CASR

- Canadian Defence Policy, Foreign Policy, & Canada-US Relations -

—— Aerospace Industry —— Viking Air Guardian Patrol Aircraft ——

Aerospace

CASR  DND 101 Twin Otter

Modest Proposal Twin Otter

Interim FWSAR &  'FWNOR'

CASR Home

CASR Aerospace – New Aircraft Projects and Derivatives  –  August 2009 A Vigilant Double Mustelid  —  Viking Air's  Projected  Guardian 400: a new Twin Otter Variant for Surveillance, Maritime Patrol, and SAR Victoria-based  Viking Air is expanding its line of reborn De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters. Viking's new Twin Otter Series 400  ' Technology Demonstrator ' first flew on 1 Oct 2008. This new- build aircraft was on Wipline 13000 floats making two small "finlet" tail surfaces necessary. Overall the Series 400 looks very much like the last DHC- built DHC-6-300 Twin Otters. There are changes. Most noticable are the 4-bladed propellers on higher-powered PT6A-34 engines. Viking has introduced a host of other improvements as well as standardizing many Twin Otter STCs.[1] Viking has now announced the next stage in marketing its Next-Generation Twin Otter. The Guardian 400, announced at the 2009 Paris Air Show,  is aimed at military and government operators. Specific equipment installations can be specified but there will be few limitations on what gear  the airframe will accommodate. The emphasis is on patrol  –  as is obvious by the nose-mounted electro-optical sensor turret. But actual equipment fit can be as simple or as comprehensive as an operator requires. Other than the E/O turret, Guardian 400 options will include a belly-mounted 360° search radar and  searchlight on one of  up to four pylons. Two operator's stations would be sited on the portside with an optional added fuel tank  to starboard. To the rear, two observer positions sit on either side. In the floor of what would be the baggage area on a standard Twin Otter is a drop hatch. All the crew positions have bubble observations windows (3 to port, 1 to starboard). The rear fuselage crew positions would be separated from the flight deck by twin doors set between the two optional galley and lavatory cabinets  (allowing longer duration missions). Viking Air has displayed 'sample' crew seats and operator stations (left & right) but such fittings could be specified by customers. The same is true for sensor suites. Viking's Guardian 400  artist conception (bottom) shows a nose-mounted Safire (or similar) E/O turret. The input  from this sensor would be viewed either in the cockpit – on a Honeywell Primus display – or a stand-alone monitor in the rear The artist's concept also shows a belly radome  fitted  for  unnamed search radar.[2] All radar sets suitable for surveillance aircraft in the King Air class would presumably fit the Guardian 400. The artist's concept shows a searchlight on the outboard starboard wing pylon position  (although the other three potential pylons are not  fitted ). Viking claims that  their Guardian 400 is "ideally suited for SAR and maritime patrol", thus, as President Dave Curtis put it, providing air forces and coast guards with "...a modern and economical solution" to sovereignty and rescue patrols. This has been tried before by DHC with its DHC-6-300MR with conspicuous lack of success. But  the -300MR came at the very end of  De Havilland's Twin Otter run. Wisely, Viking is marketing its Guardian 400  almost from the outset of renewed production. If all goes well, ordered Guardian 400s will proceed side by side with civilian Series 400 Twin Otters down Viking Air's assembly line in Calgary. [1] A 'Supplemental Type Certificate' is issued for each approved modification to an aircraft. [2] Of  note is that  this belly radome installation requires no aerodynamic balancing. On the original De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300MR, the search radar was 'chin-mounted'  in a dish- shaped radome. To balance, the -300MR required 'finlets' as used on Twin Otter floatplanes.