The Twin Otter Series 400 is the culmination of contributions from many sources in Canada and the United States, with the majority of the primary structure and detail parts manufactured at the Viking factory in Victoria, British Columbia.
As the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for the Series 400 Twin Otter, Viking is responsible for all aspects of the aircraft build. Utilizing a diverse supply chain, parts and components are sourced from suppliers throughout North America, including Fort Erie (Ontario), Wichita (Kansas), Phoenix & Tucson (Arizona), and Lethbridge (Alberta), to name a few.
Manufacturing Quality
Depending on the build stage, the purchased components are integrated into the aircraft at either Viking's headquarters in Victoria, or at the final aircraft assembly facility in Calgary, Alberta.
Power-ups, engine runs, and first test flights are all conducted at Viking's Calgary facility, before the aircraft are flown to Spokane (Washington) for paint. After paint, the aircraft are flown to Victoria to have the interiors installed and undergo the final certification process before being given a Certificate of Airworthiness ("C of A").
Customer options are incorporated at the Victoria facility in Viking's Technical Services department, and once everything is complete, the customer comes to Victoria, BC for the acceptance process. This generally takes five days before everything is signed off and the aircraft are ferried to their end destination to be put into service.
Durability
The quality and durability of the Twin Otter has long stood the test of time, with legacy Twin Otters retaining their value and often appreciating over time. The Twin Otter's "Aircraft Bluebook" value, corroborated with used aircraft sales listings, show legacy aircraft valued at up to 170% of their original list price. This compares to other competitors valued in the 60% - 70% range - a testament to the quality people have come to expect from the Twin Otter.
The Series 400 is no exception to the legacy the de Havilland-built Twin Otters have left behind. Quality and longevity such as this starts from the bottom up, and as the Twin Otter manufacturer, Viking has incorporated quality measures at every stage of the build process. The Viking team of highly-skilled and knowledgeable staff, and the extended team of suppliers and sub-contractors, all work in unison to build a top quality product that will carry on the legacy of dependable aircraft for generations to come.