De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter ұшағы: Тарихы мен қазіргі жағдайы

Utility transport aircraft family by de Havilland Canada

The de Havilland Canada DHC 6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada in the mid 1960s and still in production today. De Havilland Canada produced it from 1965 to 1988; Viking Air purchased the type certificate, then restarted production in 2008 before re adopting the DHC name in 2022. In 2023 DHC restarted production of the 300 series, in addition to the Series 400 produced by Viking. The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL capabilities, twin turboprop engines and high rate of climb have made it a successful commuter airliner, typically seating 18–20 passengers, as well as a cargo and medical evacuation aircraft. In addition, the Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations, and is used by the United States Army Parachute Team and the 98th Flying Training Squadron of the United States Air Force.

After Series 300 production ended, the remaining tooling was purchased by Viking Air of Victoria, British Columbia, which manufactures replacement parts for all of the out of production de Havilland Canada aircraft. On 24 February 2006, Viking purchased the type certificates from Bombardier Aviation for all the out of production de Havilland Canada aircraft (DHC 1 through DHC 7). The ownership of the certificates gives Viking the exclusive right to manufacture new aircraft. On 17 July 2006, at the Farnborough Airshow, Viking Air announced its intention to offer a Series 400 Twin Otter. On 2 April 2007, Viking announced that with 27 orders and options in hand, it was restarting production of the Twin Otter, equipped with more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A 34 engines. As of November 2007, 40 firm orders and 10 options had been taken and a new final assembly plant was established in Calgary, Alberta. Zimex Aviation of Switzerland received the first new production aircraft, serial number 845, in July 2010. By mid 2014, Viking had built 55 new aircraft at its Calgary facility. The production rate as of summer 2014 was about 24 aircraft per year. In April 2015, Viking announced a reduction of the production rate to 18 aircraft per year. On 17 June 2015, Viking further announced a partnership with a Chinese firm, Reignwood Aviation Group. The group will purchase 50 aircraft and become the exclusive representatives for new Series 400 Twin Otters in China. Major changes introduced with the Series 400 include Honeywell Primus Apex fully integrated avionics, deletion of the AC electrical system, deletion of the beta backup system, modernization of the electrical and lighting systems, and use of composites for non load bearing structures such as doors. The 100th Series 400 Twin Otter (MSN 944) was displayed at the July 2017 EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Currently, 38% are operated as regional airliners, 31% in military aviation or special missions, 26% in industrial support and 5% in private air charter. Additionally, 70 are on regular landing gear wheels, 18 are configured as straight or amphibious floatplanes, 10 have tundra tires and 2 have wheel skis. In 2019, Viking started making plastic components for the Twin Otter by 3D printer to help reduce cost. Twin Otter production was suspended in 2019 during the COVID 19 pandemic. In July 2022, DHC announced that it was reviewing the program and supply chain, with a decision on when to resume production expected "in the near future". In 2023, its equipped price was $7.25M. In June 2023 Viking, now operating as De Haviland Canada started production of new DHC 6 Classic 300 G. Houston Metro had agreements in place for connecting passenger feed services with Continental Airlines and Eastern Air Lines at Houston Intercontinental, with this major airport having a dedicated STOL landing area at the time specifically for Twin Otter flight operations. The Clear Lake City STOLport is no longer in existence. The Walt Disney World resort in Florida was also served with scheduled airline flights operated with Twin Otter aircraft. The Walt Disney World Airport, also known as the Lake Buena Vista STOLport, was a private airfield constructed by The Walt Disney Company with Twin Otter operations in mind. In the early 1970s, Shawnee Airlines operated scheduled Twin Otter flights between the Disney resort and nearby Orlando Jetport, now Orlando International Airport, as well as to Tampa International Airport. This service by Shawnee Airlines is mentioned in the "Air Commuter Section" of the 6 September 1972 Eastern Air Lines system timetable as a connecting service to and from Eastern flights. This STOL airfield