UV-18

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The UV-18 'Twin Otter' is the primary aircraft for the Academy's cadet parachuting program. The three UV-18B aircraft which carry a pilot, copilot and up to 17 jumpers, are the only three Twin Otters owned by the Air Force. Cadets frequently refer to the plane as "the twotter."

The UV-18 is the military version of the DeHavilland DHC-6. The aircraft has crew and passenger oxygen systems and a navigation/communication package which gives it an all-weather capability. The DHC-6 made its first flight on May 20, 1965. This general-purposed civil and military transport, used by regional airlines in Alaska and other areas with short or rough runways, entered production early in 1966. By September 1982, over 800 DHC-6 were built, and by the end of production in 1988 a total of 844 aircraft were built for various military and commercial customers.

[edit] Specifications

  • Crew: Minimum one, commonly two.
  • Capacity: 19 or 20 passengers
  • Length: 51 ft 9 in (15.77 m)
  • Wingspan: 65 ft (19.8 m)
  • Height: 19 ft 6 in (5.9 m)
  • Wing area: 420 ft² (39 m²)
  • Empty weight: between 7,000 lb (3,363 kg) and 8,000 lb (3,628 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 12,500 lb (5,670 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney PT6A-27 turboprop engines, 620 hp - 680 hp (460 kW - 507 kW) each

[edit] Performance

  • Maximum speed: 183 knots (210 mph, 338 km/h)
  • Range: 920 nautical miles (1,050 mi, 1,705 km)
  • Service ceiling: 26,700 ft (8,140 m)
  • Rate of climb: 1600 ft/min (8.1 m/s)

(Portions taken from globalsecurity.org and en.wikipedia.org)

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