Canadian Warplanes 5: de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter

de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter

(DND Photo via Mike Kaehler)

de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter (Serial No. 13808), being flown in UN service.  This aircraft was destroyed by the Indian Air Force while it was operating in Pakistan on 5 Dec 1971.

The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, currently marketed as the Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otter, is a 19-passenger Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) utility aircraft.  The aircraft's fixed tricycle undercarriage, STOL capabilities, twin turboprop engines and high rate of climb have made it a successful commuter passenger airliner as well as a cargo and medical evacuation aircraft.  Eight have been in operation with the Canadian Forces. (Wikipedia)

The Twin Otter has been popular with commercial skydiving operations. It can carry up to 22 skydivers to over 17,000 ft (a large load compared to most other aircraft in the industry); presently, the Twin Otter is used in skydiving operations in many countries.  This author has been fortunate to have made a good number of parachute jumps from Canadian Forces CC-138 Twin Otters with the Sky Hawks, and while skydiving with civilian operators.

de Havilland DHC-6-300, CC-138 Twin Otter (8), (Serial Nos. 801-808).

(Author Photo)

de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter (Serial No. 13807), initially painted white at first, then to improve visibility they switched to yellow.  Namao, CFB Edmonton, Alberta, 1978.

(Author Photo)

de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter (Serial No. 13804) with a new yellow paint scheme.  The author jumped out of these two at Namao, CFB Edmonton, Alberta in 1978.

(Author Photo Collection)

de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter (Serial No. 806), with members of the Canadian Forces Parachute Team, the Sky Hawks, as we get ready for the day's jumps at CFB Edmonton, Namao, Alberta.  From left to right, the author, Bill Greenshields, Ralph Goebel, Murray McConnell, Pierre Deschenes and Kevin Gammon, 1977.

(Author Photo)

de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter, CFPT training jumps over CFB Edmonton.

 (Author Photo)

(Author Photo)

de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter (Serial Nos 804 and 809), CFPT training jumps.  Capt Jean Simard is in front of the author here.

(Griffin Library Photo via Mike Kaehler)

RCAF de Havilland CC-138 Twin Otter (Serial No. 3682). This aircraft was heavily modified with oversize flaps and drooped outer-wing leading edges. A General Electric J-85 jet engine was installed in the cabin, with a nozzle protruding out through the fuselage sides. It also had two P&W Canada PT-6 turbine engines installed, while still retaining the J-85 jet engine in the cabin. The aircraft had so many modifications and so much flight testing done to it that serious structural cracking developed, which necessitated the aircraft be grounded. It sat for a few years in Downsview and then was scrapped.

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