is no longer in use. Another commuter airline in the United States, Rocky Mountain Airways, operated Twin Otters from the Lake County Airport in Leadville, Colorado. At an elevation of above mean sea level, this airport is the highest airfield in the United States ever to have received scheduled passenger airline service, thus demonstrating the wide ranging flight capabilities of the Twin Otter. Rocky Mountain Airways went on to become the worldwide launch customer for the larger, four engine de Havilland Canada Dash 7 STOL turboprop, but continued to operate the Twin Otter, as well. Larger scheduled passenger airlines based in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Australia, particularly jetliner operators, also flew Twin Otters, with the aircraft providing connecting feeder service for these airlines. Jet aircraft operators which also flew the Twin Otter included Aeronaves de Mexico, Air BC, Alaska Airlines, ALM Antillean Airlines, Ansett Airlines, Cayman Airways, Frontier Airlines, LIAT, Norcanair, Nordair, Ozark Air Lines, Pacific Western Airlines, Quebecair, South Pacific Island Airways, Time Air, Transair, Trans Australia Airlines (TAA), Wardair and Wien Air Alaska. In many cases, the excellent operating economics of the Twin Otter allowed airlines large and small to provide scheduled passenger flights to communities that most likely would otherwise never have received air service. Twin Otters are also a staple of Antarctic transportation. Four Twin Otters are employed by the British Antarctic Survey on research and supply flights, and several are employed by the United States Antarctic Program via contract with Kenn Borek Air. On 24–25 April 2001, two Twin Otters performed the first winter flight to Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station to perform a medical evacuation. On 21–22 June 2016, Kenn Borek Air's Twin Otters performed the third winter evacuation flight to Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station to remove two people for medical reasons. The Argentine Air Force has used the Twin Otter in Antarctica since the 1970s, with at least one of them deployed year round at Marambio Base. The Chilean Air Force has operated the type since 1980, usually having an example based at Presidente Frei Antarctic base of the South Shetland Islands. Alfredo Stroessner, Paraguayan head of state from 1954 until 1989, used a Twin Otter as a presidential aircraft; although the Twin Otter remained in the Paraguayan Air Force inventory after he was deposed, subsequent presidents switched to other, private aircraft for official duties. As of August 2006, a total of 584 Twin Otter aircraft (all variants) remained in service worldwide. Major operators at the time included: Libyan Arab Airlines, Maldivian Air Taxi, Trans Maldivian Airways, Kenn Borek Air, and Grand Canyon Scenic Airlines. Some 115 airlines operated smaller numbers of the aircraft including Yeti Airlines in Nepal, Malaysia Airlines (which used the Twin Otter exclusively for passenger and freight transportation to the Kelabit Highlands region in Sarawak), and in the United Kingdom, the Scottish airline, Loganair which uses the aircraft to service the island of Barra in the Outer Hebrides. This daily scheduled service is unique as the aircraft lands on the beach and the schedule is partly influenced by the tide tables. Trials at Barra Airport with heavier planes than the Twin Otter, like the Short 360, failed because they sank in the sand. The Twin Otter is also used for landing at Juancho E. Yrausquin Airport, the world's shortest commercial runway, on the Caribbean island of Saba, Netherlands Antilles. The Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations. It can carry up to 22 skydivers to over (a 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. On 26 April 2001, the first ever air rescue during polar winter from the South Pole occurred with a ski equipped Twin Otter operated by Kenn Borek Air. On 25 September 2008, the Series 400 Technology Demonstrator achieved "power on" status in advance of an official rollout. The first flight of the Series 400 technical demonstrator, C FDHT, took place 1 October 2008, at Victoria International Airport. Two days later, the aircraft departed Victoria, British Columbia for a ferry flight to Orlando, Florida, site of the 2008 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Conference and exhibition. The first new build Series 400 Twin Otter (SN 845) made its first flight on 16 February 2010, in Calgary, Alberta. Transport Canada presented Viking Air Limited with an amended DHC 6 Type Certificate including the Series 400 on 21 July 2010. In June 2017, 125 have been made since restarting production in 2010.

