'Twotter' to make a comeback?
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'Twotter' to make a comeback?
From the AVWEB site...
"A NEW TWIN OTTER
In its element (and that's pretty varied) there is no more highly-respected aircraft than the deHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter. Made famous by the Antarctic rescue of a sick scientist in -75° temperatures, the high-wing twin has toiled for almost 40 years in some of the harshest (and most idyllic) environments on Earth. But the fleet is getting old, and there is really nothing to replace it, except a new Twin Otter. Viking Air, of Sidney (near Victoria), British Columbia, has brought the irreplaceable design into the 21st Century..."
So there guys and gals...Seems t'ain't nuthin like a Twotter to replace a .......Twotter!
"A NEW TWIN OTTER
In its element (and that's pretty varied) there is no more highly-respected aircraft than the deHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter. Made famous by the Antarctic rescue of a sick scientist in -75° temperatures, the high-wing twin has toiled for almost 40 years in some of the harshest (and most idyllic) environments on Earth. But the fleet is getting old, and there is really nothing to replace it, except a new Twin Otter. Viking Air, of Sidney (near Victoria), British Columbia, has brought the irreplaceable design into the 21st Century..."
So there guys and gals...Seems t'ain't nuthin like a Twotter to replace a .......Twotter!
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Maiden flight recently
As reported in Australian Aviation Express on Tuesday, she recently made her maiden flight on Wipline floats...
Worth keeping an eye on I reckon
Originally Posted by AAE
Viking Air's Series 400 Twin Otter technology demonstrator made its first flight on October 21, marking an important step in the program to put the venerable 19 seater backing production.
The flight was made from Viking Air's facility in Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, Canada.
“The aircraft performed beautifully,” remarked Steve Stackhouse, Viking's manager of flight operations and pilot-in-command. Michael Moore, engineering test pilot and co-captain added “the first flight went smoothly and the aircraft handled exactly as expected.”
The Technology Demonstrator aircraft, officially dubbed ‘Viktoria', is a modified DHC-6-300 which incorporates a number of modifications which will be standard on the new built DHC-6-400. These include Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop engines and a modern Honeywell Primus Apex avionics suite. The particular aircraft was also fitted with Wipline 13000 amphibious floats.
The Series 400 program was launched last year by Viking Air, which also provides OEM support to the full ‘heritage' de Havilland Canada range of aircraft from the DHC-1 to the DHC-7 Dash 7. The company has orders for over 40 Twin Otters from customers including Zimex Aviation, Trans Maldivian Airways, Loch Ard Otters and the US Army, while Malaysian Airlines is also expected to firm up an order for its MASWings subsidiary.
The flight was made from Viking Air's facility in Victoria International Airport in British Columbia, Canada.
“The aircraft performed beautifully,” remarked Steve Stackhouse, Viking's manager of flight operations and pilot-in-command. Michael Moore, engineering test pilot and co-captain added “the first flight went smoothly and the aircraft handled exactly as expected.”
The Technology Demonstrator aircraft, officially dubbed ‘Viktoria', is a modified DHC-6-300 which incorporates a number of modifications which will be standard on the new built DHC-6-400. These include Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop engines and a modern Honeywell Primus Apex avionics suite. The particular aircraft was also fitted with Wipline 13000 amphibious floats.
The Series 400 program was launched last year by Viking Air, which also provides OEM support to the full ‘heritage' de Havilland Canada range of aircraft from the DHC-1 to the DHC-7 Dash 7. The company has orders for over 40 Twin Otters from customers including Zimex Aviation, Trans Maldivian Airways, Loch Ard Otters and the US Army, while Malaysian Airlines is also expected to firm up an order for its MASWings subsidiary.
Worth keeping an eye on I reckon
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The twin Otter is not coming back.
It has never gone. It is still in service in many parts of the world, doing important work the jets cannot do.
Propellor driven aircraft will be here for a long time yet.
Propellor driven aircraft will be here for a long time yet.
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I sent the youtube AVweb video link through to Chimbu Chuckles last night on what they had done to his beloved Twin Otter. I am sure he will not mind me posting his comments back to me on this thread.
and
I am sure the Otter boys would love to get a hold of a new one!
J
**** a Twotter with TV...Dennis never woulda put up with that sh1t
real men don't fly Twotters with TV, or waterproof doors
just how long do you think that Twotter will last in the Jungle
J
Grandpa Aerotart
A few of our -300 Twotters at Talair had the -34s near the end. They certainly had more get up and go at high DAs but their reverse thrust weren't nuffink to write home about..the first time I taxied RDY up the hill at POM in Beta I suggested the engineers might wanna check the primary blade angle but maybe it was to do with no low/ground idle in the Twotter set up as opposed to the same engine/prop in a Bandit. Don't remember that ever being resolved.
