Twin Otter production restarted!

[sundevil777 102]

Viking Air will be making more of them. Hopefully this will put a slight downward pressure on the price of used twotters and their spare parts:

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=a71d8a20-6844-4a2c-8d03-79b39b9ff3c6&

The article mentions that PT6A-35 engines with 4 bladed props will be available. Has that been available before?

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[deadbug 0]

[JumpShipGypsy 0]

$3.2 million (in 2006 dollars)

[riggerrob 643]

The article mentions that PT6A-35 engines with 4 bladed props will be available. Has that been available before?

[azdiver 0]

what is the cycle life of a otter, and how many were built. the article says they are becoming rare but only a confirmed order of such a small amount doesnt seem to me that it will make that much of a difference. i was told a used otter without engines will sell for 1mill, whats the cost of a new engine -35? 200k or more

light travels faster than sound, that's why some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak

[sundevil777 102]

Quote

The article mentions that PT6A-35 engines with 4 bladed props will be available. Has that been available before?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Plenty of Twin Otter jump planes have been retrofitted with -35 engines and 4-bladed propellers, but that tends to be a one-off field modification covered by a 337 form.

I suspect that the primary reason that Viking wants to install -35 engines is that the original -20 engines (installed in DHC6-100 Twin Otters) are long out of production and it is difficult to find spare parts for them.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

what is the cycle life of a otter, and how many were built. the article says they are becoming rare but only a confirmed order of such a small amount doesnt seem to me that it will make that much of a difference. i was told a used otter without engines will sell for 1mill, whats the cost of a new engine -35? 200k or more

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DHC_6

Playing with the wikipedia numbers, we have

6 prototypes
109 series 100
115 series 200
614 series 300
844 total built


http://aviation-safety.net/database/type/type-stat.php?type=182


Of which hull loss causes are
221 accidents
14 other occurences
6 unfiled occurences
2 criminal occurences excluding hikackings
12 hijackings

leaving
589 twin otters

Edit: there are only 243 hull losses, leaving 601 flying.

[jumper03 0]

Quote

leaving
589 twin otters

Okay...so now lets play a game and see how many are skydiving otters.

SkydiveAZ (eloy, AZ)- 3
Jumptown (orange, MA) - 1
Raeford (raeford, NC) - 1
Cross Keys (cross keys, NJ) - 1
CSS (louisburg, NC) - 2 (?)

Thats 8 there, w/o the florida and Cali dzs.

I know there are others but they don't come to me off the top of my head. feel free to add and edit.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[Eule 0]

Aero-News apparently requires you to run Windows in order to read their newsletter, but Viking seems to figure that if you're ready to drop three megadollars, you can visit their site any way you want - here's their press release.

From that press release:

Quote

The original de Havilland Twin Otters were built between 1965 and 1988, when 844 were delivered. More than 600 remain in active service today.

Jane's says there were 115 Series 100 Otters with PT6A-20 engines and 115 Series 200 Otters with a longer nose but apparently the same engine. The Series 300 had the PT6A-27 engines, at least when the article was written sometime around 1980. That article also says 613 had been sold through June 1978; from that and the above you can figure that they averaged about 47 a year from 1965-1978, but only about 23 a year from 1978-1988.

The press release cites a study giving a "ten-year demand for over 400 new aircraft", which seems maybe a little optimistic given the numbers above. On the other hand, lots of things have probably changed between then and now.

If you've got 140,000 jump tickets burning a hole in your pocket, why not look at the brochure. :)

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[justinb138 0]

Quote

SkydiveAZ (eloy, AZ)- 3
Jumptown (orange, MA) - 1
Raeford (raeford, NC) - 1
Cross Keys (cross keys, NJ) - 1
CSS (louisburg, NC) - 2 (?)
Skydive Dallas (Whitewright, TX) - 2

I know SD Spaceland has 1 or 2 and I think San Marcos has 1 as well.

[AllisonH 0]

Skydive Chicago has 2, Skydive Tecumseh (Michigan) has 1

[justinb138 0]

SkydiveAZ (eloy, AZ)- 3
Jumptown (orange, MA) - 1
Raeford (raeford, NC) - 1
Cross Keys (cross keys, NJ) - 1
CSS (louisburg, NC) - 2 (?)
Skydive Dallas (Whitewright, TX) - 2
Skydive Spaceland (Rosharon, TX) - 1
Skydive Chicago (IL) - 2
Skydive Tecumseh (Michigan) - 1
----------------------------------------
14 so far

[Eule 0]

If you go to the FAA and just punch in DHC-6 for the model (leave the manufacturer blank), you get about 163 aircraft. Looking at the owner's names and locations, I count about 25 of those as probably jump planes, about 27 as probably not jump planes, and the rest as "not sure".