In 2016, there were 281 Twin Otters in airline service with 26 new aircraft on order: 112 in North/South America, 106 in Asia Pacific and Middle East (16 orders), 38 in Europe (10 orders) and 25 in Africa. In 2018, a total of 270 Twin Otters were in airline service, and 14 on order: 111 in North/South America, 117 in the Asia Pacific and Middle East (14 orders), 26 in Europe and 13 in Africa. In 2020, there were a total of 315 Twin Otters worldwide with 220 in service, 95 in storage and 8 on order. By region there were 22 in Africa, 142 in Asia Pacific (8 orders), 37 in Europe, 4 in the Middle East and 110 in the Americas. The Twin Otter has been popular not only with bush operators as a replacement for the single engine de Havilland Canada DHC 3 Otter but also with other civil and military customers, with over 890 aircraft built. Many commuter airlines in the United States got their start by flying the Twin Otter in scheduled passenger operations. +Airlines with six aircraft or more (2020) Date Flight Fat. (Fatalities) Location Country Event Surv. (Survivors) 23 November 1968 Cable Commuter Airlines 9 Santa Ana,California United States While landing, impacted light pole in fog, short of John Wayne Airport. 29 June 1972 Air Wisconsin Flight 671 5 Lake Winnebago,Wisconsin United States Collided mid air with a North Central Airlines Convair 580 carrying five, killing all. 5 January 1975 Argentine Army Aviation 13 Tucumán Province Argentina Crashed due to bad weather and lack of a flight plan. 9 January 1975 Golden West Airlines Flight 261 12 Whittier,California United States Collided with a Cessna 150, also killing its two occupants 3 May 1976 Demonstration 11 Monze Air Force Base,Monze Zambia Crashed on take off 12 December 1976 Allegheny Commuter Flight 977 3 Cape May Airport,Erma, New Jersey United States Crashed short of the runway 18 January 1978 Frontier Airlines 3 Pueblo, Colorado United States Crashed during a training flight 2 September 1978 Airwest Airlines 11 Coal Harbour,Vancouver,British Columbia Canada Approach loss of control after a corroded rod failed and a flap retracted 2 18 November 1978 Jonestown cult rescue Port Kaituma Guyana Attacked by cultists while rescuing people; aircraft managed to successfully escape. Another aircraft did not leave and the occupants were shot dead 4 December 1978 Rocky Mountain Airways Flight 217 2 Buffalo Pass,Colorado United States Survivable impact on snow, severe icing and mountain wave downdraft 30 May 1979 Downeast Airlines Flight 46 17 Rockland,Maine United States Departed from Boston, crashed away from Knox County Regional Airport 1 24 July 1981 Air Madagascar Flight 112 19 Maroantsetra Madagascar Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) into a mountain in cloudy conditions 31 July 1981 Panamanian Air Force FAP 205 7 Coclé Province Panama Killed President Omar Torrijos, cause disputed 21 February 1982 Pilgrim Airlines Flight 458 1 Scituate ReservoirRhode Island United States Emergency landing after a fire broke out on board 10 11 March 1982 Widerøe Flight 933 15 Barents Sea near Gamvik Norway A mechanical fault in the elevator control system caused the pilots to lose control of pitch 18 June 1986 Grand Canyon Airlines Flight 6 20 Grand Canyon,Arizona United States Collided with a Helitech Bell 206, also killing its five occupants 4 August 1986 LIAT Flight 319 13 St. Vincent St. Vincent and the Grenadines Crashed into the Caribbean Sea. The aircraft was en route between St. Lucia and St. Vincent when it crashed due to poor weather conditions, while on approach. 28 October 1989 Aloha Island Air Flight 1712 20 Molokai,Hawaii United States Crashed into a mountain on approach to Molokai Airport. 