De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter

Turboprop twin engine • High Wing • Fixed gear

Range Map

Origin:

• nm at current load

• click map to move • two fingers to move map

Payload vs. Range

Configure weights

Occupants

lb + lbs / pax

Select payload

gal

Fuel on board

lbs

Extra weight

Range

Available Range / nm

Mission capable. Aircraft can handle the current load with full fuel tanks.

Fuel capacity reduced by gallons ( gal usable for nm range).

Over max gross weight. Reduce payload by lbs to safely operate this aircraft.

Extra weight is the additional payload available with your selected passengers.

Mission Profile

In production

170

KTAS

Cruise Speed

800

Max Range

25,000

Service Ceiling

Occupants

1867

lbs

Wet Payload

Endorsements & ratings:

High-Performance
Multi-Engine

De Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter (Air Seychelles) -- Tribalninja (Public Domain)

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter

Type certificated 1966

Overview

The De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a fixed-gear, unpressurized twin turboprop that works from gravel, grass, water, snow, and ice where few other twins its size can operate. Certified in 1966 on two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 turbines, it seats up to 19 and lifts a real payload out of runways around 1,500 ft. Bombardier, then Viking Air, then De Havilland Canada have kept the type certificate alive continuously, and the airplane is still built new today.

That continuity frames the central buyer decision. The classic Series 300 (1969-1988, roughly 614 built, 620 shp PT6A-27s) is the deep, well-supported used-market entry point; the current Series 400 from De Havilland Canada adds 750 shp PT6A-34s, a glass cockpit, and more useful load at new-airframe pricing. The specs here describe the -300. Whichever you choose, the mission is the same: rugged, low-and-slow access, not speed.

Key Features for GA Buyers

STOL access is the whole point. Certified field lengths near 1,500 ft (SFAR-23, at max landing weight) open strips and clearings closed to most faster twins in its weight class.
Configuration versatility. Quick-change wheels, floats, amphibious floats, and skis without structural modification. The float and amphib capability is what island, survey, and bush operators buy it for.
Workhorse reliability and support. PT6A ubiquity, a global parts network, and continuous type-certificate stewardship give it high dispatch reliability and strong resale in utility markets.

Trade-offs

Unpressurized, low and slow. The 25,000 ft ceiling is an oxygen-limited number, not a comfortable cruise; real missions run 5,000-10,000 ft at around 170 kt, with a full-fuel range near 800 nm. At that speed and altitude it is a utility hauler, not a fast cross-country machine.
Turbine-twin operating cost. Two PT6A-27s put direct operating cost near $1,310/hr (about 74 gph of jet-A plus a two-engine overhaul reserve), below the pressurized Beechcraft 1900D commuter but far above any piston utility single.
New versus used is a real fork. A -300 is the affordable, supported entry; a new -400 is a very different capital decision.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Height: 19.5 ft
Length: 51.8 ft
Parking area (ft²): 4260.0 ft²

Max Takeoff Weight: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 12,500 lbs
Max Landing Weight: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 12,300 lbs
Useful Load: Source: third-party reference 4,400 lbs
Fuel Capacity: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 378 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed: Source: manufacturer figure 170 KTAS
Never-Exceed (V_NE): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 160 KIAS
Approach Speed: 80 KIAS
Stall, Clean (V_S₁): Source: third-party reference 56 KIAS
Range: Source: third-party reference 800 NM
Service Ceiling: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 25,000 ft
Rate of Climb: 1600 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle: 1,490 ft
Landing ground roll: 1,050 ft

Engines

Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.