Another interesting question: if you've got about three million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, do you buy one new Twin Otter or two new PAC 750 XLs?

Eule

PLF does not stand for Please Land on Face.

[towerrat 0]

FreeFall Express (the Ranch and Skydive City) has 4

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

[monkycndo 0]

Quote

Another interesting question: if you've got about three million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, do you buy one new Twin Otter or two new PAC 750 XLs?

Or maybe two of the new Kodiaks with a little cash to spare.

Perris has 3 twotters.

El'Snore has 2.

Taft has 1.

Lodi has 1.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[jumper03 0]

Quote

SkydiveAZ (eloy, AZ)- 3
Jumptown (orange, MA) - 1
Raeford (raeford, NC) - 1
Cross Keys (cross keys, NJ) - 1
CSS (louisburg, NC) - 2 (?)
Skydive Dallas (Whitewright, TX) - 2
Skydive Spaceland (Rosharon, TX) - 1
Skydive Chicago (IL) - 2
Skydive Tecumseh (Michigan) - 1
Freefall Express (Ny, Fla) - 4
Perris (Ca) - 3
'snore (Ca) - 2
Taft (Ca) - 1
Lodi (Ca) - 1
----------------------------------------

25 now.

Scars remind us that the past is real

[diablopilot 2]

Quote

Another interesting question: if you've got about three million dollars burning a hole in your pocket, do you buy one new Twin Otter or two new PAC 750 XLs?

If you're gonna runs a DZ with them, then buy the PAC's.

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[DrewEckhardt 0]

SkydiveAZ (eloy, AZ)- 3
Jumptown (orange, MA) - 1
Raeford (raeford, NC) - 1
Cross Keys (cross keys, NJ) - 1
CSS (louisburg, NC) - 2 (?)
Skydive Dallas (Whitewright, TX) - 2
Skydive Spaceland (Rosharon, TX) - 1
Skydive Chicago (IL) - 2
Skydive Tecumseh (Michigan) - 1
Freefall Express (Ny, Fla) - 4
Perris (Ca) - 3
'snore (Ca) - 2
Taft (Ca) - 1
Lodi (Ca) - 1
Mile Hi (CO) - 1
Kapowsin Air Sports (WA) - 1

27 now

[Mike111 0]

Empuriabrava - 1

[DougH 270]

Is a super otter the same plane?

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[tombuch 0]

Quote

FreeFall Express (the Ranch and Skydive City) has 4

Find detail by searching the registration database with "Freefall" here: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/name_inquiry.asp.

123FX, 129PM, and 166DH are registered to Freefall Express in Keene, New Hampshire, while 40269 and 716NC are registered to the same Freefall Express in Gardiner, NY., and Cessna 2137R is registered to Freefall Express in Schenectady, New York.

Tom Buchanan
Instructor Emeritus
Comm Pilot MSEL,G
Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy

[PhreeZone 20]

Yes, And CSS is up to I think 4-5 Otters themselves.

N1022S
N223AL - 200 Series
N226CS -200 Series
N227CS -100 Series



Here is a list of all the DHC-6's in the FAA registration:
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/acftinqSQL.asp?striptxt=DHC6&mfrtxt=&modeltxt=DHC-6&cmndfind.x=0&cmndfind.y=0

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[Ncrowe 0]

Z hills has a few as well

"Don't Mess Around With the Guy in Shades- Oh No!!! "

[DrewEckhardt 0]

Quote

Is a super otter the same plane?

A Super-Whatever is usually an after market upgrade of a stock-Whatever which gives it more powerful engines.

Super Otters usually have the stock 550HP PT6A-20 or 680HP PT6A-27 engines replaced with 750HP PT6A-34 motors.

[jumper03 0]

Quote

SkydiveAZ (eloy, AZ)- 3
Jumptown (orange, MA) - 1
Raeford (raeford, NC) - 1
Cross Keys (cross keys, NJ) - 1
CSS (louisburg, NC) - 4
Skydive Dallas (Whitewright, TX) - 2
Skydive Spaceland (Rosharon, TX) - 1
Skydive Chicago (IL) - 2
Skydive Tecumseh (Michigan) - 1
Freefall Express (Ny, Fla) - 4
Perris (Ca) - 3
'snore (Ca) - 2
Taft (Ca) - 1
Lodi (Ca) - 1
Mile Hi (CO) - 1
Kapowsin Air Sports (WA) - 1
Empuriabrava (Spain) - 1

Thats 30.

Scars remind us that the past is real