.
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Well, the aircraft* was still at YYJ yesterday ! I don't see a FP for departure or a record on flightaware but he could have gone/be going VFR.
What's the callsign ?
I'll pop out in a bit to see if he's gone.
* same paint, same reg. but I suppose it could be the next one ?
What's the callsign ?
I'll pop out in a bit to see if he's gone.
* same paint, same reg. but I suppose it could be the next one ?
He was planned under the Canadian Registration... maybe just trying to get all the Flightplan routeings correct before getting to Europe .. IFPS can be a bit tricky even for us who are used to it.
If he's still in YYJ then I guess I'll miss the photo as I'm on hols after Sun
Maybe you'd post here if you notice him gone PT?
If he's still in YYJ then I guess I'll miss the photo as I'm on hols after Sun
Maybe you'd post here if you notice him gone PT?
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Couldn't see if it's here or not. Hangar is all buttoned up against the heatwave (!) here. I've set up an alert on flightaware (assuming he files IFR).
ETA: no sign of it. I believe it's gone.
ETA: no sign of it. I believe it's gone.
Last edited by PaperTiger; 10th Jul 2010 at 14:13.