Viking Air

Its large high wing, and rugged powerful engine were two factors that made the Beaver a successful bush-plane.

The DHC-3 Otter was originally powered by a single piston engine.

Viking Air was the former name of a Canadian manufacturer, now known as De Havilland Canada.

The original manufacturer known as De Havilland Canada, founded in 1928, was a successful spinoff of the UK aircraft manufacturer De Havilland. During World War 2 it manufactured planes, designed by the parent company, in Canada. After World War 2 the Canadian firm designed and built a range of highly regarded planes, including rugged bush planes, designed for Short takeoff and landing on meadows, on skis, or on pontoons.

De Havilland Canada was eventually acquired by Bombardier, an even larger Canadian manufacturer.

When Bombardier focussed on building newer planes, and closed its production lines for the older but still popular De Havilland Aircraft they allowed Viking Air to build spare parts to keep those legacy aircraft flying. In the 2010 Bombardier sold Viking Air all its intellectual property rights to the Twin Otter, and Viking Air changed from being solely a manufacturer of parts to a manufacturer of aircraft, as it started to build new Twin Otters, with more modern avionics.

In the late 2010s Bombardier shaky finances provided Viking Air an opportunity to purchase the intellectual property rights to other popular legacy aircraft designed by De Havilland Canada.

In 2022 Viking Air's parent company, Longview Aviation Capitol, was able to buy the name De Havilland Canada, from Bombardier, and manufacture aircraft under the De Havilland Canada name.

De Havilland Canada bush-planes

The DHC Beaver, DHC Otter, and DHC Twin Otter, were among the most highly regarded bush planes. The Twin Otter, when configured to carry passengers, had a capacity of 20. The firms next passenger aircraft was the DHC-7, also known as the Dash-7. It was a four-engined plane, with a large wing, also capable of carrying passengers to and from short, poorly-finished airfields. But it carried approximately twice as many passengers as the Twin Otter, carried them with more comfort, and as sealed, so it could fly at the same altitude as other airliners.

De Havilland Canada STOL airliners

The Dash-7 with its high, large wing, bears a resemblance to the early Twin Otter. Note the four turboprops that give it admirable STOL capability.

The Dash-8's smaller wing, with only a single pair of engines, makes it more fuel efficient, but requires sacrificing STOL capability.

The slightly larger Dash-8 was slightly larger than the Dash-7, and traded some of the STOL capability for more efficient flying between finished airfields.

De Havilland Canada water bombers

De Havilland Canada also developed the DHC-215, the world's first purpose-built water-bomber. It was introduced in 1969, and a total of 95 airframes were sold.

By 1993 De Havilland had been acquired by Bombardier. Nevertheless the updated follow-on to the 215 was called the DHC-415. Approximately 120 airframes were sold.

The DHC-515

The DHC-515 is a modernized water bomber, designed to use 21st century avionics, and to fill other roles, like maritime patrol and surviellance, and search and rescue. Unlike the earlier planes, it is well equipped to fly at night. And the other roles it can fill mean the planes can be used during the months when firefighting aircraft are not required.