70 Years Old: The de Havilland DHC-3 Otter and other workhorses.

[Guest2]

I imagine some of our members have flown this aircraft. Any stories to share?

70 Years Old: The de Havilland DHC-3 Otter

Chris Loh - 16h ago

React7 Comments|

The DHC series has been a mainstay in regional aviation since the end of World War II. One aircraft that helped catalyze the program was the DHC-3 Otter. December 2021 marked 70 years since the historic propellor model hit the air for the very first time.

70 Years Old: The de Havilland DHC-3 Otter© Provided by SimpleFlying

A new beginning

The De Havilland Aircraft Company was a master of British aviation for much of the early and mid 20th century. In March 1928, the firm decided to set up a subsidiary in Canada. Thus, the DHC propellor series was soon born.

The DHC-1 Chipmunk conducted its first flight in May 1946. This type was an all-metal trainer produced for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Importantly, it helped get the business off the ground. The following summer, the DHC-2 Beaver also took to the skies. This plane was a versatile bush model that could take off and land in challenging environments, enabling populations across Canada’s vast terrain to be better connected.

The DHC-3 Otter was designed to be a larger and more robust short takeoff and landing (STOL) plane. As a result, a single-engine aircraft utilizing the pratt & Whitney R-1340 was produced. The type was introduced with a high wing and went on to become one of the most prevalent bush air vehicles during its peak, carrying twice the amount of payload than previous generations.

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A popular model

The idea for the rugged aircraft came about in January of 1951. Then, just before the year was over, the prototype flew for the first time. It attained certification from Canadian authorities in November 1952 and went on to be operated by military and civil operators alike.

“Using the same overall configuration as the highly successful de Havilland Beaver (DHC-2) the Otter actually began life described as the King Beaver; longer, with a wider wingspan and far heavier, but capable of seating up to 11, the Otter was conceived simply as a big Beaver, able to fulfil the same functions. The aircraft features the same conventional stressed skin construction and has a braced-wing with full-span slotted flaps, the outer portions acting as ailerons,” DHC-3 tribute website DHC3Otter.com shares.

 

"The US Army was the largest customer, taking delivery of 200 aircraft commencing in 1955. The Royal Canadian Air Force operated 66 Otters in both Transport and Search and Rescue roles and the aircraft fulfilled a diverse range of duties operating on floats, wheels and ski’s in locations as diverse as Antarctica and the Caribbean. The UN used a number of aircraft for a range of missions and the Otter was purchased by several overseas Governments as diverse as India, Australia, Burma, Chile and Ghana.”

 

Plenty on offer

The DHC-3 Otter can hold a crew of up to two people. Fitted with a 600hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Twin Wasp radial piston engine, the plane could reach a maximum speed of 160 mph (255 km/h) and a cruise speed of 138 mph (220 km/h). The plane could also reach a range of 820 NM (1,500 km) with reserves or 720 NM (1,300 km) with reserves and 2,100 lb (950 kg) payload.

 

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Like the aircraft it was based on, the DHC-3 can be equipped with skis or floats to help it operate in tough conditions. Today, British Columbia-based Viking Air owns the Type Certificate for the aircraft. The company provides parts and support services to those flying the plane across the globe.

There have been at least eight variants of the Otter. A particular edition was the CSR-123, which was a utility plane made for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Six YU-1 test and evaluation units were also made for the United States Army. The US Army also received a utility transport version in the form of the U-1A Otter. Moreover, the US Navy took on the UC-1, which was redesignated U-1B Otter in 1962.

 

Continuing the lifespan

Several units have been modified to be powered by turboprop or equipped with bigger piston engines. The DHC-3-T Turbo-Otter saw either Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 or Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop engines placed in. The Airtech Canada DHC-3/1000 Otter is a conversion backed by PZL Kalisz ASz-62IR engines, while the Texas Turbines Super Otter is a turbine conversion supported by a Garret TPE331 turboprop engine.

