By Darron Kloster, Times Colonist
February 14, 2012 2:21 AM
Equipped with special fuel tanks for long-range flying, Viking Air delivered the 11th Twin Otter airplane off its production line to new owners today at the Singapore Air Show.
The Series 400 left Viking headquarters at Victoria International Airport on Jan. 21 for the 10-day trip to the Southeast Asia city-state on the Malay Peninsula.
The handover to Ok Tedi Development Foundation - a copper mining company in Papua New Guinea - marks the start of a three-week tour of the region for both the aircraft and a fiveperson delegation from Viking Air, in what has been one of the company's most lucrative markets to date.
The base price for a Series 400 Twin Otter is $6.5 million, but often goes higher depending on options. Ok Tedi Development has acquired two Otters, with the other being delivered by mid-year. The selling prices were not disclosed.
Viking is expected to announce "significant" new orders for the Twin Otter today - deals the company says will involve several countries.
Viking currently has a backlog order for 55 Twin Otters worth more than $350 million. That equates to a sellout until the end of 2014, based on Viking's current operations. There are rumours the company plans a major expansion at its Victoria plant, but Viking did not confirm those plans, saying it is "ramping up production" to meet demand.
A good portion of the backlog as well as some of the delivered planes have been to Southeast Asia, including the Vietnamese navy, said Viking spokeswoman Beth Shrieves.
A Viking pilot and mechanic flew the Otter to Alaska and over to Russia, then on to South Korea, Taiwan and Manila before landing in Singapore at the beginning of the month. The plane was fitted with a specialized "ferry fuel system" - tanks installed in the fuselage holding the equivalent of nine 50-gallon drums of fuel - to make the trip. The ferry system was taken out after arrival.
The Ok Tedi plane will embark on a "demonstration tour" through Southeast Asia for viewing by commercial, military and government organizations, Viking said in a statement. Stops will include Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines. The aircraft will then transit through Cairns, Australia, prior to a final ferry flight to Papua New Guinea. Among the Viking delegation are CEO Dave Curtis and Robert Mauracher, business development manager.
The two-aircraft deal to Ok Tedi was co-ordinated through Loch Ard Otters International, an original launch customer for the Series 400 Twin Otter, which has a total of five aircraft with two more on order.
Viking said the Twin Otter is popular for its ability to operate from remote and unimproved airfields in any operating environment. It features modifications that improve safety and increase performance over the Series 300 Twin Otter, the most notable integration of the Honeywell Primus Apex avionics suite. Other changes include upgraded Pratt & Whitney engines, use of composite materials simplified electrical and LED lighting systems and value-added options such as de-ice and airconditioning.
Viking launched the new DHC-6 Twin Otter production program in 2007. It provides original equipment manufacturing support for the worldwide fleet of de Havilland heritage aircraft (DHC-1 through DHC-7), and is part of Westerkirk Capital, a Canadian private investment firm based in Toronto.
The company employs 450 in Victoria and another 200 in Calgary, where final assembly of the aircraft is completed.
Source: http://www.timescolonist.com
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