12 April 1990 Widerøe Flight 839 5 outside Værøy Norway Crashed in the ocean due to wind 22 April 1992 Perris Valley Aviation 16 Perris Valley Airport,Perris, California United States Fuel contamination, lost power and crashed near the runway end 6 27 October 1993 Widerøe Flight 744 6 east of Namsos Norway Controlled flight into terrain into forest on a hill during approach at night in bad weather 13 17 December 1994 Mission Aviation Fellowship 28 Papua New Guinea Crashed en route, striking a mountain at 1950.72 m. 10 January 1995 Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 6715 14 Molo Strait Indonesia Disappeared in bad weather from Sultan Muhammad Salahudin Airport to Frans Sales Lega Airport, Ruteng. 30 November 1996 ACES Colombia Flight 148 15 near Medellín Colombia Crashed from Olaya Herrera Airport 7 January 1997 Polynesian Airlines Flight 211 3 Mount Vaea Samoa Controlled flight into terrain in bad weather while diverting to Faleolo International Airport from Pago Pago to Apia 2 24 March 2001 Air Caraïbes Flight 1501 19 Saint Barthélemy French West Indies Crashed near Gustaf III Airport, killing one on ground. 26 May 2006 Air São Tomé and Príncipe training flight 4 Ana Chaves Bay,São Tomé Island Airline's sole aircraft, registered S9 BAL, crashed during training flight. 9 August 2007 Air Moorea Flight 1121 20 Mo'orea French Polynesia Bound for Tahiti, crashed shortly after takeoff near Moorea Airport 6 May 2007 French Air and Space Force 9 Sinai Peninsula Egypt Crashed while supporting the Multinational Force and Observers 8 October 2008 Yeti Airlines Flight 101 18 Lukla Nepal Destroyed on landing at Tenzing Hillary Airport 1 2 August 2009 Merpati Nusantara Airlines Flight 9760D 16 near Oksibil Indonesia Crashed about north of Oksibil. 11 August 2009 Airlines PNG Flight 4684 13 Kokoda Valley Papua New Guinea Crashed on a mountain whilst en route from Port Moresby to Kokoda. 15 December 2010 2010 Tara Air Twin Otter crash 22 Bilandu Forest Nepal A Tara Air Twin Otter crashed after take off on a domestic flight from Lamidanda to Kathmandu, Nepal 20 January 2011 Ecuadorian Air Force 6 El Capricho Ecuador En route from Río Amazonas Airport to Mayor Galo de la Torre Airport 22 September 2011 Arctic Sunwest Charters 2 Yellowknife,Northwest Territories Canada Float plane crashed in the street, injuring seven. 23 January 2013 Kenn Borek Air 3 Mount Elizabeth Antarctica Skiplane lost en route from the South Pole to Terra Nova Bay. 10 October 2013 MASwings Flight 3002 2 Kudat Malaysia Crashed on landing at Kudat Airport 14 16 February 2014 Nepal Airlines Flight 183 18 Nepal En route to Jumla from Pokhara. 20 September 2014 Hevilift 4 near Port Moresby Papua New Guinea Crashed on landing 5 24 February 2016 Tara Air Flight 193 23 Pokhara Nepal Tara Air crashed after takeoff 2 October 2015 Aviastar Flight 7503 10 Luwu Regency Indonesia Aviastar pilot deviated from his route to Makassar 30 August 2018 Ethiopian Air Force 18 near Mojo Ethiopia From Dire Dawa, crashed at a place called Nannawa 4 Papua Indonesia From Timika, crashed at Hoeya district 29 May 2022 Tara Air Flight 197 22 Mustang District Nepal Crashed after takeoff from Pokhara Airport20 May 2023 [not listed] 2 Half Moon Bay, CA United States Crashed into Half Moon Bay, California 27 December 2023 Air Tindi Flight 0 Northwest Territories Canada Crashed 300 km NE of Yellowknife

Series 100 300 Cockpit crew 1–2 Seating 20 19 Length 49 ft 6 in (15.09m) Height 19 ft 6 in / 5.94 m Wing span, area ( AR) Empty weight 5,850l lb / 2,653 kg 7,415  lb / 3,363 kg 7,100 lb / 3,221 kg (no accommodation) MTOW 10,500 lb / 4763 kg 12,500 lb / 5,670 kg Payload 975 kg (2150 lb) over 1344 km (727 nm) 1135 kg (2500 lb) over 1297 km (700 nm)860 kg (1900 lb) over 1705 km (920 nm) 1842 kg (4061 lb) over 185 km (100 nm)1375 kg (3031 lb) over 741 km (400 nm) Fuel capacity 378 US gal / 1466 L, 2,590 lb / 1,175 kg Turboprops (×2) P&WC PT6A 20 PT6A 27 PT6A 34 Unit Power 431 kW / 578shp 460 kW / 620shp Max. Cruise 297 km/h / 160kn 338 km/h / 182kn (FL100) Takeoff to 50 ft 1,200 ft / 366 m Landing from 50 ft 1,050 ft / 320 m Stall Speed 65 mph Ferry Range 771 nmi / 1,427 km 799 nmi / 1480 km Endurance 6.94 h Ceiling 25,000 ft / 7,620 m Climb rate FL100 fuel burn /hour Power/mass