In the mid-1960s, De Havilland developed the plane into the DHC-6 Twin Otter. The aircraft’s first flight was in May 1965 and became a twin-engine replacement for the original Otter. The Twin Otter became a force in its own right and conducts skillful missions around the world. Viking would go on to acquire the type certificate from De Havilland Canada in 2005 and revive the type's production in 2010, as "it was determined that an overwhelming demand existed to bring the Twin Otter back into production." Altogether, 844 units have been produced by DHC and 141 planes have been built by Viking since 1965.

"A testimony to its rugged construction and incredible STOL performance, the Twin Otter became the best-selling 19 passenger aircraft of all time, still unmatched for its dependability and versatility." -Viking Air Ltd.

The DHC-3 still has a role in aviation today. Notably, it has been part of crucial firefighting missions amid challenging bush fire seasons in recent years. Firefighting outfits have been busy primarily deploying the plane across Canada and Alaska.

In total, 466 units of the DHC-3 Otter were built between 1951 and 1967. The type may be a rarity now, but it helped the DHC series continue to become a powerhouse in short-haul aviation till today, with the DHC-8 a global favorite when it comes to turboprop missions.

Altogether, what are your thoughts about the de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter? Have you ever flown on the type or its inspirations over the years? Let us know what you think of the plane and its rich history in the comment section.

[Kip Powick]

1 hour ago, Skeptic said:

I imagine some of our members have flown this aircraft. Any stories to share?

As a passenger out to, and return flight, up at Goose Bay. We flew the VIPs in for the fishing camp and the DHC-3 Otter flew us, the crew, to a different fishing camp. I was taken aback by the extremely low rate of climb, mind you, we were pretty heavily loaded.

I was given a refresher course on the Twin Otter after my tour as CO HFX Rescue centre, prior to going on the C-130. The course was at Namao and It was the first time I ever landed on grass  when I did one flight with those very big tires on the Twin Otter. 

[Guest2]

B.C. airlines respond to U.S. seaplane safety warning following fatal crash

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has identified a potential cause for the fatal crash involving a Canadian-made de Havilland DHC-3 Otter seaplane.

Author of the article:

Derrick Penner

Publishing date:

Oct 30, 2022  •  2 hours ago  •  3 minute read  •   Join the conversation

 

A U.S. Coast Guard vessel searches the area on Sept. 5 near Freeland, Wash., on Whidbey Island north of Seattle where a chartered floatplane crashed the day before. The plane was carrying 10 people and was en route from Friday Harbor, Wash., to Renton, Wash. PHOTO BY STEPHEN BRASHEAR /AP

Article content

American air-safety regulators have identified what potentially caused a seaplane to nosedive out of the sky and crash off Whidbey Island in September and issued an urgent safety notice to other operators of the plane model, a workhorse for B.C.’s coastal airlines.

Investigators from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that parts in an actuator that operated the plane’s horizontal stabilizer — the control surfaces of the tail — had become detached, which may have caused the aircraft, a de Havilland DHC-3 operated by Friday Harbor Air, to crash over the Labour Day weekend, killing all 10 onboard. Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

Article content

 

The NTSB has issued an urgent safety recommendation to the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority and Transport Canada that the planes, also commonly known as the de Havilland Otter, be grounded until those parts can be visually inspected.

 

“Immediate action needs to be taken to inspect the actuator of DHC-3 airplanes, of which 40 per cent operate in the United States, to prevent a similar tragedy from happening,” NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said in a news release.

The DHC-3 is a common sight on B.C.’s coast. Harbour Air regularly flies several out of Vancouver Harbour on its regular daily routes. Vancouver Island Air also employs the planes.

 

Transport Canada is in the process of releasing a Civil Aviation Safety Alert highlighting the inspection requirement, according to an emailed statement in response to Postmedia News questions.

 

And Victoria-based Viking Air, which holds the airworthiness certificate for de Havilland aircraft, said it has already issued a service letter to operators of the plane to visually inspect the problem parts.

