Aerosoft: de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter

In development now: Aerosoft is putting the finishing touches on it's second aircraft for MSFS2020.

Twin Otters in 100, 200 and 300 types, with flavors like floats, wheels, big bouncy cartoon "tundra tires" for rocky shores and well tundra! Also skiis for arctic ice, amphibious (floats that have wheels the fold up inside, take off from a runway, land on water, fly back to the runway).

DHC6_100_FLOATER

DHC6_100_WHEELS_PAX

DHC6_100_WHEELS_CARGO

DHC6_300_AMPHIBIAN_PAX

DHC6_300_FLOATER_PAX_SHORT_NOSE

DHC6_300_FLOATER_PAX

DHC6_300_SKI_CARGO

DHC6_300_TUNDRA_CARGO

DHC6_300_TUNDRA_PAX

DHC6_300_WHEELS_CARGO_3BLADE

DHC6_300_WHEELS_CARGO_4BLADE

DHC6_300_WHEELS_PAX

DHC6_300_WHEELS_PARAJUMPER

Sorry, Vikings need not apply, as the -400 is not included nor planned at this time (Viking Air bought the rights to the Twin Otter and make brand new planes, albeit with nicer weather radars and a full glass cockpit).

It's not ready yet... but testing starts next week...

For screenshots, developer statements, questions to the devs, livery requests, and progress reports. Check all 27 pages for screenshots, closeups:

https://forum.aerosoft.com/index.php?/topic/155894-aerosoft-aircraft-twin-otter/page/27/

So Beta testing has begun, and they have permission to post screenshots of much of the aircraft (I think they can't show the cockpit inside yet, as it's still a work in progress). They have posted many pics on this page here:

https://forum.aerosoft.com/index.php?/topic/155894-aerosoft-aircraft-twin-otter/page/42/

The project manager still says that he thinks it will be released this year (2021), so yay!

Ok, so this product is in the final stages, but it seems like release may be in Jan/Feb, maybe March.

A tiny little hint of what's to come:

The Aerosoft Twin Otter is now lining up for final approach!

Release is set for Jan 19th at €29.95 (plus VAT when applicable).

It will include content from a book they were publishing in the past "Twin Otter Extended You have Control", stories, interesting facts and such.

It'll come with several different configurations including float, amphibian, wheels, tundra tires, snow skis, and skydiver door variants, and some paint liveries to start with... HOWEVER, it will come with a great paintkit either on release or soon after, that includes the new MSFS "decal" system, greatly increasing the quality of 3rd party paint liveries with quality details you'd normally have to paint yourself.

Thirteen models

DHC6-100 Floats Passenger (Westcoast Air C-FGQH)

DHC6-100 Wheels Cargo (Norway Airforce MXJ_67-062)

DHC6-100_Wheels Passenger (Fuerza Aerea de chile 940)

 

DHC6-300 Amphibian Passenger (Viking Air N153QS)

DHC6-300 Floats Passenger (Trans Maldivian 8Q-TJM)

DHC6-300 Floats Passenger Short Nose (Trans Maldivian 8Q-MAV)

DHC6-300 Ski Cargo (British Antarctica Survey VP-FBB)

DHC6-300 Tundra Wheels Cargo (Air Inuit C-GKCJ)

DHC6-300 Tundra Wheels Passenger (Norlandair TF-NLC)

DHC6-300 Wheels Cargo 3 Blade Prop (Aklak Air C-CDHC)

DHC6-300 Wheels Cargo 4 Blade Prop (Aklak Air C-CDHC)

DHC6-300 Wheels Skydiver (Perris Valley Skydiving N-708PV)

DHC6-300 Wheels Passenger (Solomons Airline H4-FNT)

Flown well it should do 800 nautical miles. Many have flown to Antarctica in real world, and Aerosoft now has Antarctic scenery for just that purpose!

This product doesn't include the typical glass cockpit that today's sims often feature, but is mostly a steamgauge / 6pack with modern upgrades like autopilot and GPS navigation, exactly what you'd find on nearly all real Twin Otters today. They are using a real specific aircraft as the version they are modeling, down to exactly what each gauge looks like, where the wear marks are.

Complete avionics stack (all compatible with available tweaks)

 

Garmin 530 all-in-one GPS/Nav/Comm solution

Garmin 430 all-in-one GPS/Nav/Comm solution

Bendix/King KR-87 ADF Receiver

Bendix/King KT-76C Transponder

Bendix/King KAP140 Autopilot

Intercontinental Altitude Alerter

Collins 913K Autopilot Controller (used as repeater for the KAP140)

Bendix/King KMA Audio Selector

Collins FD-112V Flight Director

Some of the less visible (audible) but very realistic features of this product.

 

The Electrical system is pretty well defined. You will notice the batteries have just enough power to crank the engines as you will see all lights dim a bit. This is rather normal for aircraft of the period but I think it has not been modeled before.

 

The Hydraulic system is also very well modeled. When the pressure drops, for example because you use the brakes or flaps you will see that indicated and will hear the pump topping up the pressure.

 

Over a 100 different sounds were recorded in the cockpit. Wipers, Crossfeed selector, Hydraulic accumulator, Gyro spool up and upon switching off the power spool down, leaver movement including microswitches, Yoke movement, Control lock placement, Break release, Doors opening and closing, starter sounds and so many more.

 

Climb and Cruise fuel burn realistic (only at full power does the fuel burn deviate a bit)

 

Single-engine performance including VMCA tested against the real airplane.

 

Realistic stall characteristics at all flap settings (that is a hard one to get right btw)

 

Accurate change in flight characteristics from MTOW to Low and empty weights

 

As with all our aircraft we only model Standard Operating Procedures, so no emergencies, failing systems, popping circuit breakers etc. The standard failure mode of the sim will work though, we just did not enhance that in any way.

There are many preview videos and nice screenshots in their thread, now 80 pages:

See here: https://forum.aerosoft.com/index.php?/topic/155894-aerosoft-aircraft-twin-otter/page/77/

It should be for sale in both Aerosoft's store, and also in the MSFS Marketplace

Aerosoft is considering whether to do a DHC-2 Beaver !!! Go push them to make one!

See here: https://forum.aerosoft.com/index.php?/topic/155894-aerosoft-aircraft-twin-otter/page/77/