Tuesday, December 30, 2008

 

Steve's "Otter Of The Week"! .....by Karl E. Hayes

Fortunately, the Otter was built in enough numbers and was durable enough that she wasn't a "short-lived" aircraft, and has built a great history, and continues to do so. Unfortunately, a few Otters have "faded to oblivion" leaving few details behind. Here is one such Otter, another "Vietnam Vet"........

All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:

De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY

CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
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Otter 323

Otter 323 was delivered to the United States Army on 14th April 1959 with serial 58-1708 (tail number 81708). It was assigned to the 18th Aviation Company, Fort Riley, Kansas and deployed to Vietnam with the Company in December 1962. The Otter continued to fly for the 18th Aviation Company until May 1966 when it was returned to the United States for depot level maintenance at the ARADMAC Depot, Corpus Christi, Texas. On completion of the work in July '66 it was returned to Vietnam, joining the 54th Aviation Company, with whom it served until March 1969. It was then shipped home, arriving at the Sharpe Army Depot, Stockton, California in September '69 and being transferred the following month to the Atlanta, Georgia Army Depot, where it was put into storage. In January 1971 81708 was assigned to Yuma, Arizona as a test support aircraft and continued flying from Yuma until damaged in an accident in November 1972. The damaged aircraft was scrapped.

- by Karl E. Hayes
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"Passed on" far too young............


- photo by George Downer, circa 1963-64. Flight of two Otters off Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Pictured aircraft, Otter 323, on a test flight, George in right seat of unknown numbered Otter. Both from 18th Aviation Company, Nha Trang.


CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes

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