My weapon of choice going into the mountain strips was always a -200...my beloved RDB in particular...even if the doors leaked in rain
Can't help but feel the EFIS will be a maintenance issue in the rough and tumble that the Twotter revels in.
Truly one of the great aircraft.
VH-XXX
I do not think it is fair to blame the Twotter in the unfortunate accident in Nepal. If you look at the facts it was foggy with 400m vis and the aircraft hit a fence on short final. Just as well the pilot survived to tell us what happened if his memory recovers too 
The Twotter is continously surviving -60 degrees C in the Antarctic and has a service ceiling of 28000ft so i do not think it would have complained about the "cold" in Nepal
The Twotter is continously surviving -60 degrees C in the Antarctic and has a service ceiling of 28000ft so i do not think it would have complained about the "cold" in Nepal
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Top of Descent...
Great photos! I am now emotionally erect at the thought of all things twotter. I always thought, however, that an otter on floats had to be a -100 series style?? Something to do with forward loading in the nose locker?? Have they changed that or is my memory a bit rusty?
Great photos! I am now emotionally erect at the thought of all things twotter. I always thought, however, that an otter on floats had to be a -100 series style?? Something to do with forward loading in the nose locker?? Have they changed that or is my memory a bit rusty?
Metrosexual
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I wonder how will that glass cockpit and fancy electronic gagetry survive in the environment the Twotters been proven so useful
BTW - that 'fancy electronic gadgetry' is now becoming the standard.
Knight
I have no doubt in an airliner but my point was survivability in the harsh enviroment like sea mist, high humidity, corrosion due to seawater or the other extrames the Otters exposed to like dust or -60 C cold etc.
What do you reckon now that i explained myself more clearly?
What do you reckon now that i explained myself more clearly?
The glass is also lighter than the traditional instruments. Also depending on the setup you can move your PFD around if you get a display failure on the captains side.
Otters on Floats....
In reply to ABC.
Otters only need the short nose when on CAP floats, it was a certification thing and is retro fitable to all 100/200/300 aircraft I do not know if it will be available for the 400.
Wipline 13000's either straight or amphib can be on either the long or short nose. I found the short nose to be better for on the water ops especially when docking nose in in confined areas.
Either way the nose locker was unreachable in normal ops as the side loader was simply too far from the front of the float to reach, this in turn did make some rather interesting aft c of g issues. Which if they have taken all the clockwork out of the front office will only be even more restricting on the 400.
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Otters only need the short nose when on CAP floats, it was a certification thing and is retro fitable to all 100/200/300 aircraft I do not know if it will be available for the 400.
Wipline 13000's either straight or amphib can be on either the long or short nose. I found the short nose to be better for on the water ops especially when docking nose in in confined areas.
Either way the nose locker was unreachable in normal ops as the side loader was simply too far from the front of the float to reach, this in turn did make some rather interesting aft c of g issues. Which if they have taken all the clockwork out of the front office will only be even more restricting on the 400.
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Metrosexual
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sms777 - thanks for the english comprehension assessment.
You're correct, there is cause for concern that equipment like Garmin glass to have reliability issues in the conditions you list - likewise, analogue gauges using mechanicals are probably more susceptible to humidity,sea water, dust etc than solid state units.
With the Garmin (or avidyne) GA glass systems, key components like the Attitude Heading Reference System, Air Data Computers and PFD's are line replaceable, with the PFD's having reversionary modes (like neville mentioned) and redundancy in the electronic units (some setups use multiple GPS receivers).
Overall, for the kind of flying the Twotter does, having a good integrated dispay/nav system - in my opinion - outweighs the reliability issues.
I haven't heard or found any concrete evidence that states the glass systems are less reliable than traditional AH's and RMI's - and I'd be glad to be pointed in the directions of such.
Insofar as my comment about this sort of equipment becoming standard - most new aircraft are being fitted with these systems, and the analog gauges used usually as standby instruments only.
You're correct, there is cause for concern that equipment like Garmin glass to have reliability issues in the conditions you list - likewise, analogue gauges using mechanicals are probably more susceptible to humidity,sea water, dust etc than solid state units.
With the Garmin (or avidyne) GA glass systems, key components like the Attitude Heading Reference System, Air Data Computers and PFD's are line replaceable, with the PFD's having reversionary modes (like neville mentioned) and redundancy in the electronic units (some setups use multiple GPS receivers).
Overall, for the kind of flying the Twotter does, having a good integrated dispay/nav system - in my opinion - outweighs the reliability issues.
I haven't heard or found any concrete evidence that states the glass systems are less reliable than traditional AH's and RMI's - and I'd be glad to be pointed in the directions of such.
Insofar as my comment about this sort of equipment becoming standard - most new aircraft are being fitted with these systems, and the analog gauges used usually as standby instruments only.
Last edited by Jet_A_Knight; 11th Oct 2008 at 09:19.