de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter
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| DHC-3 Otter | |
|---|---|
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| Turbine Otter in Harbour Air livery | |
| Role | STOL utility transport |
| Manufacturer | de Havilland Canada |
| First flight | 12 December 1951 |
| Introduced | 1953 |
| Status | Active |
| Produced | 1951-1967 |
| Number built | 466 |
The de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter is a single-engined, high wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada. It was conceived to be capable of performing the same roles as the earlier and highly successful Beaver, but was overall a larger plane.
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[edit] Design and development
When de Havilland Canada began design work on the King Beaver (the Otter's original name) in January 1951, it was trying to extend the company's line of rugged STOL utility transports that had begun with the Beaver. The single engined, high wing, propeller-driven DHC-3 Otter was conceived to be capable of performing the same roles as the Beaver, but was considerably larger, the veritable "one-ton truck" (in company parlance, the Beaver was the "half-ton truck").[1]
Using the same overall configuration of the earlier and highly successful DHC2 Beaver, the new design incorporated a longer fuselage, greater span wings, and was much heavier. Seating in the main cabin is for 10 or 11, whereas the Beaver could seat six. Power is supplied by a 450 kW (600 hp) Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial. Like the Beaver, the Otter can be fitted with skis or floats. The Otter served as the basis for the very successful Twin Otter, which featured two wing mounted Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprops.
The Otter received Canadian certification in November 1952 and entered production shortly after.
[edit] Operational use
Although the Otter found ready acceptance in bush airlines, as in a similar scenario to the DHC-2 Beaver, the United States Army soon became the largest operator of the aircraft (184 delivered as the U-1A Otter). Other military users included Australia, Canada, and India but the primary role of the aircraft as a rugged bush plane continues to this day.
An Otter crossed the South Pole in 1957 (see Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition).
The Otter is also popular in the skydiving community and can be found in many dropzones throughout the world.]
[edit] Modifications
Some aircraft were converted to turbine power using a PT6A,[1] Walter 601 (manufactured in the Czech Republic),[2], or Garrett/Honeywell TPE331-10, by Texas Turbine Conversions.[3] A Polish Pezetel radial engine has also been fitted.[4]. Re-engined aircraft have been offered since the 1980s by Airtech Canada as the DHC-3/1000 using current-production 1,000 hp (745 kW) PZL ASz-62IR radials.[2]
[edit] Variants
- DHC-3 Otter : Single-engined STOL utility transport aircraft.
- CSR-123 Otter : STOL utility transport aircraft for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
- YU-1 Otter : Six test and evaluation aircraft for the U.S. Army.
- U-1A Otter : STOL utility transport aircraft for the US Army.
- UC-1 Otter : STOL utility transport aircraft for the United States Navy. Later redesignated U-1B Otter in 1962.
- DHC-3-T Turbo-Otter : Otter fitted with a 494-kW (662-hp) PT6A-27 turboprop engine.
[edit] Military operators
- Royal Australian Air Force - Two Otters (RAAF serial A100-1 and 2) were in service with the RAAF from 1961 to 1967. The aircraft were used for passenger and freight transport duties at the Weapons Research Establishment, Woomera, South Australia.
- No. 1 Air Trials Unit
- Paraguayan Air Force 1 DHC-3 donated by Argentina.
[edit] Specifications (Landplane)
Data from Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 9 -10 passengers
- Length: 41 ft 10 in (12.80 m)
- Wingspan: 58 ft 0 in (17.69 m)
- Height: 12 ft 7 in (3.83 m)
- Wing area: 375 sq ft (34.84 m²)
- Empty weight: 4,431 lb (2,010 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 8,000 lb (3,629 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney R-1340-S1H1-G Wasp 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 600 hp (448 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 160 mph (139 knots, 257 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 121 mph (105 knots, 195 km/h) at sea level (econ cruise)
- Stall speed: 58 mph (50 knots, 93 km/h)
- Range: 945 mi (822 nmi, 1,520 km)
- Service ceiling: 18,800 ft (5,730 m)
- Rate of climb: 850 ft/min (4.3 m/s)
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Bibliography
- Hayes, Karl E. DHC-3 Otter - A History (CD-ROM). Crakaig, Killiney Hill Road, Killiney, Co. Dublin, Ireland: Karl E. Hayes Publisher, 2006. (also available via CANAV Books, Toronto)
- Hotson, Fred W. The de Havilland Canada Story. Toronto: CANAV Books, 1983. ISBN 0-07-549483-3.
- Michell, Simon. (ed.). Jane's Civil and Military Aircraft Upgrades 1994-95. Coulsdon, UK:Jane's Information Group, 1994. ISBN 0 7106 1208 7.
- Milberry, Larry. Aviation In Canada. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-07-082778-8.
- Molson, Ken M. and Taylor, Harold A. Canadian Aircraft Since 1909. Stittsville, Ontario: Canada's Wings, Inc., 1982. ISBN 0-920002-11-0.
- Rossiter, Sean. The Immortal Beaver: The World's Greatest Bush Plane. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1999. ISBN 1-55054-724-0.
- Rossiter, Sean. Otter & Twin Otter: The Universal Airplanes. Vancouver: Douglas & McIntyre, 1998. ISBN 1-55054-637-6.
- Taylor, John W.R. (ed.). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1988-89. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Defence Data, 1988. ISBN 0 7106-0867-5.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter |
- de Havilland Canada DHC-3 CC-123 Otter
- De Havilland Canada D.H.C.3 'Otter'
- US Navy Otter service in Antarctica
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