FIRST NEW TWIN OTTER FOR 20 YEARS

18 Feb 2010

Save to de.icio.us

After a successful ten minute initial test flight, the first new Twin Otter Series 400 MSN 845 comes in for a landing at the Calgary International Airport

THE first new-production de Havilland Twin Otter for more than 20 years has had its initial flight.

Viking Air, a Canadian aerospace company, has bought the type certification from de Havilland Canada, and has brought the Twin Otter up to date with its new Series 400 model. The first flight was at Viking’s final assembly facility in Calgary, Alberta.

The aircraft, MSN 845, has already been sold to launch customer Zimex Aviation of Switzerland. It is equipped with Honeywell’s Apex IFR digital flight deck and configured with a commuter interior. The aircraft is to be used throughout North Africa servicing the oil and gas industry.

Steve Stackhouse, Manager of Flight Operations, along with Viking President and CEO David Curtis, piloted the aircraft on the initial flight, commenting, “the aircraft performed exactly as expected, it felt very stable, fast, and even with my thousands of hours on type, this new Series 400 Twin Otter brought a smile to my face.”

“This is a significant milestone, not only for Viking and our entire team, but also for our many customers,” commented David Curtis. “Flying the first new Twin Otter in 22 years is the culmination of many months of hard work and determination by our staff and supply chain partners.”

The first production aircraft has been registered C-FMJO in honour of Michael J. Orr, a former member of Viking’s Board of Directors. Mike was a keen supporter of the plan to re-start Twin Otter production and sadly passed away in 2006. In keeping with Viking tradition of naming aircraft, “Mikey” has been fondly added to the nose of MSN 845. Several of Mike’s family were in attendance to witness the first flight.

Viking announced the production re-launch of a modernized Twin Otter in March of 2007 with the introduction of the DHC-6 Series 400 model, which features over 400 modifications and improvements centered around a completely modernized flight deck and added safety systems while retaining the legacy aircraft’s famous robust airframe design.

Most notable of these changes is the incorporation the fully integrated Honeywell Primus Apex digital avionics suite, and Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 turbines engines to support the aircraft’s unsurpassed capability in specialized operating environments.

With Canadian certification imminent, Viking expects first customer deliveries to start shortly.

www.vikingair.com
 

Send To A Friend