 

“A number of the operators had already been doing that, but we formally (issued the letter Oct. 27),” said Neil Sweeney, vice-president of corporate affairs for de Havilland Canada at Viking.

 

Vancouver Island Air declined to comment. Harbour Air didn’t return Postmedia phone calls, but in an emailed statement vice-president of marketing Meredith Moll said maintenance staff have returned all 22 of its Otter aircraft to service after completing the additional inspection.

 

Sweeney said the NTSB asked Viking engineers to participate in the investigation, which is common practice for aviation firms.

 

“Our engineers would provide the drawings and provide advice as to what is normal and what you should find in an intact circumstance,” Sweeney said.

 

In this case, according to the NTSB bulletin, investigators found in examining the wreckage a clamp nut at the top end of the actuator’s assembly had become unscrewed, likely during flight, and a wire lock ring designed to prevent the nut from coming loose wasn’t present.

Sweeney said the inspection found the critical nut unscrewed, but the threads it attached to were intact “which, to them, suggests that the mechanism came apart, not as part of a crash, but prior.”

 

The NTSB’s urgent notice said the Sept. 4 incident involved a Friday Harbor Air Otter, which took off from its base and reached level flight, continuing for 18 minutes before climbing slightly then plummeting about 1,000 feet in a near vertical dive into the water of Mutiny Bay. The Seattle Times reported that witnesses observed the plane spinning on the way down but without any “pitch change” to the engine’s sound during the descent.

 

Sweeney wouldn’t comment on the NTSB’s preliminary findings in this crash specifically but said, generally, that the work of regulators to identify the causes of crashes “is invaluable to us.”

Manufacturing of the Otter, most of which were built in the 1950s and ’60s, was discontinued decades ago, but Sweeney said 161 of the 466 made are still flying and Viking still puts considerable resources into making sure the planes remain airworthy and manufactures spare parts.

 

Despite the age of remaining aircraft, Sweeney said that because they’re not pressurized during flight, “there’s no end date, or best-before date” on the airframes, so long as they’re properly maintained.

[Guest2]

Another oldie still earning 

Northwest Flying Inc. | Facebook

Aircraft Information

 

Mark:

CF-NKL

Common Name:

Beech

Model Name:

C-45H

Serial No.:

AF 378

Basis for Eligibility for Registration:

CAR Standard 507.02, 507.03 - Type Certificate - A765

Category:

Aeroplane

Engine:

2, Piston

Max Take-Off Weight:

3969 kg

24 Bit Address:

Bin=110000000010001101100100, Octal=60021544, Hex=C02364

Regional Office:

Toronto

Base of Operations:

Nestor Falls , Ontario, CANADA

 

  Manufacturer Information

 

Manufacturer:

Beech Aircraft Corporation

Country of Manufacture:

U.S.A.

Year of Manufacture:

1955

[Seeker]

47 minutes ago, Skeptic said:

Another oldie still earning 

Northwest Flying Inc. | Facebook

Aircraft Information

 

Mark:

CF-NKL

Common Name:

Beech

Model Name:

C-45H

Serial No.:

AF 378

Basis for Eligibility for Registration:

CAR Standard 507.02, 507.03 - Type Certificate - A765

Category:

Aeroplane

Engine:

2, Piston

Max Take-Off Weight:

3969 kg

24 Bit Address:

Bin=110000000010001101100100, Octal=60021544, Hex=C02364

Regional Office:

Toronto

Base of Operations:

Nestor Falls , Ontario, CANADA

 

  Manufacturer Information

 

Manufacturer:

Beech Aircraft Corporation

Country of Manufacture:

U.S.A.

Year of Manufacture:

1955

You can't post that without posting this.  I spent one glorious summer flying this exact aircraft!

 

[Falken]

Lucky you!

[Seeker]

4 minutes ago, Falken said:

Lucky you!

I know, right!  Then spent the next year flying at Rusty Myers too.  No doubt delayed my airline career but wouldn't trade my time in the Beech for another two years at a flight level.