Introduction And History

First flying in 1966, the de Havilland CanadaDHC-6 Twin Otter has become a staple of STOL class utility aircraft, withimpressive flight performance, useful load, and range. It sees service in allseven continents of the planet and is widely considered one of the bestaircraft for its job. When de Havilland Canada sold to Boeing in 1984,production was halted on the Twin Otter, even though it was promisedproduction would continue. De Havilland was then sold to Bombardier Aerospacein 1992, but the Twin Otter would still remain out of production for years tocome. Viking Air would eventually begin to reproduce the Twin Otter afteryears of work, with the first new DHC-6 taking off in 2010. Today, over 600Twin Otters are flying around the world in various functions, proving thelongevity and usefulness of this classic aircraft.

Aerosoft have faithfully recreated this aircraft for Microsoft FlightSimulator 2020, bringing with it a beautifully detailed model, systems, andsound set. The result is a beautiful representation of an aircraft ready tohit the back country for some seriously impressive landings.

Documentation And First Impressions

The Twin Otter ships with an eye-watering 13 different variants of theaircraft, enough choices for any virtual pilot to accomplish their intendedflight with relative ease using the correct aircraft. Each variant includesone livery, with hundreds more available to download on various flightsimulation web sites. After loading into the simulator, I was met by abeautiful interior on par with the quality I've come to expect fromAerosoft. The exterior was again a beautifully detailed rendition and reallybrought the aircraft to life. Now let's get into the details.

Exterior Model And Texturing

Starting off with the external model, the details put into the aircraftare simply incredible. The details down to each of the rivets andraised/recessed portions of the metal really make this aircraft stand outclose up. The amount of effort that went into the external model certainlypaid off, as this is one of the most visually impressive aircraft I've everseen in a simulator. The texture work really accentuates the stellar modelingand highlights all the little details. There is a good amount of weatheringon the aircraft surfaces, giving a nod to the many years of use theseaircraft have flown, and also providing a sense of realism. My biggest petpeeve with MSFS is still the clinically spotless aircraft. It just ruins someof the authenticity of the aircraft, so seeing Aerosoft add wear and tear totheir models is really an appreciated touch.

Interior Model And Texturing

The interior of the Twin Otter is on another level in terms of model andtexture work. The cabin is different for each aircraft, whether it is a cargocompartment, passenger compartment, or skydiver configuration, each one hasits own version. The cockpit has plenty of character to it, with scratches,scrapes, and chipped paint giving it life and a used look. The modeling ofthe panel is again excellent and carries the amazing work into the place mostof us will be spending our time during the flight. I really have zerocomplaints thus far regarding any aspect of the Otter, and it really is quitean enjoyable aircraft in terms of looks.

Aircraft Systems

The systems on the aircraft are in a way comparable to theAerosoft CRJ.It is not a study level model by any means, nor is it Carenado style inbeing a Lite simulation. It instead floats in the mid-high fidelity range,with enough of the systems being modeled to fully replicate a flight innormal operations, but not all of the emergency systems are operable. The GPSis the default G430/530 of MSFS, but you can add the PMS50 mod to increasethe functionality, which I highly recommend doing. I would love to seeintegration with the TDS750 add-on to add the GTN750 into the aircraft for amore modern setup. If you are a casual flier, a brief flip through the manualwill get you up and flying with overall ease, and still allows the more indepth simmer a full simulation experience using proper procedures andchecklists.

Flight Characteristics And Sounds

I really can't say a whole lot on the flight dynamics as the most complexairplane I've flown is a C177RG, a far cry from a twin engine STOL aircraft,but it feels very good and mostly stable. The trim for me is a constant fightto keep the thing in a nose level attitude for very long, and it had atendency to want to bank right. This could be my joystick however, as I don'tcurrently have access to my Honeycomb Alpha and Bravo or rudder pedals. Inthe climb it soars like a homesick angel, and descends equally well, withoutactually gaining any airspeed. Overall, the Otter had great performance.

I had heard lots of complaints about the sounds, but they have improved,at least for me, and are done quite well, though there is still room for moreimprovement. Aerosoft seems to know about the issues and have released acouple of patches to fix the sound issues, so hopefully by the time thisreview is published, the sound debate will be settled.

Conclusion

The Twin Otter is an awesome aircraft and one that is great to fly intoremote destinations. Aerosoft has done a fabulous job representing theaircraft in both the visual and systems aspects, and for only 30 euros, it isreally good value for money. I recommend this aircraft for any simmer lookingto do some utility flying in remote parts of the world, or who would like abreak from flying airliners. Aerosoft has done a fantastic job with thisaircraft, and I look forward to seeing what they produce next!

Josh Moore

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