26 | Flight International | 18-31 August 2015 flightglobal.com
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ancouver Island-based Viking
Air has identified Brazil as
the next sales target for its mod-
ernised version of the de Havil-
land Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
– the Series 400.
“Brazil is now the top priority,”
says David Caporali, Viking Air’s
recently-appointed regional sales
director for Latin America.
Since restarting production in
2011, Viking Air has made
successful sales drives into
Russia and more recently China,
where the Reignwood Group has
signed a major order for 50
(^) Series 400s.
Brazil is seen as another huge
market opportunity for the
high-winged, 19-seat aircraft,
which offers short take-off and
landing capability.
At the peak of the DHC-6’s orig-
inal success from the late-1960s to
the mid-1970s, the Brazilian
market was off-limits, as the then-
state-owned Embraer produced a
rival 19-seater in the EMB-110
Bandeirante. Embraer has since
moved on to other sectors of the
F
light testing has resumed on
Gulfstream’s G500 after a
break of “several weeks” to
prepare the large-cabin, long-
range business jet for flutter
tests, the company announced
on 10 August.
The G500 underwent a num-
ber of modifications, says Gulf-
stream, including the installation
of winglet and horizontal flutter
vanes and the aircraft’s attitude
recovery chute. “During the mod-
ification period, Gulfstream used
simulators to help our pilots pre-
pare for the flutter tests,” it adds.
After initially revealing the pro-
ject on 14 October last year,
Gulfstream flew the G500 for the
first time on 18 May. The 5,000nm
(9,250km) range, large-cabin jet
has so far accumulated 15 flight
MARKET
Brazil beckons Twin Otter, says Viking
Canadian company plans sales drive into Latin American nation, where it sees big opportunities for its modernised DHC-6
An Amazon-based operator will act as local sales representative
Viking Air
Testing resumes on G500 after flutter preparation
DEVELOPMENT
The large-cabin business jet has undergone several modifications
Gulfstream
test hours, including one flight
lasting 4h. The flight-test cam-
paign has made progress clearing
the type’s initial flight envelope,
covering altitudes up to 38,500ft
and achieving a top speed of
Mach 0.8, the company says.
The G500 and larger, follow-on
aircraft the G600 are also under-
going a battery of testing in a
ground laboratory, with more
than 36,000h completed to date.
Gulfstream has also activated an
iron bird test rig and integrated
test facility for the latter.
“The first five flights exceeded
our expectations, and they dem-
onstrated that our testing facilities
on the ground are having very real
benefits in the air, allowing us to
identify and address issues before
they’re ever seen in flight,” says
Dan Nale, senior vice-president of
programmes, engineering and test
for Gulfstream.
Both aircraft types are packed
with advanced technologies. In
addition to full fly-by-wire flight
controls, Gulfstream has inserted
active sidesticks developed by
BAE Systems, providing real-
time feedback to flight crew con-
trol inputs.
The G500, which is powered
by two Pratt & Whitney Canada
PW800 engines, is scheduled to
enter service in 2018 after re-
ceiving type certification from
the US Federal Aviation Admin-
istration in 2017. Entry into
service for the G600 is scheduled
to follow during 2019. ■
aviation market, and now the
Brazilian government operates
dozens of ageing Bandeirantes
that may soon need to be replaced.
Viking has been active in the
greater Latin American region
since 2011, selling Series 400s
into Chile, Panama and Peru, and
also signing deals to support older
Twin Otters operated in Argenti-
na. The company recently signed
up five sales representatives to op-
erate around the region – but not
until very recently in Brazil.
Last February, Viking Air
hired Caporali to lead sales ef-
forts across the region and, in
particular, to introduce the
Series 400 into Brazil. He had
previously managed sales for
former Beechcraft dealer Lider
Aviacao in the country.
Caporali does not expect the
Brazilian market to open up to
the Series 400 immediately. The
economic crisis facing the
Brazilian government could
slow interest in replacing the
EMB-110 fleet, and government
officials still know little about
the capabilities of the Twin
Otter, he says.
The Series 400 which made
the type’s debut appearance at
the show on 11 August represent-
ed the only Twin Otter in the
country, and Caporali notes: “We
need to show the capabilities of
the aircraft.”
Meanwhile, Viking Air has an-
nounced that an Amazon region
operator, Manaus Aerotaxi
Participacoes (MAP), will func-
tion as its sales representative for
the Series 400 in Brazil.
MAP currently operates a
diverse fleet of aircraft, including
the Bandeirante, Aero Com-
mander, Cessna Caravan and
Embraer Xingu, as a taxi service
for passengers and freight in the
Amazon – and performing many
of the roles that Viking envisions
for a Twin Otter.
The company’s involvement
“brings attention for all operators
that do these operations the
most,” says Caporali. ■
LABACE 2015
SHOW REPORT