De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter
The de Havilland Canada DHC -3 Otter is a single-engine propeller aircraft from the Canadian manufacturer de Havilland Canada. It is the enlarged version of the DHC- 2 Beaver. Use it found, among other things as a bush plane and military transport. The Otter served as the basis for the design equipped with two turboprop engines Twin Otter.
History
De Havilland Canada began in early 1951 with the development of a robust STOL -capable multi-purpose transport aircraft after the Beaver had already been successfully introduced. The new, originally known as King Beaver single-engine high-wing monoplane should be able to carry heavier payloads than its predecessor.
The new design was faced with the Beaver before a longer fuselage and greater wingspan. The number of passenger seats could be increased to up to eleven. The drive consisted of a 450 -kW Pratt & Whitney R -1340 Wasp radial engine. The Otter was like its predecessor will be equipped with skis or floats.
The first flight took place on 12 December 1951. In October 1952, the Otter received Canadian approval as land and seaplane. Shortly thereafter, the mass production began. On March 14, 1955, the first six aircraft were delivered to the U.S. Army, which should carry out monitoring tasks in the Arctic. Until 1967 466 units were built.
Use
Although the Otter came across a high demand of bush airlines, the U.S. Army was the most important customer. These clients 184 copies of the U -1A Otter delivered. Other military users were Australia, Canada and India.
The Otter is still used today in civil aviation, including skydiving.
Variants
- CSR -123 Otter DHC -3 of the Canadian Air Force
- YU -1 Otter: six trials for the U.S. Army.
- U -1A Otter: production version of the U.S. Army.
- UC-1 Otter: version of the U.S. Navy in 1962 to valid name system (C standing here for the manufacturer de Havilland Canada); from 1962 called U -1B Otter.
- DHC -3T Turbo Otter: Turboprop version with a 494 -kW PT6A -27 drive
Conversions
Some machines have been converted to turboprop aircraft and received a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 - drive, the Czech Walter M601 engine or a Garrett / Honeywell TPE331 -10 engine. These aircraft were designated Turbo Otter.
Occasionally the machine from Airtech Canada were converted to radial engines of the type ASz - 62IR -M18, which were license- manufactured at the Polish manufacturer PZL. Then you were called DHC-3/1000.
Accidents and incidents
In a crash, a 53 years old machine the variant DHC -3T on August 9, 2010 in Alaska, five of the nine occupants were killed, including former Republican Senator Ted Stevens. The former NASA administrator and CEO of EADS North America Sean O'Keefe and his son survived seriously injured.
Military user
- Argentina Argentina
- Ethiopia Ethiopia
- Australia Australia
- Bangladesh Bangladesh
- Chile Chile
- Costa Rica Costa Rica
- Ghana Ghana
- Haiti Haiti
- India India
- Indonesia Indonesia
- Cambodia Cambodia
- Canada Canada
- Colombia Colombia
- Malaysia Malaysia
- Myanmar Myanmar
- New Zealand New Zealand
- Nicaragua Nicaragua
- Nigeria Nigeria
- Norway Norway
- Panama Panama
- Paraguay Paraguay
- Philippines Philippines
- Sud Vietnam South Vietnam
- Tanzania
- United Kingdom United Kingdom
- United States United States